CoA flags Carcar City unspent funds, idle facilities

State auditors have flagged the local government of Carcar City over P93.55 million in unimplemented development projects and P270.77 million worth of completed infrastructure facilities that currently sit idle, state audit records showed.

In its 2025 financial audit report, the Commission on Audit noted that the unspent P93.55 million represented 53 municipal projects, accounting for roughly 60 percent of the city’s P155.16 million development fund allocation as of 31 December 2025.

Auditors cited land ownership disputes, unprepared construction sites, incomplete documentation and procurement delays as primary causes for the non-implementation.

Auditors also highlighted three major infrastructure facilities totaling P270.77 million that remain unused despite being fully constructed.

These include the P19.99 million Takdog Water Treatment Facility completed in 2018, the P100.89 million Carcar City Public Transport Terminal completed in 2020, and the P149.89 million Livestock Auction Market completed in 2024.

State auditors cited that prolonged idleness deprives the public of intended municipal services and constitutes an inefficient use of public funds.

The audit report further revealed financial record discrepancies, including a P2.64 billion variance between the city’s General Ledger and physical inventory reports for property, plant, and equipment.

Auditors also uncovered a P43.15 million unreconciled difference in domestic loans payable totaling P562.32 million, along with P1.34 million in unrecognized accrued interest.

Additional audit observations questioned documentation deficiencies across P187.38 million in real property and special education tax receivables, P36.99 million in long-outstanding accounts payable, and P8.24 million in breeding stocks.

Separately, auditors questioned a P3 million El Niño relief program involving 1,073 sacks of rice weighing 50 kilograms each after municipal officials failed to provide a validated list of recipient beneficiaries.

CoA clarified that audit observations identify administrative deficiencies and financial discrepancies for corrective action and do not automatically denote criminal wrongdoing or corruption.

Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the audit findings.