By Brian Campued
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total 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), in response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call to intensify relief operations in calamity-hit areas.
“Sinusunod po natin ‘yong utos ng Pangulo na gawing prayoridad ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng mga kababayan nating nasalanta ng sunud-sunod na bagyo at mga pagbaha,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement Friday.
According to the DBM, about P1 billion of the released funds will cover the second replenishment of DPWH’s built-in QRF, while the remaining P625 million will be given to the DSWD for the procurement of additional family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items.
The QRF serves as a standby fund for relief and recovery programs intended for communities stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies.
“Ang DSWD at DPWH po, kasama po ‘yan sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno na may built-in QRFs para masiguro na agad silang makatutugon sa oras ng kalamidad,” Pangandaman said.
“Naiintindihan po namin kung gaano kahalaga na may sapat na pondo ang mga ahensiyang ito para rumesponde at bigyang tulong ‘yong mga nangangailangan. Kami naman po sa DBM, basta’t kumpleto ang mga dokumentong isina-submit, agad po nating inaakisyonan ‘yan,” she added.
As of 4:00 a.m., Saturday, the DSWD has distributed a total of 615,575 FFPs to families and individuals affected by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong in various regions.
-jpv
