The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said in a press briefing on Monday (Dec. 27) that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is expected to sign the proposed 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) within the week for the release of the remaining P4-B pledged funds for Odette-stricken areas in the country.
DBM OIC Sec. Tina Rose Marie Canda said in the Laging Handa briefing that the P6-B from the P10-B Odette funds pledged by the President will be released from different augmented resources.
She explained that there is a process in releasing calamity funds so they advise the local government units (LGUs) to use the quick response fund.
“This year, parang ang mari-release natin from different resources, hindi iyong calamity fund ‘no, ay six billion pesos. Bakit ko sinasabing hindi sa calamity fund? Kasi may proseso kasi ang paggastos sa calamity fund ‘no, kailangan may mga reports pa iyan. Kaya ang gagamitin ng mga ahensiya ay quick response fund,” Canda explained.
“So iyong mga quick response fund nila, may mga limit ang mga ahensiya diyan, mga departments. So at any given point kapag bumaba iyon doon sa level na mayroon sila, io-augment ng DBM iyan base sa request nila, automatically iyan ay walang analysis, iri-release sa kanila iyan. So quick response fund [ang gagamitin] kasi iyong calamity fund, nililipat sa quick response fund para mabilis ang aksiyon,” she added.
The P1-B Odette fund that was released on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) came from the contingent funds of the Office of the President. Sec. Canda said that another P1-B will be released from the same office to ensure the unimpeded response of the government to the typhoon-affected areas.
“Iyong sinabi ko kaninang release na P1-B, iyon po ay mula sa contingent fund ni Pangulo [Duterte]. Tapos iyong karagdagang P1-B today, galing din iyan sa contingent ni Pangulo [Duterte]. So bale P2-B ang ibibigay niya mula sa contingent fund,” she said.
“Tapos iyong P2-B naman sa calamity, iyon ililipat sa quick response fund para magamit na rin agad ng mga ahensiya para sa pagtugon doon sa mga pangangailangan. Prepositioning iyan at saka iyong mga relief efforts iyan eh, doon kinukuha sa quick response fund iyon,” she added.
Sec. Canda also said that the proposed 2022 general appropriations act (GAA) is expected to be reviewed and signed by President Duterte within the week but she did not elaborate on the items that are deemed to be vetoed by the President from the GAA.
“Yes po. Parang, if I’m not mistaken, it’s going to be signed tomorrow afternoon,” she said.
“So, iyong items naman to be vetoed, ang naalala ko lang iyong ano eh, parang isa lang eh. Pero I don’t think I am in a position to discuss it at this point kasi hindi pa nari-review yata. Hindi ko alam kung napirmahan na iyon, parang niri-review pa nila iyong veto na iyan eh,” she added.
If signed, the remaining P4-B Odette funds pledged by President Duterte to the affected areas in Visayas and Mindanao can be used from the P5-T national budget proposed in the 2022 GAA.
“Ang [ginawa] kasi ng Senado at saka ng House ay sinabmit [submitted] na nga nila iyong budget para mapirmahan agad ni Presidente iyon at nang maging batas na iyon by next year. So kung ganoon ang mangyayari, wala nang waiting time; on January 3, puwede nang gamitin iyong 2022 natin,” Canda said. -with reports from Mela Lesmoras/CC-rir
