By Ben Rosario  Key officials of the House of Representatives on Tuesday gave their assurance for the approval of the proposed supplemental allocation of P30 billion for communities severely affected by the Taal volcano eruption. House of Representatives (Congres PH / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) In a swift response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s requestion for additional appropriation, House Deputy Speaker and 1Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero and Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said the Lower House will put the proposal on top of its legislative priorities. “We will support President Duterte’s request for the appropriation of an additional P30 billion for communities affected by the eruption of Taal volcano,” said Romero in a statement. Romero noted that while the 2020 national budget reserves P16 billion for the disaster reduction and management fund, the amount is “hardly enough even for this one calamity” that devastated Cavite and Batangas, and even as far as Laguna. “Of the P16 billion, P3.5 billion is reserved for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, while P5 billion is allocated for communities devastated by last year’s earthquakes in the Davao-Socsargen regions. Thus, the President can only use P7.5 billion of this year’s calamity fund for disasters,” said Romero, president of the 46-member Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. “Aside from approving whatever amount the President requests for Cavite and Batangas, Congress has to augment the calamity fund.” Duterte, Romero said, should have enough money to respond to calamities and help affected Filipinos recover from the severe devastation they have suffered. On the other hand, Romualdez said that aside from quickly approving the proposed budgetary measure, the Lower House leadership may even increase the allocation to P50 billion. “If need be, the House leadership is even willing to increase the amount of the supplemental budget to as much as P50 billion for the sake of our ‘kababayans’ (countrymen) there.” He added: “Under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, we assure that the House of Representatives would give the highest priority to the request of President Duterte for Congress to fast-track the approval of a P30 billion supplemental budget for areas affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. “The House is committed to show ‘malasakit’ (concern) and provide families displaced by the explosion of Taal Volcano long-term and permanent solutions to their woes.” Earlier, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said the Lower House is ready to make available all the needed financial support for the tens and thousands of people who suffered from the Taal eruption. READ MORE: House willing to give P50B supplemental budget for Taal rehabilitation Salceda, also the senior vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations, estimated that additional relief and recovery expenses for the Taal ravaged areas could reach P50 to P100 billion. READ MORE: Duterte asks Congress to expedite P30 billion aid to Taal Volcano victims, Duterte promises housing, livelihood assistance to evacuees