The Commission on Audit (CoA) has flagged local government of Maragondon town in Cavite for not installing project signboards over four ongoing infrastructure initiatives, which have a budget of P7.10 million.

State auditors said this violated Section 2.2 of CoA Circular 2013-004, mandating that all government agencies shall notify the public of their projects, programs, and activities by posting the detailed information through signboards or tarpaulins placed within the agency premises and in the venue where the PPA is located or carried out.

For infrastructure projects, a tarpaulin signboard must be suitably framed for outdoor display at the project location and shall be posted as soon as the award has been made.

In its 2023 report, CoA said that Maragondon town had four awarded and ongoing infrastructure projects with contract costs totaling P7,960,635.82. The construction of the multi-purpose building at Barangay Pantihan 4 accounted for the biggest chunk of the budget at P2,996,070.09.

Audit findings revealed that the budget for project signboards was included in the total contract cost,but that it remained uninstalled.

State auditors said posting the signboards would have raised public awareness about the project while promoting “full transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.”

“The absence of the project signboards, which should have been installed as soon as the awards were made, had deprived the general public of essential information relative to the projects implemented by the municipality, such as, among others, the project’s contract cost, and target date of completion,” CoA said.

The contractor’s accomplishment report showed that the work item “Project Billboard/Signboard” was reported as 100 percent accomplished.

CoA’s ocular inspection on 10 January, however, revealed that the prescribed project signboards were not yet installed within the vicinity of the project locations of the four awarded and ongoing infrastructure projects.

CoA cautioned the municipal engineer to strictly comply with CoA Circular 2013-004 to ensure full transparency and accountability in implementing the municipality’s infrastructure projects.

The municipal engineer, meanwhile, told auditors that he was amenable to their recommendations.