DAVAO City Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) chief Emmanuel Jaldon denied Sunday reports that only P20.203 or 11% of the P175-million budget allocated for Davao City's flood control and disaster preparedness projects were utilized in 2012.
"That is wrong. Delayed lang yun entry sa report nila," Jaldon told Sun.Star Davao.
In fact, Jaldon said Davao City has been considered as one of the local government units that have "properly accomplished the DRRM plan."
"We don't just spend without the roadmap of what we want to do and what is needed by Davao City based on the disaster vulnerabilities," he said.
Jaldon was referring to the published report of Rappler on Wednesday, which stated that "the Commission on Audit took the (Davao) city government to task for what it described as "very low efficiency rate of performance versus targets."
The report reads that "the P175-million budget was allocated for Davao City's flood control and disaster preparedness projects funded under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP)."
"In its 2013 audit report, COA said the full P175 million amount was transferred to Davao City on June 20, 2012 after President Benigno Aquino III approved the fund release via a signed memorandum dated October 12, 2011," the report reads.
"Of the full amount, P124.8 million was supposed to be spent for disaster risk-reduction management (DRRM), while another P50.2 million was earmarked for flood control projects. Of the P50.2 million, P45 million was supposed to be used to buy an all-purpose dredging machine and the balance of P5.2 million was supposed to be used for a small-scale irrigation project."
However, Jaldon said the report that cited some "unused funds" is already "outdated."
He said the P175 million was utilized religiously according to its DRRM plan.
"The DRRMF (DRRM fund) cannot be utilized without the DRRM plan. This plan was only accomplished by DRRM Council and approved by the City Council only in 2013. Thus, the delay in the utilization," Jaldon said.
"The remaining balances were actually put into trust fund in 2013. So, these were utilized in 2013-2014," he said.
According to the Rappler report, the P124.8 million DRRM budget was allocated for security and disaster response equipment for the city's Public Safety Command Center (P65 million), hydraulic excavator (P15 million), two units of road rollers (P17 million), tow truck (P9 million), dump trucks to be used for rescue operations (p8.3 million), construction of a health center with maternity unit (P8 million), and 6-wheeler truck with portalets to be used in evacuation centers.
"Of the listed amounts, as of October 31, only dump trucks and road rollers were purchased, in addition to the construction of the health center. Davao City already has P229 million set aside for its local DRRM fund, on top of the P296.4 million accumulated from previous years' unused funds. This brings to a total of P525.4 million Davao City's allocation for its local disaster risk-reduction and management fund," the report reads.
Meanwhile, the report also mentioned flooding as a seemingly perennial problem of the city but has not yet been addressed.
"Even the most advanced countries in the world cannot prevent the occurrence of flooding," Jaldon said.
"But, we have implemented measures to adapt to the effects of flooding. Warning systems are in place and structural designs were improved. You know, it is all about warning or just getting away from flood prone areas when warning is given. The city, as you can notice, is rebuilding and enlarging major water canals in several locations of the city," he said.
The last major flooding in the city was in January 2013 when the Davao River overflowed affecting residents in Jade Valley, Maa and Bacaca areas.
"No casualties but there were damages to properties. People very well know the risk in living in these areas and yet they continue to live in these places," Jaldon said.