CSWD chief welcomes probe

By Maricar M. Calubiran

City Social Welfare and Development Officer Claire Dignadice yesterday admitted that some of the barangay captains have the tendency to puff up the number of affected families during calamities as she welcomed the move of the city council to probe her office over the alleged bloated calamity report.

Dignadice said the figures they submitted to the city council came from the list provided to them by the 13 barangay captains in Jaro and 2 barangays captains in Lapaz. The report was also validated by the social workers assigned in each district.
  
In her report, Dignadice said there were 3,646 families or 18,230 persons  affected by the “flashflood” last September 16. She also recommended that the 15 barangays be declared under the state of calamity.

She said it depends on the council to declare the 15 barangays under the state of calamity. The CSWD will accept whatever decisions the council may come up regarding her recommendation.

The CSWD has disbursed 31 sacks of rice and eight boxes of noodles for affected families in last Friday’s flood. Not all residents availed of the immediate relief assistance though, said Dignadice.

Dignadice said in several instances they discovered that the figures submitted by barangay captains are not the exact number of affected families or persons in their barangays. She refused to name these barangay captains.

There are also cases that the number of affected families is much bigger than the number of residents in each barangay, said Dignadice.

Dignadice added that they have also called the attention of these barangay captains yet they always assert the veracity of the figures. She said the barangay captains even scolded them as if they knew much of the needs of the residents than of the officials themselves.

The CSWD chief said the investigation would pave way for the creation of a guideline for the proper valuation of barangays prior to their declaration under the state of calamity.
It is sad to know, the CSWD has no parameters on how to determine a barangay under the state of calamity. The CSWD rely mainly on the list provided to them by the barangay captains.