THE stench of human waste and urine greeted a team of social workers and police officers as they carried out a suspension order from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at a senior citizens’ care facility in Maramag town, Bukidnon.
Irene Dosol-Auxillo, information officer of the DSWD Protective Services Division, said the joint team served the suspension order against the Bukidnon Multi-Sectoral Services Foundation Inc. (BUMSSEFI) for operating without a license a facility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Barangay Poblacion.
Auxillo said 17 senior citizens and PWDs were rescued from the unregistered facility, where they were found living in squalid conditions.
“The smell was so unbearable that we had to cover our noses,” Auxillo said in a phone interview today, Oct. 14.
She said inspectors found filthy toilets inside rooms and cottages occupied by clients, who paid between P6,000 and P7,000 per month for their stay and services.
“The smell of human feces and urine was everywhere,” Auxillo said, describing rooms where toilets and beds were cramped together and poorly maintained.
In a statement, DSWD Northern Mindanao said BUMSSEFI had been operating without a Certificate of Registration and License to Operate, and was found housing clients in unsafe and hazardous conditions.
The agency cited several violations, including unsanitary toilets and sleeping areas, lack of occupational safety standards, and health-threatening conditions.
BUMSSEFI also failed to maintain proper case management records and did not have qualified personnel to care for the elderly residents.
Auxillo said DSWD-10 had previously warned BUMSSEFI twice to stop operating without a license, but the foundation continued to accept clients.
The DSWD has given BUMSSEFI 30 days to comply with the requirements and submit the necessary documents for registration.
