Even official development assistance (ODA) projects are being affected by the problem of the Aquino administration to spend as planned.
Data obtained by the BusinessMirror from the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) showed that around 23 ODA projects were plagued by procurement and fund-flow problems in 2014 alone.
In its 2014 ODA Portfolio Review, around 13 projects encountered prolonged procurements and 10 projects experienced budget bottlenecks.
Projects that experienced both procurement problems and budget issues were implemented by four agencies—the departments of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Agriculture (DA) and the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Agencies that implemented projects which experienced procurement problems were the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The projects that had procurement issues included the Agrarian Reform Communities Project II of the DAR; Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan River, Tagoloan River and Imus River of the DPWH; Logistics Infrastructure Development Project of the DBP; Manila Wastewater Management Project of the LBP; and the National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation & Improvement Project of NIA.
The list includes the Participatory Irrigation Development Project of the NIA; Philippine Rural Development Program of the DA; Provincial Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Program III of the LWUA; and the Scaling
up Response on HIV and AIDS of the DILG.
As of the writing of the report, the procurement issues of four projects have already been resolved.
The projects that had resolved procurement issues are the Forestland Management Project of the DENR; Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project (ICRMP) of the DENR; Market Transportation through Introduction of Energy Efficient Vehicles Project of the DOE; and the Haiyan Agriculture Rehabilitation Program of the DA.
In terms of budget bottlenecks, affected were the ARCP II; Community-based Forest and Mangrove Management Project in Panay and Negros of the DENR; ICRMP; Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture of the DAR; Tulay ng Pangulo Para sa Kaunlarang Pang-Agraryo of the DAR; and the Establishment of Modern Integrated Rice Processing Complexes in the Four Provinces of the Philippines of the DA.
The list also includes the In-Country Training Program-Training of Trainers on Scientific Method of Processing Fingerprints of the DILG; Integrated Organic Pollutants Management Project of the DENR; and the Philippine Climate Change Adaptation Project of the DENR.
The Neda said the budget issues of the Rapid Food Production Enhancement Program of the DA were resolved as of the ODA report’s writing.
The report stated that the country’s total ODA portfolio as of December 2014 amounted to $14.37 billion, consisting of 76 loans worth $11.18 billion and 449 grants worth $3.19 billion.
The World Bank was the country’s biggest source of ODA loans, ,with 39.8-percent share, or $4.45 billion, followed by Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank, with 28.3 percent, worth $3.16 billion and 20 percent, or $2.23 billion, shares, respectively.
For ODA grants, the United States, the United Nations System and Australia were the three leading providers, with 36.1 percent worth $1,148.6 million, 19.1 percent worth $608.5 million and 18.4 percent worth $587.02 million, respectively.
In terms of distribution per sector, the Infrastructure Development sector accounted for the largest share (39 percent) of the loans portfolio, amounting to $4.32 billion, for 34 loans. It is followed by the Social Reform and Community Development (SRCD) sector and the Governance and Institutions Development (GID) sector, with 24-percent and 22- percent shares, respectively.
On the other hand, the SRCD sector was the major recipient of grants amounting to $1.19 billion (comprising 151 projects), or 37 percent of the total grants portfolio. The GID and the Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and Natural Resources sectors followed with 25-percent and 18-percent shares, respectively.