GOVERNMENT auditors have bared loss of standby food supplies intended for calamity victims due to poor handling and storage by the Maasin City (Southern Leyte) government.
Based on a 2022 audit report on Maasin released last April 27, the city government bought some P1.182 million worth of grocery items and canned goods charged against its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund. The procurement included canned sardines, beef loaf, and corned beef, instant noodles and one-liter bottles of purified water.
Out of these, groceries worth P199,500 worth were distributed during the year, leaving P982,400 worth as stocks listed as “welfare goods for distribution” being held in preparation for disaster response.
But should an emergency take place, the city government might face difficulty providing enough pre-packed food to its constituents after auditors found foodstuff rotting and infested by rodents and bugs.
Maasin City’s officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and his staff informed the audit team that the chosen storage places were only temporary.
During exit conference, state auditors were assured that the lack of proper storage is already being addressed as a new storage facility is under construction. The CSWDO explained that the present storage locations were compromised due to the impact of super typhoon “Odette” which hit the Eastern Visayas Region in December 2021.
On-site inspection showed the food items were kept in separate structures in Purok Bangkal in Barangay Rizal and at the Liga ng mga Barangay Building in Barangay Combado. But both locations offered poor protection for perishables.
Aside from food items bought from calamity funds, also stored in the locations were rice donations and other supplies.
“During inspection, it was found that the welfare goods were not properly stored. There is leaking from the ceiling of the storage in Barangay Rizal. The storage room in Barangay Combado is unsanitary/unhygienic. Dust, spillage, and cockroaches were observed during the inspection,” the audit team said.
Hard-hit were rice stocks in Barangay Combado which were observed to have visible signs of spoilage while exuding “unpleasant smell.”
“There were damaged goods due to the unpleasant smell and discoloration on some of the packed rice. Gnawing holes or damage observed on the box and packs of noodles is a sign of mice and cockroach activity,” auditors added.
COA recommended that the city mayor provide a suitable storage area for all welfare goods to protect them from going to waste and ensure that they would be ready when the need arises.
The local chief executive was also reminded that it is his duty to instruct the city’s welfare office to accurately monitor the volume and upkeep of the stored supplies and observance of safe storage.
