COA flags deficiencies in OVP ₱168-M relief operations

Metro Manila, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged a number of deficiencies in the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) implementation of relief operations in 2025, citing inconsistencies in reports, deviations from approved mission orders, and incomplete documentation.

In its 2025 Consolidated Report on the Audit of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Funds, COA said the deficiencies weakened the reliability and verifiability of records in relief operations.

The findings included inconsistencies between situational reports submitted by concerned agencies and local government units and those prepared by the OVP for relief operations involving welfare goods worth ₱19.67 million.

COA also found that 24 relief operations involving welfare goods of ₱39 million deviated from approved mission orders without documented approval. 

The deviations included changes in schedules, distribution locations, quantities of relief items, and the amount of rice distributed.

The audit further noted that eight mission orders covering relief distributions of ₱84.12 million did not specify the target beneficiaries and instead merely directed the distribution of relief goods to affected or displaced families.

The COA said the absence of defined beneficiary targets weakened the basis for determining the quantities of relief goods requested and distributed.

The audit team also identified deficiencies in beneficiary documentation, including uncertified master lists, discrepancies between relief distribution sheets and master lists, incomplete beneficiary information, duplicate entries, unsigned records, and inappropriate documentary requirements.

In one finding, relief operations for 33,980 beneficiaries and welfare goods of ₱25.27 million were unsupported by complete pre-operation documents such as situational reports, mission orders, and verified master lists.

The audit agency recommended that the OVP strengthen its review procedures to ensure the completeness, consistency, and accuracy of operational and liquidation documents, as well as require proper documentation and authorization for operational adjustments.