Cordillera projects need scrutiny

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – Just how transparent are government projects, like infrastructure being implemented in the Cordillera?

This is the question often asked by observers considering that the national government had been pouring billions of taxpayers’ money in the region.

Take  the Department of Agriculture for example. The grapevine has it that millions of pesos have been allotted for information dissemination of the billions worth of projects funded by the Japanese government.

Where the money went, officials of the regional DA could explain. As of this time, people are not aware of what the DA is doing considering no “information dissemination” particularly in the media is evident. How much had been allotted for advertising and who are the people in control of the funds? This matter would soon be discussed in another column.

P-Noy’s Daang Matuwid program is just being used by officials for lip service, pundits are saying.For one, there is need to lift that  executive order issued by the unlamented Arroyo government to stop certain advertisements in the media, main reason why people have been kept in the dark on how government funds were being used.

Go to any government agency or office and ask how they bid out projects and you will find out there is much to be desired on how these are implemented.

The pre-qualifications and bids committee (PBAC) is usually composed of officials or personnel who connive to award the project to their pet contractors who of course, give 20 to 50 percent of the total amount to corrupt officials. 

Maybe, there ought to be law to include private entities like those from religious or media groups and non-government organizations in PBACs so rigging would be discouraged or lessened.

There have been a lot of suggestions on how to curb corruption through transparency, but apparently, corruption is still the norm among those in government.

In the Cordillera, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has reportedly set up a “monitoring, evaluation and transparency (MET) mechanism in implementation of millions of pesos projects funded by OPAPP.

           

If  the OPAPP is sincere in this, then it could divulge to the media how it will specifically implement the projects.

A report by the Philippine Information Agency said the “OPAPP has partnered with several civil society organizations in implementation to improve governance and monitoring of government’s peace and development projects and programs in the Cordillera.

“To formalize the partnership, OPAPP represented by Undersecretary Marie Cleofe Gettie Sandoval, signed here a few days ago a memorandum of agreement with representatives of non-government organizations and civic groups on how to implement the projects.”

Signatories reportedly included Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Governance, Peoples Organization for Social Transformation Development Network Inc. of Apayao,  Philippine Association of Social Workers Inc. – Ifugao, International Association for Transformation (Kalinga) and CSO Ebgan Inc. of Mountain  Province.

The signing was witnessed by Cordillera  Bodong Administration president Marcelina Bahatan, regional police director Chief Supt.  Benjamin Magalong, Department of Agriculture Regional Director Marilyn Sta. Catalina, Department of Interior and Local Government assistant regional director Jonathan Leusen and National Commission on Indigenous People regional chief Sancho Boquing.

Sandoval, in a statement, said,“The MET mechanism shows the commitment of both the government and the Cordillera Bodong Administration – Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA) to the principles of transparency and accountability in implementing the Peace Process MOA they forged in 2011.

“The MET will utilize collaborative approaches and engage the public in promoting an atmosphere of constructive and productive dialogue and mutual cooperation in the monitoring and implementation of the peace and development projects and program under the 2011 GPH-CBA-CPLA MOA.”

With the said MOA now on its second year of implementation, Sandoval said “peace and development projects and programs are on track, in line with the transformation of the CBA-CPLA into a potent socio-economic organization.”

She added project implementations would be done  through regional line agencies. So for infrastructure projects it would be through the DILG, livelihood programs through DSWD, scholarships through the Commission on Higher Education, Farm-to-market roads through the DA,Philhealth for health insurance coverage, among others.

Sandoval said by the end of this year they are optimistic that all programs and projects are already in place. OPAPP is also reportedly set to present their accomplishment report by July for the second year anniversary of the MOA.