Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) — State auditors called out the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the incomplete or deficient documentation in the disbursement of ₱467.4 million worth of assistance to individuals in crisis situations (AICS).
DSWD’s AICS program seeks to provide various forms of assistance to the vulnerable sector such as transportation, medical, burial, educational, food, or cash aid.
The primary document required to apply for the program is the general intake sheet (GIS), as well as other documents for each type of assistance.
The Commission on Audit (COA), however, noted in its annual audit report that there were inconsistencies in the submission of the GIS.
\”The lack of complete supporting documents casts doubt on the regularity and propriety of the above payments of assistance as well as whether proper screening of eligible beneficiaries was conducted,\” said COA.
But DSWD’s crisis intervention unit (CIU) staff have acknowledged their lapses on some of the required documents for the disbursement of assistance.
\”The CIU staff explained that the reason for the non-inclusion of GIS was due to alleged confidential data/information of clients that are highly sensitive as they contain personal information such as the beneficiary’s health, age, marital status, education, and other data provided by the Data Privacy Act,\” the state auditors said.
As to the other documentary requirements that were not submitted, the CIU personnel said the incomplete documentation is due to various factors such as \”mishandling of documents resulting in loss or detachment from the file and the large number of clients they are catering to under the AICS program, among others.\”
Double payments
State auditors also flagged the double payments of assistance to at least 310 beneficiaries of the AICS in Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Davao Region, amounting to ₱1.5 million.
According to the audit report, the head of the crisis intervention section of DSWD in Western Visayas explained that \”the cash assistance for other support services may be given to the same client, successively, provided that it is for a different incident.\”
Meanwhile, the DSWD-Davao Region noted that beneficiaries who intend to claim twice are \”inevitable and uncontrollable\” citing the lack of real-time cross matching of data. They point out this happens when applicants strategically transfer from one barangay to another.
But the state auditors said that occurrence of double payments manifest poor assessment of eligible beneficiaries.
\”Provision of assistance twice to the same beneficiaries resulted in inequitable distribution of financial assistance to indigents and deprived other poor beneficiaries of their chance to claim the said assistance considering that the government funds are only limited,\” said COA.
