To expedite the recovery of victims of recent calamities that have struck the country, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of ₱1.6 billion for the calamity funds of national government agencies.

This amount has been used to replenish the quick response funds (QRFs) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Of the total, the DPWH has received ₱1 billion to replenish its built-in QRF, which it requested to be refilled for the third time.

Meanwhile, the DBM has released ₱625 million to replenish the DSWD’s 2025 QRF. According to the DBM, these funds will be used to stock DSWD warehouses with relief goods and provide emergency cash aid to families in areas affected by calamities.

The funds, including the fresh allocation to the DPWH, will support reconstruction and rehabilitation programs, activities, and projects.

This includes pre-positioning goods and equipment in communities affected by calamities that occurred in the last quarter of the previous year, as well as those impacted during the current year.

“This is a whole-of-government approach—from the release of funds, to the delivery of emergency services, and the conduct of ground zero assessments,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in an Oct. 3 statement, following the President’s directive to provide immediate support to the earthquake victims in Cebu.

“Our government is prepared. We have standby funds that can be tapped immediately to deliver assistance to those affected. In moments like this, government aid must never be delayed,” Pangandaman said.

Agencies such as the DSWD, the DPWH, and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) have QRFs that can be tapped immediately to help affected communities.

Other agencies with built-in QRFs include the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Transportation–Philippine Coast Guard (DOTr–PCG), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Department of Agriculture (DA).

The QRF is a standby emergency facility used to finance urgent relief and recovery efforts, enabling communities to return to normal after disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. Agencies can request additional funds from the DBM once their fund balance drops to 50 percent.

Pangandaman also assured that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund, also known as the calamity fund, is “on standby for larger-scale needs, including the repair of damaged facilities and heritage sites,” for a faster recovery.

For 2025, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), or calamity fund, has an allocation of ₱20 billion, plus an additional ₱1 billion from the People's Survival Fund (PSF).

Pangandaman reported that as of Oct. 2, the remaining balance in the NDRRMF stands at ₱5.3 billion, which can be used “for broader rehabilitation efforts and the repair of infrastructure damaged by the earthquake.”

Additionally, the DBM is set to release ₱375 million under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). Of this, ₱150 million will go to Cebu Province, while San Remigio, Bogo City, and Medellin will each receive ₱75 million.

Another ₱50 million will be allotted to the Municipality of Borbon.

This brings the DBM’s total allocation under the LGSF to ₱425 million, intended to expedite relief efforts and accelerate rehabilitation in the areas most severely affected by the earthquake.