MAYOR Jose Esgana of Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island stood firm in his decision to distribute the emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to Supertyphoon Yolanda victims who already received core shelters from non-government organizations (NGOs).
Esgana was earlier warned by the state auditors that his move is prohibited under the guidelines of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In a phone interview, Esgana said those shelters provided by the Islamic Relief Worldwide are not permanent. He said the NGO itself issued a certification that the core shelters would only last for up to nine years.
Another NGO, Young Pioneer Disaster Response, has not been recognized by the municipality as their partner in the housing project as their shelter doesn’t even have a comfort room, Esgana said.
The state auditors, in its annual audit memorandum, recommended that the officials who authorized the payment of the ESA not in accordance with the DSWD memorandum circular on ESA disbursement be held accountable for the irregular disbursement. State auditors indicated that they conducted a random ocular inspection last April 15 in six barangays in the town to validate if beneficiaries have received the cash assistance.