OVER three hundred rehabilitation projects are on implementation with the release of already almost 350 million from the Bohol Earthquake Assistance (BEA) package, according to an updated capitol list.
Tagbilaran City has the biggest so far received at P50.226 million based on the checks issued for seven rehabilitation works involving the city hall, city social welfare building, and barangay halls and health centers.
City hall’s fund requirement alone amounts to over P80 million which is assured in the BEA.
Of the entire P2.3 billion BEA fund, a huge bulk has actually already been allocated based on the certificates of availability fund (CAFs) released for numerous sub-projects in the city and 38 municipal LGUs, topped by the 17 towns severely hit by the earthquake.
But checks could only follow the CAFs after compliance with necessary requirements and conditions per BEA guidelines to ensure not just accountability but resilient reconstruction, the latter adhering to the principle of “Build Back Bohol Better.â€
The CAFs are automatically issued by the provincial government to the LGUs for completed programs of works (POWs) and themselves already guarantee the bidding of projects, Gov. Edgar Chatto reiterated.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which is the implementing national agency of the BEA, has been strict in its guidelines from POW preparation to check release even if the CAF bearing the whole project allocation has already been issued.
The other big recipient LGUs and releases based on checks issued as of March 10 are Sagbayan with a running total of P39.2 million; Antequera, P37.062 million; San Miguel, P32.182 million; Loon, P22.161 million; Tubigon, P20.867 million; Maribojoc, P19.450 million; Loboc, P15.803 million; Clarin, P13,882 million; and Sierra-Bullones, P10.140 million.
The rest have so far each received below P10 million, suggesting they have to work doubly to comply with the necessary requirements for more fund releases as demanded by the BEA guidelines.
Of the total P349.104 million so far released, the First District received the biggest sum of checks issued.