Gov’t allots P21.7 B for disaster areas

MANILA, Philippines - As part of its “build back better” strategy, the administration has allocated P21.7 billion from the 2015 national budget to support disaster response efforts as well as the rebuilding of communities affected by calamities, the Department of Budget and Management said yesterday.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the massive destruction wrought by Super Typhoon Yolanda was a wake-up call for everyone and that the country needed an approach rooted in prevention and preparedness rather than in ad-hoc responses.

Abad said the national government decided to integrate a preventive approach focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation and on disaster risk reduction management actions and interventions.

Of the P21.7 billion, P14 billion has been allocated to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRMMF) formerly known as Calamity Fund.

The rest is divided among Quick Response Funds (QRF) lodged under the budgets of key agencies (P6.7 billion) and in the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program Fund (P1 billion).

Abad said the policy of “building back better” would ensure stronger infrastructure systems and better opportunities for survivors of various calamities.

“Ultimately, the administration’s main goal is to prepare for and effectively preempt these disasters,” Abad said.

And to help the country prepare against these climate risks, Abad said the government has adopted a Risk Resiliency Program.

Some of the program’s components include: flood control infrastructure for which the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received P47.3 billion to cover 18 major river basins and areas below sea level; national greening program, with P7.02 billion for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); and mapping and geohazards assessment with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) receiving P398 million for a unified mapping project.

The DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) will receive P89 million to be used for updating data and assessing vulnerabilities in 70 cities and municipalities, as well as 166 coastal communities.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) will receive P17 million for upgrading its warning systems through the installation of 240 intensity meters and 19 tsunami wave detectors, among others.