MANDALUYONG LGU BLACKLISTS SUPPLIER OF UNDERWEIGHT RICE SACKS 

THE Mandaluyong City government has blacklisted the supplier who reportedly delivered underweight sacks of rice distributed under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program in the city, a Palace official said yesterday.

In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the city government decided to blocklist the supplier after discovering that around 50 sacks contained only 8 kilos of rice instead of 10 kilos.

She added that about 29,500 sacks were distributed during the activity, with only a small number found to be underweight. The Palace did not identify the supplier.

Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. does not tolerate such incidents, stressing that beneficiaries must receive the full assistance intended for them.

“Hindi po ito nanaisin ng Pangulo. Kung ano ang dapat ibigay sa taumbayan, dapat ibigay,” Castro noted.

According to Castro, the supplier has acknowledged the mistake, apologized to the Mandaluyong local government, and committed to replacing the underweight sacks.

Beneficiaries who received eight-kilo sacks will be given an additional 10 kilos of rice, while the original sacks will not be taken back.

“Sila po ang nagkaroon ng pagkakamali dito at humingi na raw po sila ng paumanhin sa Mandaluyong LGU,” Castro said.

She added that the Mandaluyong City government has also launched an investigation into the incident.

Earlier, some beneficiaries reported receiving only 8 kilos instead of the intended 10 kilos of rice distributed under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) component of the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program.