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Tambayan ng mga Chicx at Tsonx => General Discussion => Current Events => Topic started by: Zurca on September 09, 2014, 08:39:32 PM
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MANILA, Philippines – Hundreds of millions of pesos in funds intended for the relief and rehabilitation of disaster victims did not reach them in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 because government offices used them up for operations or kept them in banks.
This was the finding of the state auditors in a report on how the quick response funds (QRF) of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the donations received by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) were utilized.
In its assessment report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said OCD had a total of P692.77 million in available QRF for 2013, while the NDRRMC – which is administered by the OCD – had received a total of P48.82 million in donations for the typhoon victims.
However, not a single centavo of these amounts has so far reached the typhoon victims, according to COA.
The QRF should serve as a “stand-by to be used for relief and rehabilitation programs in order that the situation and living conditions of people living in communities or areas stricken by calamities, epidemics, crises, and catastrophes occurring during the year may be normalized as quickly as possible.”
Based on the COA report, at least 17% of the total QRF for 2013, or P121.18 million, was spent on Yolanda-related operations.
COA identified the items on which the P121.18 million was spent:
NATURE - AMOUNT
Cash advances for operational requirements of the NDRRMC Operations Center - P 1,600,000
Cash advances for operational requirements of ROVIII Operations Center - 200,000
Office supplies - 56,445.00
Fund transfer to AFP for petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) reserve for disaster operations, subject to liquidation - 118,645,912
Various groceries and medicines intended for daily subsistence of duty personnel at Command Center and RDRRMC VIII Operations Center - 680,193
TOTAL - P 121,182,550
The biggest disbursement was for “petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL),” which amounted to 98% of the total amount spent by OCD for its Yolanda-related operations.
OCD said the amount was transferred to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reportedly as “reserve for disaster operations” and is subject to liquidation.
There were various groceries and medical supplies purchased, but they were allotted for OCD-NDRRMC personnel. Also, these items remained unused as of March 5, 2014, after NDRRMC’s activities in Yolanda-hit areas had ended. Many of the supplies were nearing expiry dates, according to COA.
“[T]he funds were spent for the requirements of the Operations Centers and POL, while nothing was reported for the basic subsistence needs of calamity victims notwithstanding the guidelines and other issuances on the matter,” said the report.
COA mentioned a study by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) which shows that OCD was able to fully utilize its QRF prior to 2012. But since 2012, restrictions on the use of funds affected how the fund was utilized.
“Before 2012, QRF can be used for pre-disaster activities, but starting 2012, QRF was designated as standby fund, thus, it can only be used at the onset of disasters or for response activities,” COA said.
Untouched donations
COA also noted that local and foreign cash donations have not been utilized by the NDRRMC.
“The donations remained intact with the depository bank. There were no donations to date out of the donations received,” COA said.
This is despite NDCC Memorandum Order 13, signed in 1998, which states that families affected by disasters were supposed to receive P10,000 cash assistance for each dead relative and P5,000 for those injured subject to submission of required documents including medical or death certificates.
“It will be noted that under this Memorandum Order, financial assistance can only be availed if claims are filed at the RDCC supported by the documents enumerated above. However, in case of emergencies, the production alone of the documentary requirements would be very cumbersome for the victims, thus, provision of assistance takes some time,” COA said.
COA added that this has been “depriving the disaster/calamity victims of timely assistance in their lowliest times and defeating the purpose of the donations.”
From Rappler (http://www.rappler.com/nation/68525-coa-quick-response-fund-donations-yolanda-victims)
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pity those survivors of typhoon yolanda... how could these people explain to them about what happened to the international aids from all over the world and given to the yolanda victims?
they should be answerable for their inefficiencies and ineffectiveness...
perishable goods out of those donations should have been given immediately to the victims but that's not what happened...
i guess, up to now, they still dont have the masterlist of victims...
and they made makeshift houses for their homes...
and the money, mostly in foreign currencies, where all in banks, for what? i hope not just to earn interests and benefit their own wallets...
according to the church teachings, walang katawarang kasalanan daw ung pagnakawan mo pa ang mahihirap, ang pagkasiyahan pa ang mga nagdurusa, ang turuang gumawa ng kasalanan ang mga walang malay na kabataan...
i pray that magkaroon naman sila ng mga kunsyensya sa mga kamaliang patuloy nilang ginagawa...
this is why the church would not paddle the same boat with this government unless they change their ways...
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You would know how huge this Yolanda disaster was when kids from as far as Canada saved their lunch money just to donate to this cause. I witnessed this myself and personally thanked foreigners for going out of their way to help us.
Now reading this that millions of funds remain untouched and not use for the intended purpose is so disheartening.
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You would know how huge this Yolanda disaster was when kids from as far as Canada saved their lunch money just to donate to this cause. I witnessed this myself and personally thanked foreigners for going out of their way to help us.
Now reading this that millions of funds remain untouched and not use for the intended purpose is so disheartening.
And embarrassing. Gusto ko mag mura. Hanep sa sa incompetence, wala ng pag babago.
Did you hear about the US army food na ibenenta daw sa glorietta? Ka kapal.
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Ganyan tayo.tulong para sa biktima korupsyon p din..onli in the pinas
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wala binulsa na yun ni denke soleman wala na daw xa pangkulay buhok eh
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:lr: This could be true, when we went to Palo leyte for an outreach program, i was looking for a comfort room sa municipio nila and at the back i saw loads of donations, as in, some are just scattered around wala na sa boxes, sobrang dami tlga, then while i was looking may lalaki na nagsabi sa kin na bawal daw ako dun and just go sa cr, surprised madaming mga doantions na di nakaka dating sa mga nangangailangan tlga, mostly are from abroad. :peace:
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magrerelease yan sa 2016 para sa pansariling interes o papoging pamumulitika haha
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lagi na lang namang ganito sa pinas. kaya ang daming mga pinoy na nag-aalsa balutan kasi feeling nila walng future dito satin. just my thoughts
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sa iloilo nga pinag fill up nila ng form lahat ng na damage ang bahay the after na submit ang form saka sila naglabas ng memo na ang may abroad at may member ng family na nag income ng 15k a month ay Di mka avail.so what for ang form pagdating sa taas counted na lahat ng nag fill up ng form saan mapupunta yon sa bulsa ng mga gahaman....:(
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eh kasi tinatakan pa nila na galing sa DSWD yung donation eh di naman.. dagdagan mo pa yung aberya sa mga customs :peace:
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more than a year after the devastation brought about by yolanda, you can see that only a small part of the population in leyte and tacloban had recovered... if as the report state that the donated funds were untouched, why not implement the rehabilitation plan that were presented last year... or are we going to wait for another yolanda to release the funds... sad state of our country...