MANILA, March 11 (PNA) — “We do not coerce ‘Yolanda’ survivors to praise our work.”
This was the answer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday to the allegation that it has paid P1,200 to a number of typhoon “Yolanda” survivors in exchange for “favorable feedback” about the agency’s relief work.
“It is our duty to serve the public, and as such, we do not work to receive praise but to provide services,” DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman said in a statement.
Soliman also pointed out that DSWD has always been open to criticisms and welcomes constructive comments or complaints. She, however, qualified that reports and complaints should contain complete details.
“We want to identify the impostors, that is why we would like to get names and places so we can file cases against them,” she added.
She also made clarification on the issue of goods allegedly buried in the town of Palo in Leyte.
She shared the result of the verifications undertaken by DSWD-Field Office VIII on reports forwarded to them.
The DSWD chief cited that through the verification and checking conducted by Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) Head Merlina Balderas, it was found that only one sack of assorted biscuits, 10 cups of instant noodles, one-half sack of wet rice, and one sack of used clothing were buried contrary to a media report that there were truckloads of them.
She said that the goods came from “various agencies” which she could no longer remember.
The Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Palo, in a certification dated March 7, 2014, also stated that the food products “have expired” and the clothes were “already worn-out.”
She added that they do not have a warehouse and that they just stock the relief goods in the premises of the municipal hall, which sometimes get wet during rainy days.
She also belied allegations that the rice packs being distributed are lighter by five kilos, emphasizing that they were 25 kilos when being repacked.
“We assure you that each rice pack is correctly weighed in accordance to standard as we are being monitored by the Commission on Audit,” she added.
Secretary Soliman reiterated that the DSWD turn overs relief goods to local government units (LGUs) based on their request. The LGUs subsequently handle distribution to their respective constituents. (PNA)