The Marcos administration wants more fund for its disposal during calamities as it asks Congress for a P31 billion calamity fund in 2024.
Also known as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), the calamity fund proposal is higher by 51.2% than the current P20.5-billion appropriation.
The P31 billion will cover the P17.9 billion appropriated for “aid, relief and rehabilitation services to communities/areas affected by calamities, including training of personnel, and other pre-disaster activities.”
The figure is up from the P12.3 billion allocation in 2023.
Also included is the P13.05 billion, from the current P7.1 billion, for “repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including capital expenditures for pre-disaster operations, rehabilitation and other related activities.”
The NDRRMF proposal no longer included a line item for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Fund, which has a P1 billion allocation for 2023.
Republic Act 11696 or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act signed into law in April 2022 created the Marawi Compensation Board. The board is listed separately under “Other Executive Offices” and has a proposed budget of P1,117,555,000 for 2024.
The proposed calamity fund also contained a P7.425 billion Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the following agencies:
- Department of Agriculture (P1 billion, same as in 2023)
- Department of Education (P3 billion, up from P2 billion in 2023)
- Department of Health (P500 million, same as in 2023)
- Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Bureau of Fire Protection (P50 million, same as in 2023)
- DILG-Philippine National Police (P50 million, same as in 2023)
- Department of National Defense-Office of Civil Defense (P500 million, same as in 2023)
- Department of Public Works and Highways (P1 billion, down from P11 billion in 2023)
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (P1.25 billion, down from P1.75 billion in 2023)
- Department of Transportation-Philippine Coast Guard (P75 million)
—LDF, GMA Integrated News
