‘Prelude to corruption, illegal use of public funds’: LGU disaster damage reports bloated: OCD

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Disaster damage reports submitted to the Cordillera Regional Disaster Coordinating Council by local government units in the Cordillera as a result of calamities like recent typhoon have been bloated, the regional Office of Civil Defense said.

This, as non-government organizations and concerned individuals said this could be prelude to corruption and illegal use of public funds.

They said local government units should have more accurate data on funding requests like in rehabilitating calamity areas so that taxpayers’ money would be used judiciously.

The OCD said there was need to make necessary adjustments before the final regional damage report will be submitted to the national disaster coordinating council for action.

Olive Luces, OCD regional director, said bloating of reports was uncovered by technical personnel of the agency after validation and analysis on reports submitted by local disaster coordinating councils.

Damage reports will still be submitted to higher authorities who will also conduct an investigation to determine veracity of the reports prior to the release of funding for numerous rehabilitation projects in the region.

Earlier, it was reported the Cordillera suffered a total of P1.4 billion damage to infrastructure and agriculture as a result of the onslaught of Typhoon Pepeng last month that resulted to the isolation of several areas in the region and the destruction of their sources of livelihood.

Luces said bloated disaster damage reports submitted by local governments should not be tolerated by the concerned national government agencies since it is obvious that the over estimates of damages are aimed at getting more funding support for the implementation of rehabilitation projects in their respective areas damaged by natural calamities.

According to her, local governments should start incorporating in their comprehensive land use plans climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures to prevent loss of lives and damage to properties during the onslaught of typhoons.

The Cordillera offices of the Department of Interior and Local Government and National Economic Development Authority has mandated all local government units in the region to include in their planning climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures in order to abate future disasters that would claim the lives of the local residents.

Juan Ngalob, NEDA regional director, urged local governments to submit disaster damage reports to the proper agencies so they will not be left out in the releases to be made as assistance for rehabilitation.

Based on his experience during the July 16, 1990 killer earthquake that devastated this mountain resort city, Ngalob disclosed they submitted a total of P2.8 billion worth of damages but the national government only released P1.8 billion worth of rehabilitation projects for the different places.

The NEDA official said it is not always a guarantee that bloated reports will result to more funding support but the allocation of rehabilitation funds will still be based on certain guidelines imposed by concerned agencies so that there will be an equitable sharing of resources for the benefit of the people affected by disasters that strike anytime.