Vice President Sara Duterte said that the government must allocate a “bigger budget” for disaster risk reduction and response amid the heavy rains and flooding in Cebu province.

Speaking to reporters in The Hague on Friday, July 18, the official underscored the need for a swift and effective response to the areas in the Philippines most prone to disasters.

“So, disaster prone talaga ang Pilipinas. Kaya dapat din talaga malaki yung budget natin sa (The Philippines is really disaster prone. So, we need a bigger budget for) disaster risk reduction and mitigation, preparedness and response,” she said.

The Office of the Vice President (OVP), in fact, has its own Disaster Operations Center (DOC) even in its satellite offices in the provinces.

“(May) mga tao na nakatutok sa mga emergencies and calamities na naka-devolve din yung iba doon sa mga satellite offices namin sa iba't ibang probinsya para mas mabilis yung galaw nila (There are personnel who are really focused on emergencies and calamities and are also devolved in our various satellite offices in different provinces for a swift response),” she added.

Duterte, however, lamented that they could not reach as many calamity victims as they would want because of their limited budget, and has advised private individuals who want to help to course through their donations to the local government units and local disaster councils.

The Vice President also advised Filipinos to be prepared against disasters and calamities, and to monitor weather and flood advisories since some areas in the country are prone to flooding because of overflowing drainage and rivers.

“So, yun, dapat kailangan lahat ng bahay, alam nila kung ano yung mga posibleng kalamidad na kakaharapin nila (all households should know the possible calamities they could face),” the official said.

“Tapos, nakahanda din yun kung ano yung gagawin nila dapat pag dumating na yung sakuna, yung emergency, yung kalamidad (They should prepared on what they need to do when the crisis, or emergency, or calamity happens),” she added.

Duterte also recommended that households should have an emergency kit or a so-called “go-bag” that they contain items they need for three to five days in case they have to evacuate their homes.

The southwest monsoon intensified by Tropical Storm ‘’Crising’’ caused heavy rains in Cebu province, with waist-deep floods in low-lying barangays and landslides being reported across the city.