MANILA,
Philippines– As the Commission on Audit released reports on the spoilage of thousands of food
packs worth millions of pesos for the Yolanda survivors, Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman confirmed
yesterday the findings stating that 7,527 Family Food Packs with an approximate
cost of P2,784,900.00 meant for survivors of super typhoon Yolanda were lost to
spoilage.
Soliman
said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, that the relief goods got wet
because they were not covered while in transit from Cebu City to Tacloban City
The COA report
revealed that 19,172 canned goods, 81 packs of noodles, and 21 sacks of rice
went to waste, adding the losses should put the blame on government agencies, which
caused delays in the distribution of goods. As a result, bottled water procured
in Manila worth P69,296,400.00 were not distributed in Tacloban City.
However, Soliman
said the DSWD has already utilized 90% of total P1,121,890,457 worth of foreign
and local cash donations, as of August 28.
“Ito pong (COA)
audit na ito ay tiningnan noong November to December 2013. Hindi nila
na-examine ‘yung (relief operations) ngayong 2014. As of August 28, ang atin na
pong natanggap na foreign and local donations ay P1,121,890,457. At 90 percent
po niyan ay amin nang na-utilize, kasama na doon ‘yung nakita nila na P780
million plus na hindi raw na-utilize,” Soliman said
Soliman issued the statement as probe on COA’s
report on Typhoon “Yolanda” relief operations which revealed that the
department failed to utilize P782,012,090.71 worth of foreign and local cash
donations.
