The government remains financially equipped to sustain disaster response efforts despite successive calamities.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has confirmed that even if allocations under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) and Quick Response Fund (QRF) are fully exhausted, the government can immediately tap PHP12.005 billion from the Contingent Fund.
“Kung mauubos man po ang contingent fund dahil sunud-sunod po ang nangyayaring calamity sa ating bansa, maaasahan po natin kung may excess revenue, makakakuha po tayo sa unprogrammed appropriations mula sa SAGIP (Even if our contingent fund is exhausted due to the successive calamities, we still have excess revenues and we can tap the unprogrammed appropriations from Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure Program),” Castro said in a press briefing at the Palace.
The assurance comes as the country reels from back-to-back natural disasters in recent weeks.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake jolted Cebu and neighboring provinces in the Visayas on Sept. 30, triggering landslides, infrastructure damage, and displacing several families.
Oct. 10, magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 earthquakes struck Davao Region, destroying homes, schools, and key road networks.
Meanwhile, consecutive typhoons lashed Luzon and parts of the Visayas, bringing floods to Metro Manila, Bicol, and Northern Luzon, prompting preemptive evacuations and widespread relief operations.
These events have placed heavy pressure on the QRF allocations of agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Public Works and Highways, which both fund immediate relief and rehabilitation efforts.
No request to Congress yet
When asked if President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has formally asked Congress for additional emergency funds, Castro said there is no official communication yet.
“Sa ngayon po ay wala pa po kaming natatanggap na update na nakipag-usap ang Pangulo sa Kongreso (So far, the President has yet to talk to Congress for more funds),” she said.
On Monday, Marcos visited quake-hit communities in Davao Oriental, bringing over PHP298-million aid.
Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier said it is fast-tracking the release of PHP145 million in emergency funds to assist families affected in Mindanao. (PNA)
