The governor of oil-spill affected province of Oriental Mindoro and the mayor of Calapan City defended the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from unfair accusations of including stale rice and smelly canned tuna in the Family Food Packs (FFPs) being distributed to DSWD beneficiaries.

In an interview over the weekend, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor said the reports about the  canned tuna included in the FFPs distributed by the DSWD, with allegedly unacceptable taste and smell, are not true.

“Bulok na de lata? Hindi ako naniniwala doon. Bakit? I personally tried, nagbukas ako ng isang kahon, maaaring hindi kalasa natin… ang problema iba ang brand. Hindi natin kabisado yung brand. So siguro sa panlasa ng iba, iba” (I don’t believe that the canned goods (inside the FFPs of DSWD) are rotten. I personally opened one box. Maybe the taste of the canned tuna is different from what we used to consume. The problem is that the brand is different and we are not used to its taste),”Governor Dolor said in reply to a media query.

Governor Delor also said: “Ako nalulungkot ako, honestly po, sa nagsabi na bulok ang bigas. Kasi I personally supervised the distribution nung bigas. Nahihiya ako sa DSWD noong sinabihan ang DSWD na bulok ang bigas. Kasi kita ko ang ipinamimigay na bigas ng DSWD, malinis at maayos” (I am saddened, honestly, to those saying that the rice is rotten.  I personally supervised the distribution of the rice. I am ashamed and sorry for the DSWD. I saw that the rice distributed by the Department is clean and in good condition).

In a separate interview, Calapan City Mayor Malou Morillo said that she is certain there is no problem with the canned goods from the DSWD.

Mayor Morillo said: “Pero yung sinasabi nila na hindi makain ng aso, ng pusa, hindi ako naniniwala doon kasi I myself nagbukas ako, tinikman ko nakita ko masarap naman…Paano po nila sasabihing hindi masarap, malasa po at masarap… Siguro nga po depende sa panlasa niyo” (I don’t believe that cats and dogs can’t ingest it. I personally opened and tried the canned tuna and it was tasty. How can they say it’s not delicious, it’s tasty. Maybe it depends on your taste).

The DSWD extended its gratitude to the LGUs of Oriental Mindoro and Calapan City for recognizing the agency’s efforts in assisting and providing immediate assistance to the oil-spill affected residents in the province and for expressing support to the Department amid the canned tuna issue.

To determine whether the canned tuna is safe for the consumption of DSWD beneficiaries, the DSWD will submit samples of the questioned canned tuna to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The DSWD also recalled the canned tunas from the prepositioned relief goods and will discontinue the production of FFPs using the brand while the investigation is still ongoing.

The DSWD is committed to ensuring the unhampered provision of social protection programs to those affected by the oil spill. #