The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) procurement of family food packs (FFPs) undergoes a transparent and competitive bidding process, with the actual cost of each FFP’s contents less than PHP800, a DSWD official said on Monday.
“PHP797.80 lang ang halaga ng bawat kahon ng food packs na nasa post based on the winning bid. Kaya mali ang pinalalabas sa isang social media post na PHP1,503.84 ang halaga ng bawat family food pack ng DSWD (The cost of the contents of each food pack box is only PHP797.80 based on the winning bid. So, the social media post making it appear that each DSWD family food pack costs PHP1,503.84 is wrong),” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said in a news release.
Dumlao said the viral post is misleading, as the supposed document posted was actually a bidding document indicating the maximum amount of the procurement based on a market scoping that includes procurement specifications, packaging, logistics, delivery, and other factors related to the project.
“We would like to clarify that the amount of procurement of FFPs differs per bid. The total amount spent for FFPs depends on the winning bid. The bid document which was posted is a public document and is the maximum bid amount of the package of items,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
Dumlao pointed out that the DSWD adopted a simplified approach in procuring food packs to ensure the availability and fast delivery of food aid to families affected by disasters.
She said the procurement of FFPs goes through a “competitive bidding” where the lowest-priced bid that is compliant with specifications and other requirements is declared the bid winner.
Under the procurement process, the DSWD Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) evaluates bids to determine the supplier that meets the required technical, financial, and legal conditions and offers the lowest calculated and responsive bid based on government procurement rules.
“Sa naturang bidding, ang 2 Go Global International Corporation ang may pinakamurang presyo na PHP797.80 bawat kahon ng FFP (In the said bidding, the 2 Go Global International Corporation has the lowest price at PHP797.80 per box of FFP),” Dumlao said.
The DSWD’s FFPs provide immediate food support to affected families. Each pack is composed of six kilograms of rice, four cans of tuna flakes; four cans of corned beef, two cans of sardines, five sachets of instant coffee, and five sachets of choco malt drink.
The composition of the FFPs was endorsed by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and is in accordance with the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) formulated by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).
The contents of every food pack are intended to provide a combination of staple food, protein sources, energy, and essential nutrients.
However, the FFPs are not intended to replace a family’s regular food supply for an extended period. The food assistance is intended to help sustain a family of five for two to three days.
The DSWD spokesperson is appealing to the public to direct their inquiries or complaints to the department and to be more discerning about misleading information being posted on social media.
“Hindi po nakatutulong ang mga ganitong misinformation, lalo’t higit sa panahon na ang atensiyon dapat ay nakatuon sa mabilisang pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng mga nasalanta. Nag-aappeal din kami sa mga concerned citizens na siguraduhin ang inyong dokumento ay accurate sa inyong pagshare. Inuulit din po namin na ang DSWD ay bukas sa lahat ng komento at reklamo (This kind of misinformation is not helpful, especially in times when focus is on the prompt response to the needs of calamity-affected people. We also appeal to concerned citizens to ensure that your documents are accurates before sharing it in social media. We also reiterate that the DSWD is open to all comments and complaints),” Dumlao said. (PNA)
