Thousands of food packs worth millions of pesos that could have helped Typhoon Yolanda’s victims were instead lost to spoilage, the Commission on Audit (COA) special report on Yolanda relief operations concluded.
According to the report, which was posted on the COA website, some 7,527 family food packs worth P2.7 million; 95,472 assorted canned goods; 81 packs of noodles; and, 21 sacks of rice went to waste due to improper handling in Yolanda devastated areas, particularly in Central and Eastern Visayas.
The COA report blamed the losses on the lack of coordination between government agencies, which caused delays in the distribution of goods.
“Procured supplies intended for relief operations have not been fully delivered by the suppliers due to logistical gaps, such as lack of storage facility while awaiting repacking and eventual transport to affected areas and lack of delivery trucks,” the report read.
“Relief distribution operations did not provide daily and periodic reporting on the results/status of its operations as well as accounting of funds received and its utilization given the huge funding, defeating the purpose of pinpointing responsibility and promoting accountability and transparency,” the COA reported.
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman admitted that the spoilage was due to warehousing and transportation problems. Typhoon Yolanda killed 6,300 and left thousands displaced and homeless. (GMA News)