The Commission on Audit called out the improper storage of P106.93 million Department of Social Welfare and Development welfare goods in Region 10 after finding that the warehouses storing them were hit by rodents and pests.
In its audit of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (DRRMF) for 2025, the COA said the warehouses of the DSWD Region 10 Field Office “were not adequately protected by a food-safe and systematic pest control program.”
“The goods were exposed to contamination, physical damage, and deterioration from rodents and other pests, leading to damaged, infested, and stale items that had to be disposed of as unfit for distribution,” it said.
It also flagged improper storage and inadequate monitoring of movements of prepositioned foods in DSWD field offices in Regions 1, 4A, and 11.
For Region 1, it said P6.6 million worth of welfare goods had to be disposed of due to impairment or remained dormant because the DSWD was unable to ensure prompt distribution or monitor shelf life, and lacked accountability for non-moving items.
It also found lapses in the storage, housekeeping, sanitation, and monitoring in Region 4A, resulting in damage and deterioration of certain non-food items and exposing the remaining P21.1 million in inventories to further risks of contamination.
For DSWD Region 11, it said several food packs nearing expiration as of February 2026 were not utilized or withdrawn for reallocation to prevent them from going to waste.
Prepositioned goods were also stored in shared areas, with some items covered in dust and certain storage spaces lacking proper ventilation.
“The absence of effective monitoring over prepositioned goods stored in LGU warehouses … heightens the risk of deterioration, contamination, damage, expiration, misplacement, or wastage of government resources,” it added.
The COA attributed the deficiencies to weaknesses in the implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of established policies and internal controls governing the DRRM Program.
It recommended that the DSWD strengthen monitoring and inspection of agency warehouses with prepositioned non-food items by conducting physical inventory and inspections.
It also said the DSWD should require the concerned warehouses to immediately correct the deficiencies found, including compliance with prescribed storage, sanitation, and housekeeping standards and the proper segregation and safeguarding of the prepositioned relief goods.
There should also be clear internal guidelines on the documentation, reporting, investigation, and disposition of damaged or deteriorated goods while under local government custody, it added.