KAWIT, Cavite — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the municipal government of Kawit, Cavite, for improper recording, monitoring, and reporting of relief goods purchased using the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) in 2019.

The relief goods, worth a total of P3,976,917.12, were meant for distribution to constituents affected by calamities.

In its report, COA found that the procurement of welfare goods was not compliant with COA Circular Nos. 2014-002 and 2015-009.

The goods, including sacks of rice and other items, were recorded as outright expenses under “Donations” and “Welfare Goods Expenses” instead of being classified as inventory items, as required.

The municipal government spent P1,880,000.00 on donations and P2,096,917.12 on welfare goods, but failed to maintain proper Property and Equipment (PPE) and Supplies Ledger Cards.

The issuance of goods was also unsupported by Requisition Issue Slips (RIS) and not recorded in the Monthly Report of Supplies and Materials Issued (RSMI), which should have been submitted to the Accounting Unit.

Moreover, the audit revealed that Disbursement Vouchers (DVs) lacked documentation such as lists of recipients and proof of receipt, making it difficult to verify the actual beneficiaries of the goods.

The municipal social welfare officer, tasked with overseeing the distribution, did not maintain stock cards or adequate records of relief goods, COA said.

COA pointed out the need for adherence to proper accounting and monitoring procedures to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.

COA urged the municipal government of Kawit to comply with regulations to facilitate the accurate tracking of welfare goods purchased under the LDRRMF.

As of now, the municipal government has not issued a statement addressing the COA findings.