DAVAO CITY – Militant lawmakers want the Department of Social Welfare and Development to report on the interests earned from over P1.1 billion donations for the typhoon and disaster victims in the country.
Representative Emmi De Jesus of Gabriela Women’s Partylist said the department “has a lot of explaining to do” with the still unaccounted interests earned from the donations.
De Jesus said the services for typhoon survivors remain at snail-paced.
“Nakagagalit na dalawang taon matapos ang trahedya ng bagyong Yolanda, mahigit 2,000 pamilya pa ang nananatili sa evacuation center at ang mga pansamantalang tirahan ay walang maayos na mapagkukunan ng tubig at kuryente (It is disheartening to see that more than 2,000 families who are survivors of Typhoon Yolanda remain in evacuation centers and have no decent supply of water and electricity),” De Jesus said.
UN Special Rapporteur Chaloka Beyani, during his recent visit in the country, revealed that of 200,000 permanent housing promised and provided, only 21% has been completed, mostly from private organizations and donors.
Representative Luzviminda Ilagan, also of Gabriela, said that “there will always be doubts that funds are being channeled to the administration’s election campaign kitty unless all donations including interest earned as well as budgetary allocations are all properly accounted for.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations is set to deliberate on the proposed budget of the DSWD tomorrow.(davaotoday.com)
