At least 100 state universities and colleges have yet to account for P3.683 billion in Disbursement Acceleration Program funds, according to a 2013 report posted last week on the Commission on Audit’s website.
The Commission on Higher Education told CoA that it had already sent letters to 110 government-owned schools on June 27 last year, requiring the submission of liquidation reports.
CoA said CHEd received P4.063 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Institute for Development Studies in December 2011.
At least P3.825 billion was transferred to the SUCs between July 2012 and December 2013.
The amount of P238 million was retained for administrative and other expenses.
Of the amount transferred to state-owned schools, P3.638 billion or 95.11 percent remained unliquidated as of December 31, 2013 in violation of the rules under CoA Circular No. 94-013 issued on Dec. 31, 1994 and the memoranda of agreement entered into among CHEd, SUCs and other source agencies.
CoA recognized that SUCs had been faced with two major challenges — the need to provide access to quality higher education and to generate, adapt or transfer technologies that would efficiently and effectively enhance productivity, alleviate poverty and improve the country’s state of competitiveness.
To arrest such issues would require substantial investments and the national government’s assistance to CHEd through DAP funds for a roadmap for reforms for public higher education, it said.
Funds from the DPWH were intended for infrastructure and facilities’ upgrade and modernization, while those from the DSWD and PIDS were for the implementation of student grants-in-aid for poverty alleviation, among others.
After the audit of CHEd’s financial records, CoA said recipient SUCs failed to submit the verified liquidation reports and status of project implementation for the DAP-funded projects.
"To ensure that the DAP Funds are properly utilized for the intended purpose/s, it is incumbent upon CHEd to regularly monitor, as a good management practice, the projects being undertaken by SUCs, including the periodic submission of the required progress/financial reports,” its report stated.
Apart from sending letters to the 110 SUCs, CHEd said they also forwarded the status of the DAP funds as of June 30, 2014 and that a consolidated liquidation report was already being prepared.//
