Senators question Public Health about unimplemented emergency food assistance program

Much-needed food assistance for needy families was one of the critical issues discussed during a wide-ranging oversight hearing on the Department of Public Health and Social Services today. Millions of dollars in food items are expected to be passed out in the next few months, but these were actually supposed to come out during the pandemic.

The appropriation bill by Speaker Therese Terlaje was passed almost two years ago. She calls it "unconscionable" that what was supposed to be an urgent food assistance program during the height of the pandemic, has still not been rolled out.

"I think to say that there was a delay is really an understatement in this case because the funding was done in a bill in March 2021. That was supposed to be $5 million. So not only was it delayed, the law says $5 million, what you received was $3.1 million," she stated.

Freshman senator Tom Fisher was not part of the body that passed the bill, but in questioning Public Health deputy director Terry Aguon, he said he can understand their frustration. "We all recognize the necessity of eating and we all recognize the catastrophe of being poor and unable to feed your family. And it seems  to me that the Guam Legislature stepped up and said, 'Here's $5 million, please go feed the people.' And would you agree that you haven't done that yet?"

Aguon said, "I would agree that the process has not taken place . I share the same passion that we're trying to get food in the peoples mouths. I  do know the money was not made available in March of 2021, but we have moved forward since it was made available I think in June of 2022."

Aguon says there were delays in paperwork, applications and finding non-profits to take on the distribution. And then there's the reduction in funding. $5 million was appropriated, but only 60%, $3.1 million has been released by the Bureay of Budget & Management Research. "The five is very clearly appropriated and that was based on their calculations of how much we would receive of savings we would be receiving in refinancing a bond," he said.

Public health director Arthur San Agustin responded, "We asked if that was all we were gonna get and we said yes. and I'll just need to talk with the two directors to provide that detail for that explanation of the sale of the bonds and how that translates  to revenue that we could have access for this program."

Six applicants have since been approved. Public Health is hoping to finally begin distribution next month - a full two years since the emergency food bill was passed.