Skip to the newsroom
Moving headlines
Philippine Peso Closes at Record Low of ₱61.888 as BSP Raises Policy Rate to 5%DAR Says ₱57.76 Billion in Agrarian Reform Debt Condoned Under RA 11953GSIS Earmarks Nearly ₱4.4 Billion in Emergency Loans for 166,789 Members and PensionersPAGASA: LPA Inside PAR May Become 'Pilandok' as Habagat Rain Risk BuildsPAF Completes 32-Helicopter Black Hawk Acquisition with Final Seven AircraftSenate Panel Backs Bill Setting 16 as Minimum Age for Social MediaPhilippine Peso Closes at Record Low of ₱61.888 as BSP Raises Policy Rate to 5%DAR Says ₱57.76 Billion in Agrarian Reform Debt Condoned Under RA 11953GSIS Earmarks Nearly ₱4.4 Billion in Emergency Loans for 166,789 Members and PensionersPAGASA: LPA Inside PAR May Become 'Pilandok' as Habagat Rain Risk BuildsPAF Completes 32-Helicopter Black Hawk Acquisition with Final Seven AircraftSenate Panel Backs Bill Setting 16 as Minimum Age for Social Media
Philippine time
FMB NewsFilipino Media Bulletin
Back to headlinesAugust 26, 2026, 7:00 AM PHT

Governance · Public Accountability

COA Seeks ₱2.2 Billion to Revive Pre-Audits for Government Infrastructure

The proposal would strengthen checks before public funds are released and expand digital verification of infrastructure projects.

By FMB News DeskPublished August 26, 2026, 7:00 AM PHT2 min read
FMB News editorial visual for the Commission on Audit pre-audit proposalFMB News editorial visual
FMB News editorial visual accompanying coverage of the COA pre-audit proposal.FMB News editorial visualLicense details

Why this matters to Filipinos

FMB News connects the verified facts and evidence in this report to the decisions, costs, opportunities, and risks that may affect Filipinos, Philippine communities, and the country.

Editorial standard: Sources are listed below. Verified reporting, attributed claims, uncertainty, and analysis remain distinct.

Verified facts

What happened

The Commission on Audit said during House deliberations on its proposed 2027 budget that it would need an estimated ₱2.2 billion and 146 additional teams to revive pre-auditing of government projects.

Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan argued that combining pre-audits with geotagging could help detect non-existent projects before full payment. COA said it is already coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways on stronger geotagging requirements.

What pre-audit means

A pre-audit checks selected transactions before funds are fully disbursed, while a post-audit reviews transactions after payment. Supporters argue that pre-audit can reduce the risk of paying for incomplete, irregular or non-existent projects, but the system also requires enough trained auditors and engineers to avoid slowing legitimate procurement.

Context

Context

COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba said personnel shortages had pushed the agency toward fraud audits after projects were implemented. Commissioner Douglas Michael Mallillin said the commission is exploring continuous auditing without necessarily restoring the former system exactly as it operated before.

The proposal was submitted in the previous budget cycle and is expected to be resubmitted. Any restoration still depends on funding and the final design approved through the budget process.

Filipino relevance

Why this matters

Infrastructure spending involves large public outlays and long project timelines. Earlier verification can improve accountability if it is designed to catch irregularities without creating new bottlenecks for legitimate projects.

What to watch next

What to watch next

The next step is the House budget process, including whether lawmakers approve dedicated funding for expanded pre-audit staffing, engineering review and digital verification tools in the 2027 budget.

Sources and public record

GMA News: COA seeks P2.2B to revive pre-audit of government projects (August 26, 2026, 3:42 AM PHT)House of Representatives: House Resolution No. 291 - Mandatory pre-audit requirement for government-funded programs, activities and projects (September 23, 2025, 12:00 PM PHT)