MANILA: State auditors will soon require geotagging for all government infrastructure projects to eliminate ghost projects and ensure that all public funds are properly used amid allegations of kickbacks from faulty flood-control projects.
The Commission on Audit (COA), in a statement last Sunday (Nov 30) that was only publicszed on Tuesday, said it was “fast-tracking” its new policy requiring mandatory GPS-based geotagging for all government-funded infrastructure projects.
This will be implemented through a proposed issuance called the “Mandatory Geotagging for All Infrastructure Projects of National Government Agencies, Local Government Units, and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations.”
It will mandate “verifiable, location-based photographic evidence at every stage of project completion and within the warranty period after completion.”
The new policy will require government agencies and contractors to submit geotagged photos that should include the exact GPS coordinates of the project.
Geotagged photos should also include the date and time they were taken, according to the COA.
“Geotagging will ensure that when the government pays for a project, we know exactly where it is, when it was done, and what was actually built,” COA chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba said.
State auditors also noted that the new policy will impose rules that no infrastructure project can be tagged as “completed,” and ideally, no payment may be released unless the required geotagged photos are submitted and verified by the COA auditing teams.
The policy’s initial draft was completed in September 2025 and shared with COA’s internal stakeholders in October for further comments and suggestions.
On November 7, the audit agency said a revised version of the policy was circulated to “major implementing agencies for their technical and operational inputs.”
As part of the effort, Cordoba said the COA has been participating in its inter-agency coordination on the use of satellite imagery data through the Philippine Space Agency, and this initiative will be led by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
He said the agencies will “complement the geotagging requirements.”
“Let this be clear: the proper use of taxpayer funds is non-negotiable, and we will hold projects accountable to deliver measurable benefits for every Filipino community,” Cordoba said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
