The University of the Philippines (UP) debunked the 2013 Commission on Audit (COA) report on alleged improper use of Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) funds under the Aquino administration.
In a statement, UP said that its DAP funds were efficiently used in the upgrading and improvement of university facilities and programs.
UP said it only received the P1.29 billion of DAP funds in September 13, 2012 and the infrastructure projects are expected to be completed in two to three years.
“The funds were then earmarked for infrastructure projects which would take two to three years to complete,” the university said.
In COA’s 2013 report released last week, state auditors said UP had used only a minimal 28 percent of the funds or P362 million.
COA had said that some P928 million of DAP funds given to UP were not used properly. It released a a total of P1.2 billion to UP in 2013 from DAP through the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
“The slow implementation resulted in unspent funds of P928.7 million” is “contrary to the DAP’s objective of fast-tracking expenditures to improve the country’s competitiveness,” COA’s report said.
Among the UP campuses where DAP-funded infrastructure projects were lined up include Diliman, Manila, Baguio, Los Baños, Cebu, Visayas, Mindanao, and the Open University.
Manila Bulletin
