DSWD chief says agency cleaning up double entries in 4Ps list

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky Soliman on Thursday responded to issues raised by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its 2013 report on the agency.

 

The COA report noted red flags such as double entries, data errors, delayed cash releases, and liquidation issues in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, the administration's flagship poverty-alleviation program.

 

For 2013, the COA found at least 4,300 double entries on the list of beneficiaries.

 

"Duplicate names for 4,320 beneficiaries in the 4Ps payroll in the amount of P46.502 million for CY 2013 not only resulted in incurrence of additional costs for the double payment of grants, but also misstated the Cash and Donation accounts," the audit body said.

 

In an interview with GMA News on Christmas Day, Soliman said the agency is now checking the double entries in the beneficiaries list raised by COA.

 

"Dalawa 'yung pangalan pero hindi sila twice nabibigyan, kasi dahil nadi-detect 'yan ng aming payroll," Soliman said. She added that the DSWD had already begun sifting through the names on its list and has deleted more than half of the double entries.

 

Soliman also responded to the report's note that more than P2 billion in funds from the Conditional Cash Transfer program were either given to unqualified recipients or noted as unclaimed grants. 

 

"'Yung unclaimed grants could be ito 'yung mga lumipat na, nasa ibang lugar na at hindi na na-claim," Soliman said. 

 

The COA report had directed Soliman to strengthen the monitoring of beneficiaries to prevent the occurrence of unpaid balances.

 

"We recommend that the DSWD Secretary direct the National Project Management Office (NPMO) and Regional Project Management Office Pantawid Directors to intensify the validation of all unpaid beneficiaries and require prompt reporting on the status of beneficiaries in order that the corresponding changes are effected to arrive at a more reliable and accurate database. This will minimize the occurrence of unpaid grants," the audit body said.

 

Sendong funds

 

The COA report also said that funds meant for relief for Typhoon Sendong in Mindanao in 2011 was diverted for other purposes. 

 

The report also noted that the fund was not released right away; 77 percent of more than P500 million was not released until December 2013. 

 

But Soliman said that DSWD no longer holds any fund for Sendong victims, adding that the agency is waiting for liquidation from Iligan City. 

 

"Ang alam ko 'dun meron kaming kailangang ipa-account sa LGU in Iligan. That's an accounting, meaning they have to liquidate," she said. 

 

Soliman said that the quick response fund may have been used for shelter assistance or purchase food. — Trisha Macas/JST, GMA News