The Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has provided clarification regarding the delayed implementation of the city government’s feeding program, which was flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
In an interview with Bombo Radyo, Teresa Gelogo, head of the Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office, explained that the program was handed over to them by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) because the DSWD found it difficult to manage with the allotted budget of P15 per child.
Gelogo noted that procuring items with such a low budget posed challenges, especially since the program involves perishable goods that spoil quickly.
This difficulty was one of the reasons why the DSWD decided to turn over the program to the city government.
She further clarified that the DSWD had already disbursed P7.258 million out of the total budget of P18 million before the responsibility was transferred.
In March 2023, a cheque amounting to over P10.8 million was released to the city government.
Gelogo pointed out that the delay was also due to the extensive documentation required for proper accounting procedures.
Additionally, because of the low cost of the commodities, many suppliers opted to withdraw or did not participate in the bidding process, further delaying procurement.
