Irregularities found in GMA’s OYSTER program

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has found various irregularities in the implementation of the Out of School Youth Serving Towards Economic Recovery (OYSTER) program of the previous administration.

During the budget hearing of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the Senate yesterday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson revealed that the COA questioned the propriety of transferring the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) or the road user’s tax funds from the department to the Philippine National Police (PNP)-National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) for the implementation of the OYSTER program.

In a report furnished by COA chair Ma. Gracia Pulido-Tan to Lacson earlier this month, it was revealed that a total of P1.282 billion of MVUC funds were transferred from the DPWH to the NCRPO from 2005 to 2010 for the OYSTER program.

“The mere act of transferring (MVUC) funds to the PNP is a violation (of the law) according to COA because it is not part of the mandate of the PNP to perform roadside cleaning and to employ people for this,” Lacson said.

The PNP leadership, meanwhile, welcomed any inquiry in connection with the fund and vowed to fully cooperate by presenting records and personnel for scrutiny.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the PNP is willing to come out and face any investigation to determine if government funds were misused and to come up with safeguards to prevent its occurrence.

The OYSTER program was launched by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in November 2004 in an effort to generate jobs aimed specifically for out-of-school youths.

It involved the cleaning up of 1,005.112 kilometers of roadsides in the NCR, painting of concrete bridges and flower boxes along national roads, maintenance and planting of trees and other beautification projects.

The OYSTER also provided manpower to various government agencies whenever the need arose.

It was revealed that the OYSTER carried an estimated cost of P382.54 million a year at P231 per day as pay for the workers.

According to the COA, it was not known if the objectives of the program were met and if the P1.282 billion disbursed for the program since 2005 was justified.

The COA noted that the funds transferred from the DPWH to the NCRPO were neither recorded in the book of accounts of the latter nor acknowledged by an official receipt. –-Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star) with Cecille Suerte Felipe