By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P1.625 billion to replenish the Quick Response Funds (QRFs) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The release of funds was in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to speed up relief and recovery efforts for calamity victims, the agency said in a statement on Friday.
The DBM said the DSWD will receive a total of P625 million in QRF to fund the prepositioning of relief resources in the agency’s warehouses and provision of emergency cash transfer for disaster-affected families in areas declared under a state of calamity.
The DPWH, on the other hand, will get a total of P1 billion to cover the third replenishment of its built-in QRF.
“The said amounts shall be used for reconstruction and rehabilitation programs, activities, or projects, including the pre-positioning of goods and equipment in communities or areas stricken by calamities, which occurred in the last quarter of the immediately preceding year and those occurring during the current year,” the DBM said.
The QRF serves as a stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs to ensure the immediate restoration of normalcy in communities or areas affected by disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies.
Concerned agencies may request replenishment from the DBM when the balance of the QRF has reached 50%.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said President Marcos Jr. wants all government agencies to act swiftly in providing immediate assistance to calamity victims, especially those affected by the deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake that jolted Bogo City, Cebu, and nearby areas on Tuesday night.
“Whole-of-government approach po ito— mula sa paglalabas ng pondo, pag-deliver ng emergency service, at pagsasagawa ng (This is a whole-of-government approach — from the release of funds, to the delivery of emergency services, and the conduct of ground zero assessment,” she said.
“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 added.
As of Oct. 2, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) still has P5.3 billion in available funds that can be used for broader rehabilitation efforts and the repair of infrastructure damaged by the earthquake.
Cebu province has been placed under a state of calamity to allow for faster access to funds and the immediate implementation of rescue, relief, and rehabilitation measures.
