The national government has standby funds worth P15.5 billion to mitigate the impact of El Niño, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Friday, April 26.
Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the amount forms part of the total allocation of P20.5 billion for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) in 2024.
Out of the total standby funds, P14.85 billion is from the 2024 General Appropriations Act while the remaining amount of P653.7 million comes from the 2023 continuing appropriations.
Furthermore, Pangandaman said there is available balance of P1 billion under for the parametric insurance coverage of government facilities against natural calamities.
She added the standby allocations are in addition to the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of P7.9 billion already allocated to certain government agencies.
The Department of Agriculture's QRF budget amounts to P1 billion, while the Department of Education and the Department of Health have P3 billion and P500 million, respectively.
The Bureau of Fire Protection has a QRF budget of P50 million, the Philippine National Police has P50 million, and the Office of Civil Defense has a budget of P500 million.
Moreover, the Department of Public Works and Highways has a QRF fund of P1 billion, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has P1.75 billion, and the Philippine Coast Guard has P75 million.
“We are prepared to support all operations that seek to cushion the negative impacts of the dry spell affecting various provinces in the country. Our data shows that as of April 24 this year, the disaster relief fund stands at over P15 billion," Pangandaman said.
"Aside from that, several identified agencies may mobilize their QRF allocated in their respective budgets when necessary, in accordance with the respective special provisions for QRF. Malaking tulong po 'yan sa mga apektadong komunidad sa bansa," she added.
The NDRRMF is a financial allocation utilized for providing assistance, relief, and rehabilitation services to communities and areas affected by natural or human-induced calamities.
The approval of the President, however, is required for the allocation of the fund for repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction works related to such calamities.
The NDRRMF also serves as an additional funding source for agencies whose budgets include provisions for the QRF, subject to the approval of the DBM, when the QRF balance has reached 50 percent.
The Task Force El Niño earlier reported that 103 cities and municipalities are now in a state of calamity due to the effects of El Niño.
Apart from the NDRRMF, the government has also allocated a total of P4.5 billion for the Crop Insurance Program of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.