SLEEPING IN THE BANK
MANILA, DECEMBER 29,
2011 (STAR) By Michael Punongbayan - The Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) has more than P193.6 million in donated funds
which can be used to help victims of tropical storm "Sendong" in Cagayan de Oro
and Iligan City.
This was revealed by state auditors who are questioning why the money is
lying idle in a government depository bank and is not being utilized for its
intended purpose.
Records reviewed by the Commission on Audit (COA) showed the DSWD received
over P314.7 million in donations for typhoon victims from various sources from
2004 to 2010.
As of Dec. 31, 2010, more than P193.6 million remain unused "thereby
defeating the objective for which the assistance was provided and resulting
further to the accumulation of huge balance of idle funds."
"The donors may have thought that all their donations had provided relief to
the beneficiaries and were used to rehabilitate the damage done by the
calamities which struck the country in the past years," COA said.
"Although the government had earned corresponding interest from such deposits
totaling P2,506,990.45 and P57,688.66 for local and foreign currency accounts
respectively, as of year-end, it defeated the objectives for which the
assistance was provided," the audit report said.
"Moreover, management's failure to utilize foreign currency donations
amounting to P36,316,984.94 also for victims of typhoons, resulted to foreign
currency loss of P757,326.07," COA added.
State auditors said the DSWD should maximize the donations intended for
specific purposes, considering that some P5.6 million of the donations were used
for purposes not directly benefiting calamity victims.
An audit of the funds revealed the amount was utilized to pay for
miscellaneous expenses "which should be more appropriately charged to regular
funds."
Records showed the money was used for warehouse rental, forklift rental,
facilitation of release of donated goods, relief operations, trucking service,
hauling, forklift, supplies, hand pallet truck, hydraulic stacker, tax, food,
electricity and water.
"Expenses should be those that will directly benefit the beneficiaries. Said
donations are not intended to remain idle in the (bank) awaiting for another
calamity to occur," the COA report stressed.
State auditors said the DSWD should also explain why expenses that should
have been more appropriately charged to regular funds were charged to the
donations.
University of the Philippines professor Marivic Raquiza, co-convenor of
Social Watch Philippines that scrutinized the DSWD budget for next year, also
claimed 80 percent of the agency's P49.359-billion programs budget has been
allotted to the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
Raquiza also noted other programs of the DSWD have to split the remaining 20
percent or P9.914 billion, including assistance for victims of disasters and
natural calamities. The budget for disaster victims of P48.043 million is less
than one-tenth of one percent of the total DSWD budget, Raquiza added.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, on the other hand, took exception
to Raquiza's findings.
She said that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has just handed
the DSWD P215 million and another P300 million this week for Mindanao relief
operations.
Soliman also said that 25 percent of the DSWD's Quick Reaction Funds (QRF)
goes to calamity funding.
Soliman though admitted that although disaster relief operations are still
part of her agency's mandate in cushioning the impact of disasters, "we should
move towards disaster mitigation not relief operations."
That is why Malacañang, she said, is really serious in getting to the bottom
of why such a tremendous disaster, the biggest yet in terms of deaths and
destruction in the country, happened.
Soliman gave assurance the social welfare department's 2012 budget for
disaster victims is considerably huge.
"Our Quick Reaction Fund is P662.5 million for 2012," Soliman pointed out. –
With Artemio Dumlao
Tons of relief goods continue to arrive By Pia
Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated December 29, 2011 12:00 AM
[PHOTO - Crewmen of a shipping company load boxes of relief goods onto
a Philippine Coast Guard commissioned ship at the PCG headquarters in Manila
yesterday. The ship will deliver relief goods to Cagayan de Oro, which was
devastated by storm 'Sendong.' Jonjon
Vicencio]
MANILA, Philippines - Donations from the international community as well as
the private and government sectors continued to pour in for victims of tropical
storm "Sendong" in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities.
Italian embassy Chargé d'Affaires Alfonso Tagliaferri yesterday formally
turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) a
donation of goods worth 500,000 euros.
The Italian government organized an emergency humanitarian flight to carry
the relief goods.
The flight from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot in Subang,
Malaysia landed in Davao Tuesday afternoon. On board were 40 tons of relief
goods including tents, materials for emergency shelters, water filters, and
containers transported during the night to Cagayan de Oro. Volunteers from the
Italian non-government organization Sant'Egidio will assist the DSWD in the
distribution of the relief goods.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano had personally expressed condolences to
President Aquino for the devastation caused by the storm.
Korean Ambassador Lee Hye-min will also formally turn over to the DSWD today
a donation worth $500,000 (P22 million) consisting of 500 tents, 15,000 towels,
63,000 pieces of chicken and beef fried rice sets, and 6,800 water purifiers.
The donation will be sent to Cagayan de Oro this morning.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman thanked local and international
organizations for their donations and allayed the fears of the UN that children
victimized by the cyclone may be taken advantage of by human traffickers.
"The sooner we have them in stable places, the less vulnerable they are, the
less susceptible they are to people offering them a better future," she said.
Soliman said the DSWD had used well its calamity funds for 2011 to help
disaster victims. The agency received an additional P500 million from the
Department of Budget and Management for relief operations for the victims of
Sendong; P300 million is left at its disposal for humanitarian response to other
storm-damaged areas.
The Philippines also secured a $3-million grant from the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) for relief operations. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisma said the aid
would be used to fund "activities relating to the provision of life preserving
services." The Philippines and the ADB signed the grant on Dec. 23. The ADB said
the grant came from the Asia Disaster Response Fund that was established in 2009
to help developing member countries affected by a major natural disaster.
The Philippines was granted the maximum amount allowed by the ADB.
Part of the earnings of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) will be donated
to the local governments of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino,
also the executive committee chairman of the MMFF, said a check of P500,000 will
be handed to a representative of the Iligan City government and another P500,000
will be given to a representative of the Cagayan de Oro government.
He said the festival was able to rake in P107 million on Christmas Day, its
opening day, surpassing the record of P90 million last year.
San Miguel Corp. and Petron Corp. — through their corporate social
responsibility arms Petron Foundation and San Miguel Foundation — have put up
soup kitchens in the affected areas. Donations from the public are also being
collected and shipped to Petron's depots in Tagoloan and Iligan. It was also
ensured that these depots have adequate fuel supply.
Vice President Jejomar Binay will distribute relief goods to Iligan City
today. 5,000 bags of relief goods will be distributed to victims in Iligan City,
5,000 to victims in Dumaguete City, and 10,000 to victims in Cagayan de Oro.
Before Christmas, Binay visited Negros Oriental to determine the condition of
those affected by Sendong. He also visited the cities of Dumaguete and Tanjay as
well as the towns of Amlan, Sibulan, and Valencia.
The chartered city of Santiago has allocated P2.5 million in cash donation
for the victims.
City Mayor Amelita Navarro said the Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously
approved the donation which will come from their savings for this year. P1
million each will be given to the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan while
P500,000 will be donated to Ozamiz City.
Santiago City was severed from Isabela province as an independent City in
1994.
Isabela province, on the other hand, has extended a donation of P500,000 to
be shared by Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The donation was raised from a fund
drive launched by Gov. Faustino Dy III.
Members of the Philippine Dragon Warriors also urged their 2,000-strong
fanbase on Facebook to help typhoon victims. They also donated the jerseys and
other apparel they used in international competitions.
Rehabilitation
Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the committee on climate change, called on the
government to make sure that the donations reach the storm victims and to
prioritize the strengthening of disaster risk reduction measures in the country.
She noted that the Hyogo Framework for Action, a 10-year blueprint for
reducing disaster risks worldwide, has been established in 2005 but has not yet
been implemented by the Philippines as a member of the UN.
The framework urges governments to prioritize the establishment of disaster
risk reduction measures, build understanding and awareness, and be prepared to
act in times of disaster.
To ease the flooding in Cagayan and Iligan, the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday sent two backhoes and two payloaders to remove
the logs that have been clogging the mouths of the Cagayan de Oro River and the
Mandulog River in Iligan City.
DPWH Undersecretary for Regional Operations Romeo Momo said the logs rolled
down into the rivers at the height of the onslaught of Sendong.
Waterways in the two cities need to be freed from obstructions because these
are located in the center of the cities.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has pledged to provide children
in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan with continued access to learning environments
while relief and rehabilitation efforts are ongoing.
The UN's revised humanitarian action plan for Mindanao will also provide
$354,000 for the re-establishment of educational facilities.
4 dead in Cebu, Leyte
The floods caused by the heavy rains in Cebu and Leyte claimed the lives of
four persons.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said two
still unidentified persons drowned in Barangay San Isidro in Tabogon, Cebu. The
Leyte provincial police, on the other hand, confirmed the deaths of Jassen
Casas, 5, and Jake Brunola, 12, both from Tanauan town.
Floods elsewhere
Flashfloods caused by the rising water levels in Libuganon and Saug rivers
hit the towns of Kapalong, Ascuncion and New Corella in Davao del Norte Tuesday
night. Hundreds were relocated to Barangay Madaum.
Rep. Maricar Zamora-Apsay also said there were reported floodings in her
jurisdiction of Compostela Valley, and residents were urged to submit to
preemptive evacuation.
Heavy rains since Monday had also caused floods in Bacolod and northern
Negros Occidental.
In northern Negros, affected were the cities of Sagay, San Carlos, Cadiz,
Talisay, and Silay as well as the towns of Toboso, Calatrava and E.B Magalona.
Fernando Yangco, 50, of Barangay Telim in Calatrava was killed in a landslide
Tuesday morning.
Calatrava had been identified by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as being
highly susceptible to landslides.
A landslide also occurred in Toboso town.
In Sagay City, three-foot high floods caused by the overflowing of the
Himoga-an River rendered the national road in Barangay Fabrica impassable until
yesterday afternoon. – With Marvin Sy, Christina Mendez,
Evelyn Macairan, Jose Rodel Clapano, Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Donabelle
Gatdula, Iris Gonzalez, Helen Flores Mike Frialde, Edith Regalado, Raymund
Catindig, Danny Dangcalan, John Unson, Ben Serrano
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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rights reserved
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HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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