A ranking House member has highlighted the importance of the billions worth of disaster resilience funds that originate from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) amid the threat posed by Tropical Depression Gardo and Super Typhoon Hinnamnor.
House Committee on Appropriations chairman and AKO-BICOL Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co was referring to Pacgor funds that would provide some P30 million to P50 million to each legislative district in the Philippines.
“This Pagcor provision, totalling between P7.29 billion to P12.15 billion for the country’s 243 legislative districts, is particularly significant as the country again braces for two weather disturbances, Tropical Depression Gardo and Super Typhoon Hinnamnor,” said Co.
“We thank Chairman Al Tengco for agreeing to provide evacuation and disaster resilience buildings. This amount will help each district cope with typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions that frequent our country,” Co added.
According to the Bicolano, the disaster resilience funds are crucial in ensuring the safety and survival of the country’s disaster-prone areas.
During the hearing on Pagcor’s 2023 budget Tuesday, Tengco, the newly-appointed Pagcor chief operating officer, reported to the appropriations panel that the gaming regulator’s income last year was P35.48 billion. For the first half of 2022, Pagcor’s income has already reached P26.7 billion.
In January 2020, before the pandemic surged in March 2020, Taal Volcano erupted and caused the evacuation of more than 135,000 people. It also damaged infrastructure and livelihoods, and disrupted essential services, such as water supply and education.
During the disaster, Pagcor provided permanent shelters to displaced locals. Under its Pagcor Village Project, which cost P30 million, it provided 100 units of 30-square-meter houses for the displaced residents in the towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, Balete, and Mataas na Kahoy.
Co noted that aside from being one of the top revenue generating offices of government, Pagcor is also the source of funding for social projects for Filipino youth, poor families, and Universal Health Care beneficiaries.
He further said--being one of the top contributors among government-owned-and-controlled corporations (GOCCs)--Pagcor helps deliver critical public services to Filipinos, both at home and abroad.