The rice supplier tapped for the national government’s Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program in Mandaluyong City was blacklisted after admitting that some beneficiaries received only eight kilograms of rice instead of the promised 10 kilograms, Malacañang officials said Monday.
Cabinet Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said the Mandaluyong City government is also considering possible legal action against the supplier.
Abalos said he did not have the supplier’s name or other details.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. does not condone the incident.
“Hindi po ito nanaisin ng Pangulo. Kung ano dapat na ibigay sa taumbayan, dapat ibigay (The President would not want this. What is due to the people should be given to them),” Castro said.
Abalos and Castro said the supplier admitted that about 50 of the nearly 29,500 sacks distributed in the city contained only 8 kilograms of rice instead of 10.
The supplier claimed that the error occurred during the packing process. It apologized and promised to compensate each affected beneficiary with an additional 10-kilogram sack of rice.
“So, ang LGU po ay nagdesisyon na i-blacklist ang supplier at may isinasagawa na rin sila po silang pag-iimbestiga patungkol po dito (So, the LGU has decided to blacklist the supplier, and they are also conducting an investigation into the matter),” Castro said.
The rice distribution under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program is funded through the Local Government Support Fund.