Department of Social Welfare and Development 12 Director Cezario Joel Espejo. (PNA file photo)
KIDAPAWAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 12 (Soccsksargen) on Friday warned of "unscrupulous" individuals who are allegedly dipping their fingers into the emergency assistance for earthquake victims in North Cotabato.
“It (DSWD-12) cannot turn a blind eye (to) issues that may tarnish its reputation,” Cezario Joel Espejo, DSWD-12 director, said in a statement.
According to Espejo, North Cotabato’s provincial social welfare office has received “disturbing complaints” that several individuals connected with local government units (LGUs) in the affected towns were demanding a cut of PHP3,000 to PHP5,000 from the beneficiaries of the agency's emergency shelter assistance (ESA).
He declined to identify the persons involved but vowed to investigate the matter.
“DSWD-12 strongly condemns this dastardly act of a few corrupt individuals that prey on the victims of natural calamities,” Espejo said as he urged ESA beneficiaries who have fallen prey to the anomaly to submit a formal complaint to their office. “(It) promises to assist and refer the concern to proper authorities for appropriate legal actions.”
Since last year, DSWD-12 has been assisting the families affected by the series of earthquakes that struck large parts of Soccsksargen.
North Cotabato was among the worst-affected areas by the tremors with thousands of displaced families still in evacuation sites.
Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista had directed the immediate distribution of assistance to ease the effects of the strong quakes that jolted the region since October 29 last year.
Apart from ESA, other interventions implemented include the provision of relief assistance and psychosocial support for affected individuals, particularly the elderly, children, persons with disabilities, and mothers.
The ESA is a flagship program of the department that aims to help families return to normal life at the soonest possible time. Qualified beneficiaries with damaged houses will receive the amount PHP10,000, while those whose houses had been destroyed will receive PHP30,000.
According to DSWD-12, the LGU is tasked to identify the beneficiaries and complete the required documents. Only after submitting the clean and final list from the LGUs can the DSWD pay the beneficiaries. After the payout, the DSWD’s task is complete.
DSWD-12 said it is no longer bound by the action of the beneficiaries on how to spend the amount they received. However, to further improve future program implementation, the department still conducts routine monitoring of the project. (PNA)
