The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) today called on local government units (LGUs) to submit its liquidation reports on how they managed and dispensed with DSWD funds specifically allotted for the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP).

DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said that for the last six years, LGUs have been most remiss in their duty to submit their liquidation reports to the DSWD, which in turn turns over said reports to the Commission on Audit (COA).

OIC Leyco expressed thanks to Sen. Loren Legarda who brought up the issue during a recent senate hearing on the DSWD budget.

“We continuously remind the LGUs to submit their liquidation reports, but our reminders continue to fall on deaf ears. We are aware that there are always issues and complications that arise during the process of financial reporting and liquidation, but there is no justifying six years of failure to provide liquidation reports,” said OIC Leyco.

OIC Leyco said that the DSWD is in possession of the LGUs that have consistently failed to submit liquidation reports.

“This is a ‘shame list’,so to speak, and we really have to correct this weakness on the part of the LGU because the DSWD cannot release more funds to them to ensure the continued implementation  of our programs at the ground level so long as the LGUs do not liquidate. Inevitably, it is our intended beneficiaries that suffer as they are denied the assistance our programs seek to provide them,” he said.

The DSWD’s  SFP is the provision of food, in addition to regular meals, to currently enrolled day care children as part of DSWD’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government. It is also the department’s contribution to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.

DSWD Actions on COA report on SFP

As of Dec. 31, 2016, the balance due from the accounts of LGUs is P15.586 billion. OIC Leyco said that the DSWD has already taken action on the matter when the COA cited it in its report.

“Our previous Sec. Judy M. Taguiwalo directed the Regional Directors through a Memorandum dated May 22, 2017 to immediately issue a final demand letter to LGUs with unliquidated balances.  The Central Office also continues to closely monitor and closely document updates from the Field Offices. The next report from the FOs is due on October  20, 2017,” said OIC Leyco.

OIC Leyco, clarified that as of June 2017, the DSWD has received the liquidation of P7.643 billion, or P49.03% of the observed amount from LGUs; given this, dues from the LGUS for 2016 releases and prior years have been reduced to P7.944 billion from the P15. 586 billion balance, or 50.97% of the said amount.

The following is the list of the top 10 LGUs with unliquidated balances (releases in 2011 to 2016) for the supplemental feeding program as of June 30, 2017.

LGU                                                                       Amount

Manila City Government                              P47,480,494.57

Cebu City, Cebu                                              P23,432,816.00

Iligan City                                                        P20,502,000.00

Taguig City Government                              P17,639,160.00

Cagayan de Oro City                                     P16,938,610.00

Puerto Prinsesa                                             P11,632,933.04

Ayungon, Negros Oriental                          P10,992,886.27

Iloilo City                                                        P9,982,720.00

Antipolo                                                          P9,751,131,03

Zamboanga City                                            P8,565,519.41
Ageing of Dues from LGU accounts

Year of Transfer of Funds                        Amount                                    Remarks

2017                                                        P7,840,642,843.83   Current, still being implemented.

2016                                                       P4,567,359, 388.29    Due for liquidation since cash

2015                                                       P2,268,426,055.16  advances were granted for prior

2014                                                       P601,875,134.78                                years  (2011-2016)

2013                                                       P185,606,758.35

2012                                                       P81,685,385.65

2011                                                       P238,558,073.82

Subtotal-Prior Years (2011-2016) P7,943,510,796.05

TOTAL                                                   P15,784,153,639.88

Account for Prior Years as of June 30

Field Office (Breakdown of the Subtotal of Ageing Dues from LGU accounts

From Prior Years (2011-2016)  

VIII                         2,415,421,181.64

VI                            1,260,308,052.21

VII                          1,130,472,365.89

X                             385,390,115.17

XI                            370,435,127.66

IV-A                       359,095,117.48

CAR                        301,285,660.07

I                               296,695,861,05

IV-B                       281,760,270.69

V                             277,409,009.21

XII                           210,627,587.78

III                            171,685,337.57

II                             164,193,775.96

IX                            161,434,569.91

NCR       114,000,385.91

CARAGA              43,296,377.85

TOTAL:                 P7,943,510,796.05

“We hope that this habit of non-submission of liquidation reports will stop and that our LGUs be more prompt in settling their accounts. What we want is a system that is faster and more efficient so that our programs will not be disrupted and we can continue to help more people through them,” OIC Leyco said.

“We recently had a fruitful meeting with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and we will work with them to create a proper environment for LGUs so they can liquidate more promptly and efficiently. We will do this with the common understanding that administrative compliance redounds to services provided to the Filipino people,” he concluded. #