MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed a measure requiring full disclosure and strict monitoring of all donations and aid received by the government during natural or human-induced calamities.
Under Senate Bill No. 278, also known as the proposed “Donation Transparency Act,” Escudero emphasizes the need to establish a comprehensive accounting system to track all forms of assistance, whether local or foreign, channeled to the government during disasters.
Escudero cited lessons from Super Typhoon Yolanda, noting that no single government agency had a complete record of the total aid received.
He pointed out that the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (FAITH), created after Yolanda, only captured foreign pledges and assistance, excluding contributions deposited directly into government agencies, departments, or local government units (LGUs).
“The findings indicated the need to institutionalize, preferably through legislation, a mechanism for the monitoring and accounting of all foreign and local donations for natural and man-made calamities,” Escudero said in the bill’s explanatory note.
He added that strong public clamor for “transparency and accountability” in the use of both monetary and non-monetary aid underscores the need for a proactive role from the Commission on Audit (COA).
Key provisions of SB 278 include:
- Creation of a national transparency portal to be developed by the Department of Finance (DOF), Commission on Audit (COA), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). All donation-related data must be made publicly available.
- All cash donations will be deposited into a Bureau of the Treasury account.
- All foreign donations, whether in cash or in kind, must be cleared by the Office of the President upon the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
- The DFA will transmit processed foreign donations to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) for coordination.
Escudero said the measure seeks to prevent inconsistencies and gaps in reporting, especially as international and local assistance continues to pour into disaster-hit regions.
Just recently, the United States announced a $1-million donation to support the Philippine government’s disaster response efforts in areas affected by Typhoon Tino and the magnitude 6.9 quake in Cebu on September 30.