THE Mandaluyong City government has formally blacklisted the supplier that distributed underweight sacks of rice to beneficiaries of the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang Program, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed on Monday.
The action comes after reports surfaced that several recipients received only 8 kilograms of rice instead of the standard 10 kilograms promised under the government assistance initiative.
According to Castro, the supplier has already acknowledged the error and admitted full responsibility for the discrepancy, issuing a formal apology to the Mandaluyong local government unit. To make amends, the firm has committed to providing an additional 10 kilograms of rice to every beneficiary who received an underweight sack. Notably, the original 8 kilograms already distributed will not be retrieved, meaning affected families will receive a total of 18 kilograms in all.
The program originally rolled out 29,500 sacks of rice, each intended to weigh exactly 10 kilograms. Authorities found that roughly 50 sacks fell short by 2 kilograms, representing a small but significant lapse in quality control. Local officials have completed an initial inquiry into the incident to verify the extent of the error and ensure no other irregularities occurred during the procurement or distribution process.
Undersecretary Castro emphasized that such shortcomings will not be tolerated by the administration. “The President will not allow this. Whatever is due to the public must be delivered fully,” she stated. The blacklisting means the supplier will no longer be eligible to participate in any future procurement projects with the city government, sending a clear message that public assistance programs must meet strict standards of fairness and accountability.
metrosundaily
