Senator Win Gatchalian has questioned the construction of a ₱124-million infrastructure project by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in Bukidnon, saying it falls outside the agency’s core mandate.
Based on the 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report, the PCO entered into a ₱45.7-million contract with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2019 for the second phase of the Government Communication Academy.
“Bakit may communications office ang PCO sa Bukidnon?” Gatchalian asked during a Senate hearing.
The senator also revealed that COA reports from 2020 to 2023 indicated a similar project, this time amounting to ₱79 million, bringing total spending to ₱124 million.
According to Gatchalian, the facility is already 90% complete, but there is no budget allocation for 2026, since funds for the remaining 10% have already been set aside.
PCO Secretary Dave Gomez explained that the project was initiated under the previous administration as a training center for the communications offices of Malacañang and its attached agencies.
He admitted, however, that the project does not fall under the PCO’s primary mandate.
Gatchalian responded, “We’ve already spent ₱124 million, and the project is 90% complete. If we don’t finish this, it becomes a white elephant.”
To address the issue, the PCO plans to donate the facility to Northern Bukidnon State College once construction is completed.