OP flagged over P14.4-M uncollected receivables
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Office of the President (OP) for failing to collect P14.4 million in overdue receivables from other government agencies for foreign trips that were made from 2022 and 2024.
The outstanding amount, initially shouldered by the OP, covered hotel accommodations worth P11.95 million and airfare totaling P2.4 million, among others. It was incurred by various agencies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Senate and Presidential Management Staff, for trips abroad, including to the United States, China, Japan and Europe between Sept. 2022 and May 2024.
“The continued delay in the settlement deprives the OP of funds originally budgeted for their operation, thereby affecting the delivery of program projects and activities for stakeholders and increasing risks of uncollected receivables,” the COA said in its annual audit report published on Monday.
Under COA Circular No. 2016-005, all government entities are mandated to do regular monitoring and analysis of receivable accounts “to ensure that these are collected when these become due and demandable.”
State auditors noted that of the P14.4 million, 52 percent or P7.47 million has been overdue for more than two years, while 45 percent or P6.46 million has yet to be settled after one or two years.
“This indicated a need for the OP to strengthen its collection efforts to recover these amounts from debtors,” the COA said.
No prior agreements
It also cited the lack of prior agreements with the government agencies concerned about fare arrangements and other daily travel expenses. This, it added, made it challenging to collect the amounts due, specifically those incurred in chartered flights.
Upon receiving the invoice for hotel accommodation and airfare from the companies concerned, the OP forwards the billing for individual plane fares and accommodation expenses to the respective government agencies.
But the COA noted that no follow-up demands are issued to the debtor-agencies once the accounts become due, as it emphasized the need for an improved monitoring and collection mechanism.
For 2025, the OP sought a travel budget of P1.054 billion, lower by P94 million than the P1.148-billion allocation in the 2024 national budget. For 2023, the OP requested a travel allocation of P893.87 million, with government officials saying the expenses were justified by the amount of investments and trade deals brought home by President Marcos from his foreign travels.
