Despite utilizing a big chunk of its 2017 budget, the National Book Development Board (NBDB) of the Department of Education fell short of granting financial assistance to aspiring book authors in the country.

This was according to the audit report of the Commission on Audit (CoA), thus it recommended to the NBDB management to prioritize the giving of grant to applicants in order not to affect the promotion of Filipino authorship, especially in science and technology.

Based on the audit report, out of the NBDB’s total allotments of P46,807,180.87 for calendar year 2017, only 5.74 percent or P2,685,833.70 was not utilized.

Of this amount, P1,820,932.15 correspond to excess allotments/savings realized from the implementation of its planned programs and the remaining P864,901.55 pertains to allotment for market interventions for the administration cost of the book program.

The excess funding was not utilized due to the failure of the governing board to come up with approved categories that merit the giving of grant to applicants that affects the promotion of Filipino authorship, especially in science and technology and in the subject areas wherein locally authored books are either few or non-existent.

The management of NBDB was told to consider as priority agenda for resolution of the governing board the issue on category for the granting of financial assistance to qualified applicants.

The board should also intensify the public announcement for proposals and applications for wide selections of applicants; and ensure full implementation of the program to promote the continuing development of book publishing industry.

Meanwhile, the report also cited the account due from national government agencies has a zero balance in the books of NBDB on the fund transfers to Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management.

The attention of the board was called by the CoA because the confirmed balance in the records of the latter with a negative balance of P44,460.73, the cause of deficiency cannot be determined due to inadequate reconciliation of accounts.

Also, the account due from the national government agencies of P52,000 pertains to the unliquidated financial assistance to Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Center for Creative Writing (PUP-CCW), which remains outstanding to date despite the third extension granted by NBDB for the liquidation until Jan. 31, 2018.

With these findings, the CoA recommended to the accountant and property office to regularly reconcile records with those of the DBM, monitor the deliveries and fund transfers made and immediately inform the DBM to avoid existence of discrepancy; the accountant to send a final demand letter to PUP-CCW for the immediate liquidation of the transferred funds.

Finally, the NBDB utilized only P137,441.96 out of its Gender and Development budget allocation of P177,400 which was below the five percent threshold of its 2017 appropriations of P43,694,395 for GAD activities contrary to the provisions of the law.

The NBDB was told to comply strictly with the GAD annual budget allocation of at least five percent of the appropriation; and maximize the use of the budget allocated for GAD by identifying other gender related issues that may confront its employees and integrate the same in NBDB’s regular activities and programs.