COA to mandate geotagging for infra projects

State auditors will soon mandate geotagging for all government infrastructure projects to prevent ghost projects and ensure proper use of public funds.

The Commission on Audit (COA) is fast-tracking the final approval of a new policy that requires mandatory GPS-based geotagging for all government-funded infrastructure projects.

This proposed issuance mandates verifiable, location-based photographic evidence at every stage of a project's completion and during its warranty period.

Government agencies and contractors will need to submit geotagged photos indicating the project's exact GPS coordinates, along with the date and time the photos were taken.

COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba stated that geotagging will confirm the project's location, completion time, and what has actually been constructed when the government makes payments.

Crucially, no infrastructure project can be reported as completed, and ideally no payment may be released, unless the required geotagged photos are submitted and verified by COA auditing teams.