By IVY TEJANO
DAVAO CITY – The Davao Oriental Provincial Council is reportedly delaying the approval of the resolution authorizing Gov. Niño Sotero Uy to accept a 160,000-kilogram rice donation from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office.
UY (Keith Bacongco)
According to Silvestre H. Bello III, head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office donated 500,000 kilograms of rice for residents in Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, and Davao de Oro provinces.
The donation is on top of the previous donation of $200,000 or P11.2 million for those impacted by the shear line surge and low-pressure area (LPA) that affected the Davao region last January and February.
Reports have emerged that the Davao Oriental Provincial Board is stalling the approval of the authorization for Uy to accept the donation.
Section 23 of the Article 2 of the Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 said the governor must obtain approval from the provincial board of Davao Oriental before accepting any donations for the province.
On June 11, 2024, Uy asked the provincial council, led by Vice Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang Jr., to approve a resolution allowing him to sign an agreement to accept 160,000 kilos of rice as aid for disaster victims last January.
A month after the governor’s letter, the provincial council has yet to pass a resolution, causing concerns about the delay. As a result, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office has retained the provincial government of Davao de Oro as the sole recipient of the donation.
Davao de Oro was said to have distributed the shares of Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte provincial governments (LGUs).
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is primarily responsible for distributing donated rice to its beneficiaries in the LGUs. The LGUs and the DSWD shall jointly identify the rightful beneficiaries of the rice.