THE Department of Public Works and Highways claimed to have spent P368.44-million for a 12-contract road-and-bridge project in 2010 but not a single infrastructure was completed, according to the Commission on Audit.

The CoA said the projects were part of the National Roads Improvement and Management Program Phase II (NRIMP-2) for which the government took out a $232 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD-World Bank).

It was learned from CoA that four contract packages were supposed to be finished by Dec. 31, 2010 and the rest before closing date of the loan on Dec. 31, 2012.

“The only project implemented, which was the …. Widening/Improvement of Marcos Highway Project (Evangelista to Masinag), located in Metro Manila, is currently 8.62 percent completed,” the CoA said.

Although the bank made available the amount of P1.15-billion for disbursement on the NRIMP-2 projects, the CoA said that actual utilization only reached P368.44 million.

However, the CoA revealed that the big bulk of the expenses went to “consultant services” worth P128.62 million and advance payment for civil works amounting to P145.38 million.

Aside from these items of expenses, CoA said that spending incurred by the implementing agency stood at P29.74-million, advance payment for consultancy services, P6.56 million and trainings, P2.91 million.

The CoA report also revealed that NRIMP-2 was supposed to start road and bridge construction and rehabilitation works in the provinces of Cagayan, Oriental Mindoro, and Marcos Highway, Metro Manila in Luzon; Iloilo and Negros Occidental in the Visayas; and Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao del Sur, Cotabato, Marawi City and General Santos City in Mindanao.

“Verification of the status of major DPWH projects implemented by NRIMP-PMO for CY 2010 revealed that only one of the twelve proposed projects for implementation under the NRIMP II program was implemented as of December 31, 2010. The eleven proposed projects were not implemented… due to delays in carrying out various procurement activities such as bid opening, World Bank’s concurrence and/or the ‘No Objection Letter’ on the award of contract, issuance of Notice of Award and Notice to Proceed and the procurement of Consultancy Services,” CoA said

CoA scored the DPWH for project delays which deprived the public of the benefit of being served by completed roads and bridges.