CALAMITY FUNDS worth P18.81 billion have been released as of end-September to repair typhoon damages, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
According to its National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) status update, P18.29 billion has been released to state agencies, while P520.14 million was allocated to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs).
Of the total, P11.09 billion was disbursed to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received P6.39 billion.
Under the fund release, P374.97 million was given to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, P343 million to the Department of Finance, and P100 million to the Department of National Defense.
For GOCCs, P450 million was allocated to the National Irrigation Authority, P49.94 million to the National Housing Authority, and P20.2 million to the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
The DBM also said that P1 billion and P875 million were released to the DPWH and the DSWD to replenish their respective Quick Response Funds (QRFs).
The QRF is a standby fund to support relief and rehabilitation efforts during calamities. If a government agency’s QRF has reached below 50%, it may request the DBM for replenishment.
In September, P255.27 was released to the DPWH for typhoon damage repairs in Ilocos Sur. Likewise, the LWUA received P20.2 million to help rehabilitate water facilities at the Cagayan Region.
The DBM has yet to release P3.92 billion out of this year’s P22.74-billion NDRRMF budget. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
