THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) found the report of the Commission of Audit (COA) on the alleged “state of disrepair” and “lack of cleanliness and organization” of a warehouse that it is using to stockpile relief goods “unacceptable” and is taking steps to correct it.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesman Romel Lopez said the department welcomes the COA report, adding they are taking appropriate actions.
He said Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered Field Office-National Capital Region (FO-NCR) Director Michael Joseph Lorico to physically inspect the warehouse and check the condition of the relief goods.
“The words ‘state of disrepair’ and ‘lack of cleanliness and organization’ are not acceptable to the DSWD’s manual of housing relief items in any of our warehouses or facilities. Rest assured that the DSWD management is already looking into this concern to fast-track (and) apply the necessary changes to improve the stockpiling, cleanliness, and condition of the NCR warehouse,” Lopez said.
Lopez said Gatchalian also ordered the regional office to sort out all relief supplies to ensure that no spoiled items would be distributed to areas that would be hit by disaster or calamities.
“The Department will also take into consideration the regular pest control and repairs to improve the condition of the storage facility, which is operated and managed by FO-NCR,” he added
Lopez said the National Resource Operations Center (NROC), the main disaster hub of the DSWD located in Pasay City, can temporarily hold some of the family food packs (FFPs) from the regional warehouse until the situation in the facility is sorted out.
He assured the public that the DSWD still has sufficient relief goods, both food and non-food items, to respond to families affected by disasters, including those affected by Typhoon Jenny.
He said the DSWD presently has more than P1.8 billion stockpile and standby funds ready for relief distribution to areas that would be affected by Typhoon Jenny or other calamities.
“Our kababayans need not worry because the government is prepared,” Lopez said.
COA, in its special audit report on the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management funds, called out DSWD’s NCR office for the state of its warehouse for relief items, saying it failed to maintain the cleanliness of the facility.
It added the food items were disorganized and stocked haphazardly while some areas were infested with rodents and cockroaches.
