OCD: Donations not collected, distributed to Malasakit Centers
Published Apr 3, 2020 12:00 am
By Martin Sadongdong
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has belied rumors that donations to frontliners and individuals affected by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are being collected and distributed to Malasakit Centers.
Executive Director Ricardo Jalad (NDRRMC / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
A pet project of Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Malasakit Centers are one-stop-shop centers inside hospitals ran by the Department of Health (DOH) for indigent patients.
"To be clear, donations are not collected and are not distributed to Malasakit Centers," OCD Administrator Ricardo Jalad said in a statement late Thursday.
Jalad's statement came amid rumors on social media that Go allegedly took advantage of an administrative order (AO) from President Duterte by supposedly repacking the donations that his office has received and putting his name on the packages being distributed to the recipients to make it appear that it was him who donated the items.
"Senator Bong Go does not and will not interfere with the task of OCD. We are well-informed through our communication with their office that Senator Go connects private donors directly to their intended beneficiaries and helps facilitate the delivery of donations," Jalad, who also serves as the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), added.
Last Wednesday, Malacanang released Duterte's AO 27 which designates the OCD as the main coordinating body for all donations related to the national government's response to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal admitted that the OCD facilitated the distribution of donations to various hospitals, some of which came from Go's office.
Shown a photo of boxes of donations where beneficiaries hold what appears to be a "thank you" card for Go, Timbal said: "I confirm that OCD facilitated the distribution of PPEs and medical supplies to various hospitals in Region 6 (Western Visayas). Some of the items were facilitated by the Office of Sen. Bong Go."
"The OCD pools the resources. The Office of SBG had previously turned over some donations to OCD, and OCD in turn distributed it to other hospitals," Timbal explained.
But Timbal maintained that the OCD does not repack the items they receive from the donors.
"Whatever resources we receive, the same would be sent to the intended recipients," he said.
Timbal said officials who accepted the donations in Region 6 were photographed with a "thank you" card intended for Go "since the items they got were donations facilitated by his office."
Nonetheless, Jalad said that the OCD "remains committed to support and assist" the frontliners amid the "misinformation being peddled all over social media."
"By keeping track of donations from all sources, OCD is able to perform its critical task of managing resources to ensure that those who are most in need are served without delay and discrimination," Jalad emphasized.
Executive Director Ricardo Jalad (NDRRMC / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
A pet project of Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Malasakit Centers are one-stop-shop centers inside hospitals ran by the Department of Health (DOH) for indigent patients.
"To be clear, donations are not collected and are not distributed to Malasakit Centers," OCD Administrator Ricardo Jalad said in a statement late Thursday.
Jalad's statement came amid rumors on social media that Go allegedly took advantage of an administrative order (AO) from President Duterte by supposedly repacking the donations that his office has received and putting his name on the packages being distributed to the recipients to make it appear that it was him who donated the items.
"Senator Bong Go does not and will not interfere with the task of OCD. We are well-informed through our communication with their office that Senator Go connects private donors directly to their intended beneficiaries and helps facilitate the delivery of donations," Jalad, who also serves as the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), added.
Last Wednesday, Malacanang released Duterte's AO 27 which designates the OCD as the main coordinating body for all donations related to the national government's response to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal admitted that the OCD facilitated the distribution of donations to various hospitals, some of which came from Go's office.
Shown a photo of boxes of donations where beneficiaries hold what appears to be a "thank you" card for Go, Timbal said: "I confirm that OCD facilitated the distribution of PPEs and medical supplies to various hospitals in Region 6 (Western Visayas). Some of the items were facilitated by the Office of Sen. Bong Go."
"The OCD pools the resources. The Office of SBG had previously turned over some donations to OCD, and OCD in turn distributed it to other hospitals," Timbal explained.
But Timbal maintained that the OCD does not repack the items they receive from the donors.
"Whatever resources we receive, the same would be sent to the intended recipients," he said.
Timbal said officials who accepted the donations in Region 6 were photographed with a "thank you" card intended for Go "since the items they got were donations facilitated by his office."
Nonetheless, Jalad said that the OCD "remains committed to support and assist" the frontliners amid the "misinformation being peddled all over social media."
"By keeping track of donations from all sources, OCD is able to perform its critical task of managing resources to ensure that those who are most in need are served without delay and discrimination," Jalad emphasized.