The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) owes taxpayers a clear explanation for the wastage of funds in the long-delayed Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project in Tarlac, which remains unfinished despite receiving P7.006 billion from 2015 to 2020 alone, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Thursday.
Lacson expressed this concern during the interpellation of the proposed 2026 budget of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), recalling that he raised similar questions about the project in 2020.
“Hindi lang sa budget deliberation natin dapat pagusapan ito. I think we should really focus on the delayed projects and the obvious wastage of public funds, particularly sa Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project (We should take this up not just in the budget deliberations. I think we should focus on the delayed projects and obvious wastage of public funds, particularly in the Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project),” Lacson said.
In Filipino: Lacson: NIA, Dapat Magpaliwanag sa Nasasayang na Pondo sa Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project
Lacson noted that for Balog-Balog’s Phase 2 alone, some P7.006 billion had been appropriated for it from 2015 to 2020. Phase 2 was originally expected to be finished in 2018 but remains unfinished. In November 2020, Lacson noted a comparison of images of the project as of September 2019 and his staff’s inspection in November 2020 showed virtually no change. “Halos walang nangyari (Almost nothing happened),” he noted at the time.
He added that in 2018, the COA flagged Balog-Balog’s five contracts as accounting for P7.7 billion or 37 percent of P20.7 billion worth of delayed projects nationwide, one of the highest aggregate contract costs among delayed NIA projects.
“I think the NIA has a lot of explaining to do. Dito pa tayo sa Balog-Balog, katakot-takot ang pwedeng anomalya (I think the NIA has a lot of explaining to do. In the Balog-Balog Project’s case alone, there seems to be a lot of anomalies),” Lacson said.
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who raised the issue in his interpellation of the NIA budget, noted the NIA requests P261 million yearly supposedly for the maintenance and repair of the Balog-Balog project.
Marcoleta proposed that a review be undertaken of the project, while Finance Subcommittee Chairman Francis Pangilinan – who sponsored the NIA’s proposed 2026 budget – said they will monitor the review to determine the way forward.
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Lacson: NIA, Dapat Magpaliwanag sa Nasasayang na Pondo sa Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project
Dapat magpaliwanag ang National Irrigation Administration (NIA) sa taumbayan hinggil sa tila pagkakasayang ng pondo sa matagal nang naantalang Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project sa Tarlac, na hindi pa rin tapos kahit nakatanggap na ng P7.006 bilyon mula 2015 hanggang 2020, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Huwebes.
Ibinahagi ni Lacson ang kanyang pangamba sa interpellation ng panukalang 2026 budget ng NIA, at sinabi niyang noong 2020 pa niya ito binibigyang-babala.
“Hindi lang sa budget deliberation natin dapat pag-usapan ito. I think we should really focus on the delayed projects and the obvious wastage of public funds, particularly sa Balog-Balog Multipurpose Project,” ani Lacson.
Binigyang-diin niya na para sa Phase 2 ng Balog-Balog Project lamang, humigit-kumulang P7.006 bilyon ang inilaan mula 2015 hanggang 2020. Ang Phase 2 ay unang nakatakdang matapos noong 2018 sa halagang P13.37 bilyon, ngunit hindi pa rin natatapos.
Noong Nobyembre 2020, sinabi ni Lacson na nang ikumpara ng kanyang staff ang mga larawan ng proyekto noong Setyembre 2019 sa inspeksyon nila noong Nobyembre 2020, halos walang pagbabago. “Halos walang nangyari,” ani Lacson noong 2020.
Dagdag ni Lacson na noong 2018, iniulat ng COA na ang limang proyekto ng Balog-Balog ay umaabot sa P7.7 bilyon, o 37% ng P20.7 bilyon na delayed projects ng NIA sa buong bansa — isa sa may pinakamalaking halaga ng naantalang kontrata.
“I think the NIA has a lot of explaining to do. Dito pa tayo sa Balog-Balog, katakot-takot ang pwedeng anomalya,” ani Lacson.
Ani Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, na nagbanggit sa isyu na ito sa kanyang interpellation sa NIA budget, humihingi pa ang NIA ng P261 milyon taon-taon diumano para sa maintenance at repair ng Balog-Balog project.
Iminungkahi ni Marcoleta na magkaroon ng masusing pagsusuri sa proyekto, habang sinabi naman ni Finance Subcommittee Chairman Francis Pangilinan – na nag-sponsor sa panukalang 2026 budget ng NIA – na imo-monitor nila ang review upang matukoy ang nararapat na susunod na hakbang.
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