COA flags Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez over disaster response issues

The Commission on Audit (COA) has called the attention of Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez over issues involving efforts to prepare the city for disasters.

Ormoc City suffered two major disasters in 2017, one being the destructive 6.5 magnitude earthquake in July, which was followed by the deadly Tropical depression Urduja in December.

COA found that some projects, programs, and activities (PPAs) listed under the "70% Mitigation Fund" of Ormoc City's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) approved in 2017 were "not described in specific terms."

COA also found only 37 percent or P60,286,148.08 of the total P161,731,829.65 trust fund was used because of the "absence of review and monitoring" mechanisms, as disclosed by an officer in an interview.

Gomez, as the chairman of the Ormoc CDRRMC, was instructed to prepare the CDRRMF Investment Plan with the PPAs stated in specific terms aligned with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management (NDRRM) plan, as well as to monitor implemented projects quarterly.

Meanwhile, Ormoc City's accountant was ordered to determine the balance of the goods intended for distribution to victims of calamities.

This was after COA discovered that relief goods for distribution that were procured from the CDRRM Fund amounting to P10.4 million, "were not segregated" from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWD) stocks and recorded under Food Supplies for Distribution account instead of Welfare Goods for Distribution.

Moreover, COA found that the Ormoc's Emergency Welfare Goods for Disaster of the CDRRMO and CSWDO "were not secured against losses, pilferage, and spoilage."

COA said Gomez has agreed with their recommendation to provide another permanent storage area or warehouse to store relief goods. 

Also, the COA expects the Ormoc City General Services Office to improve registries and the monthly report for donated relief goods as these were "not strictly monitored."

Thus, Gomez was instructed to prepare guidelines on the accreditation, mobilization, and protection of volunteers Ormoc City's disaster volunteers after COA discovered that their accreditation and protection was "not instituted despite the provision for insurance amounting to P500,000 in CY 2017." 

COA also found that adequacy of personnel to deliver swift services to affected people during and after calamities "was not guaranteed" and that volunteers were "not safeguarded from injuries while providing such services."

Gomez was tasked to conduct the accreditation of the volunteers, issue necessary identification cards and provide them insurance coverage against injuries and/or death.

COA also scored the delay in the adoption of the city's early warning siren that costs almost P6 million and told the CDRRMO to start an "extensive" information drive to educate the public on siren's operation protocol that includes detailed precautionary safety guidelines in the event of a disaster. —Margaret Claire Layug/LBG, GMA News