Marcos confident budget for Mayon-affected residents enough

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday expressed confidence that the government has enough budget to provide further support for the families affected by Mayon Volcano's recent activities.

In an ambush interview In Taguig City, Marcos was asked if there is enough fund to help affected residents as the Albay government has said it needs P166.7 million from the national government to ensure the continued assistance.

Marcos said he instructed government agencies to use and distribute the funds wisely.

"I think in terms of the actual na gastos na ano, palagay ko, alam ko naman may budget tayo diyan, pero ang instruction ko sa kanila, pag-aralan ninyo ng mabuti, hindi 'yung basta kayo bigay nang bigay ng pera, kailangan tingnan ninyo ano ba ang problema para maayos natin kung ano ang problema nila," Marcos said.

(I think we have a budget for that, but I instructed them to study well the provision of giving money. It's not proper that you will just distribute money, you should check what's the problem.)

Marcos, however, did not elaborate where to get the funds.

At a situational briefing,  Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman explained to Marcos that the provincial government needs an estimated P196,711,000 to aid the evacuees for 90 days.

Of the amount, P156.71 million would go to relief services; P5 million to water and sanitation; P10 million to health emergency services; P10 million to temporary learning spaces; P5 million to livestock evacuation; P5 million to logistics; and P10 million for emergency assistance.

Lagman also said P30 million from the province's quick response fund is already being used by the provincial government.

GMA News Online asked the Department of Budget and Management where will it source the more than P166 million fund needed for the affected residents.

In response, DBM Undersecretary Goddess Libiran said frontline government agencies have quick response funds allocated in their respective budgets.

She said that as necessary, agencies could also tap into the available National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) under the FY 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) upon completion of damage assessment and recommendation by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and following the approval of the President.

“The NDRRMF may be used for aid, relief, and rehabilitation services to communities/areas; as well as, repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction works in connection with the occurrence of natural or human induced calamities in the current or two preceding years,” Libiran told GMA News Online.

“The NDRRMF also serves as additional funding source of the QRF agencies when the balance thereof has reached 50%, subject to the approval of the DBM,” she added.

Libiran said the government still has some P18.3 billion in calamity fund, including the P1.5 billion carry over from last year’s budget that can be used for various disaster relief operations until the end of 2023.

Marcos earlier said the national government should already take the load off of the province and not wait for its funds to deplete. — with Ted Cordero/RSJ, GMA Integrated News