The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarifies that it has not received any food aid from the government of the United Kingdom, nor has it received food donations from any group or organization from the country.

Per DSWD’s records, the UK donations that have entered the country only include non-food items such as shelter box, communication equipment, solar lights, and blankets, among others.

These are all consigned to non-government organizations and United Nations agencies except for 504 units of tents which arrived in Manila on November 25 that are consigned to DSWD, and another 576 relief tents and 224 shelter boxes which arrived in Cebu on November 13 that are consigned to DSWD-Field Office VII.

The consignees of the UK non-food aid received in Manila are:

• · Plan International Philippines with 504 units of tent from Shelter Box Trust Limited, UK;
• · Plan International Philippines with 54 packages of communication equipment (emergency aid) from British Telecommunications PLC, UK; and,
• · Philippine Relief and Development Services (PHILRADS) with two pallets of relief goods from Catalents CTS, Deeside UK.

The consignees of the UK donations received in Cebu are:

• · International Organization for Migration with 6,000 high thermal synthetic blanket and 10,000 buckets from DFID-UK;
• · International Organization for Migration with 3,510 solar light kits from DFID-UK;
• · International Organization for Migration with 1,296 India Impex Solar Lanterns from DFID-UK;
• · MSF Haiyan Cyclone Response with seven packages medicine from MSF Holland; and,
• · Handicap International Cebu with 702 pieces India Impex Solar Lanterns from DFID-UK.

On the allegations that food donations are not reaching barangays and are just locked in warehouses, DSWD reiterates that they have reached even the remote island barangays in the region.

Helicopter deliveries are even done with the Philippine Air Force and other foreign assets in some hard-to-reach barangays. In fact, the helicopter that crashed in La Paz, Leyte last December 6 was carrying two DSWD employees who were doing relief work. Both sustained various injuries but are now being given medical attention.

The Department further explained that spot checking and monitoring in the area on the status or movement of relief stocks are regularly being conducted.

DSWD also engages local officials to inform the agency needs to deliver to far-flung barangays.

The clarifications came after the British tabloid paper Daily Mail released an article, which was subsequently carried by local papers, on December 7 claiming that “food flown in from Britain ends up in shops” instead to the typhoon victims.

The newspaper was quoting a British national and a Japanese volunteer who admitted, “(they) don’t have evidence but (just) believe it is being taken by officials.”

DSWD assures the public that reports like these and others about the relief operations are being taken seriously and investigated upon by the Department.

“We are not allowing the reselling of relief goods, and such cases will be dealt with in accordance with our laws,” it said.

DSWD added that questions on relief goods and requests for assistance can still be sent to its text hotline – 09209463766. ### 11 December 2013 (DSWD-Social Marketing Service)