THE Taguig City government’s efforts to keep COVID-19 under control was an expensive one, causing it to shell out P9.071 billion for “maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE)” in 2020 or P3.9 billion higher than the P5.17 billion it spent in 2019.
The figures were disclosed in the Statement of Financial Performance attached in the 2020 audit of the city.
Based on the report released by the Commission on Audit, the biggest expense item in Taguig’s MOOE was “Other Maintenance and Operating Expenses,” which climbed 200 percent from P1.7 billion to P5.1 billion year on year.
It covered expenses not falling under specific accounts under MOOE like payments incurred for the distribution of food and non-food supplies as well as various forms of financial assistance to city residents adversely affected by the series of lockdowns imposed by health authorities.
“(OMOE) includes expenses in the distribution of relief goods during lock down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, burial assistance, financial/calamity assistance, reimbursement of various expenses and grocery items,” the audit team explained.
Other MOOE items that saw marked increases were “Welfare Goods Expenses” from zero in 2019 to P244.09 million in 2020; “medical, dental, and laboratory supplies” from P177.21 million to P563.6 million; “drugs and medicines” from P225.5 million to P399.09 million; and “other supplies and materials” from P180.57 million to P273.34 million.
“The Welfare Goods Expenses account is used to record the cost of goods issued/distributed to people affected by calamities/disasters such as COVID-19,” auditors said.
On the other hand, procurement of hygiene kits, alcohol, COVID-19 test kits, face masks, surgical masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) Suit, medical and laboratory supplies, and COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Test Device are included under Medical, Dental and Laboratory Supplies Expenses.
Because of the drastic increase in spending, the city posted a budgetary deficit of P119.08 million for 2020 compared to a P4.208 billion surplus in the preceding year.
Taguig City was the country’s seventh wealthiest in 2020 with total assets of P30.68 billion, according to a separate report released by the COA last December 22.
