CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Commission on Audit (COA) has reported that because of inflation triggered by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, among other factors, the construction of 21 school buildings in Pampanga has been suspended.
In a report, COA said that out of 25 school projects scheduled in 2017, only one was completed at a cost of P5.805 million, equivalent to an accomplishment rate of 4.43 percent of the total P131.110-million allotment.
According to a report released by the state audit agency, the bidding for 21 school projects had to be pushed back because of the TRAIN Law.
It said bidding for the 21 projects was suspended to give way to “price adjustments as a result of the implementation of the TRAIN Law and provision of fire exits and other requirements of the Bureau of Fire Protection, thus implementation will be in 2018.”
As a result, suspended were the construction of fi ve school buildings in Lubao, two school buildings in Apalit, two in Arayat, four in Candaba, and one each in Floridablanca and Guagua.
Also deferred were the construction of two school buildings in Macabebe, five in Mexico, and one each in Minalin, Sta. Ana, and Sto. Tomas.
“Our validation showed that the unimplemented projects were returned for the adjustment of cost in the program of works due to the TRAIN Law which was signed by the President on December 19, 2017,” COA said.
