News Release

Department of Labor and Employment

Regional Office No. 12
1 September 2014
DOLE regional director in Region 12 clarifies news report on DAP
DOLE Regional Office No. 12 Director Ofelia Domingo yesterday clarified that the
Philippine Information Agency news release on the Disbursent Acceleration Program (DAP)
funds contained incorrect information and has quoted her out of context.
"The news release, DOLE 12, solons partner for employment, government internship
projects, written by PIA information officer Danilo Doguiles and which was used as one of
the basis of the impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives by Rep.
Antonio Tinio, contains inaccurate information that needs to be rectified because it paints the
DOLE in a bad light," said Director Domingo in a release to the media.
"Firstly, I did not call to a meeting the eight legislators in Region 12 as the news story said. I
am a regional director who knows it is inappropriate for a person of my position to call to a
meeting the elected representatives of the people," she explained.
"Contrary to the news story, I was the one who was called to a meeting by the representatives
with the regional officials of national government agencies, such as the Department of
Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Public
Works and Highways, on 30 January," she clarified.
She also said that as she often does in such meetings, she introduced the DOLE programs and
services to the meeting participants.
"In that meeting, I recall I made a presentation about the Government Internship Program and
the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program, or DILEEP,
particularly the Tulong Alalay Pangkabuhayan sa mga Displaced Workers, or TUPAD," she
further clarified.

"It is not true I informed the eight representatives that they have a P3.5 million allocation
each for the GIP and the DILEEP. It is utterly unbelievable that a government official of my
level will be the one to inform the elected representatives about budget allocations, when the
truth of the matter is that they know better because it is to them that belong the power of the
purse. They are the ones who enact the national budget," Domingo said.
Domingo also explained that the writer of the news story has written her an apology for
writing that the GIP and DILEEP allocation of the DOLE regional office was a fresh
allocation in lieu of the PDAF.
"I regret that I have failed to emphasize that the funds that I referred to in my report were not
new allocations. If I have caused some trouble with these, please forgive me. I am very
sorry," said Doguiles in her letter, a copy of which Director Domingo furnished Labor and
Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz.
END