DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte- Carpio has assigned the city’s LGBT sector to manage the city’s next round of rice distribution after receiving complaints from residents that barangay officials have failed to provide them with rice.
Duterte- Carpio said she is tapping the LGBT network in the city saying this sector understands how it is to be inclusive.
“We have a recurring problem that the rice was given to favorites, close friends, and acquaintances. So, the fifth round of rice distribution in barangays is out of the political structure,” the mayor said in a radio program.
The group will be headed by Commissioner Norman Baloro of the Philippine Commission of the Urban Poor and will prioritize persons who had not received any government assistance.
The rice distribution is part of the food relief program of the city government which started in March as quarantine measures were implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The city government has distributed a minimum of 4,000 kilograms of rice to the 182 barangays which is allocated based on the barangay’s population.
An incident involving a fixer in the Department of Social Welfare and Development Social Amelioration Package caught the mayor’s attention.
She urged the purok leaders to perform their task well as they are the ones knowledgeable of their community and avoid politics during this time of crisis.
“Purok leaders have leadership in the purok. We have set guidelines, criteria on selecting the beneficiaries of every government assistance given to residents. This is not the time to make money and burden other people in your community,” she added.
