By Glenda SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 denied reports that relief goods in its possession, especially noodles, had expired.
In a press statement sent to the media yesterday, Assistant Regional Director Joel Galicia explained that the goods referred to in radio reports are what remains of the ongoing last scheduled round of distribution that is part of the rehabilitation phase for super typhoon “Yolanda” survivors in the region.
The allegation was first aired by a radio station. It claimed that boxes of noodles stocked at the Iloilo Sports Complex were nearing expiry – October 2014.
Galicia clarified that the referred goods were only received by their office on the last week of June and July in staggered delivery due to the volume.
He also said the dates of expiry of some of the noodles will be in the months of October and November 2014 and that it was beyond their control that they received the noodles late.
“We are therefore saddened to hear the barrage of criticisms that our Department is getting from one local radio station recently despite the clarifications we have told them in interviews,” said Galicia.
Galicia vowed to finish distributing the noodles before September 15, 2014.
From November 8 until the end of December 2013, DSWD released P154-million worth of relief goods as immediate assistance to typhoon-affected families all over the region, according to the regional office.
This, along with the ongoing last round of relief distribution, brings the figure to P862,558,693 worth of goods equivalent to 1,129,175 food packs.
The distribution of the last round of relief augmentation in Iloilo, Capiz and Antique comprising 86 percent of the total 515,071 (only for the last round) food packs was already finished.
What remains at the Iloilo Sports Complex are the 14 percent or 72,010 food packs of noodles and canned goods intended for Negros Occidental and three towns of Aklan, specifically Buruanga, Malinao and Tangalan.
Galicia said the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is already working for the cargo transfer of the goods for Negros Occidental.
“DSWD has never been remiss of its duty, braving heat and rain, to extend its arms to those affected by ‘Yolanda’. In fact, we’ve had workers who were injured and workers who also lost their homes. But we never stopped working for the survivors and we will continue to do so,” said Galicia./PN
