DBM ALLOTS P875M MORE FOR DISASTER RESPONSE

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allotted an additional P875 million to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure efficient disaster response and recovery.

According to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the allocation will replenish the agency’s Quick Response Fund (QRF), ensuring that sufficient resources are readily available for relief efforts.

She said the funding came from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Pangandaman said the NDRRM Fund could be tapped for the QRF of implementing agencies concerned when its balance reaches 50 percent.

She added that the DBM promptly responded to DSWD’s request to replenish its QRF as part of the administration’s effort to guarantee the availability of funds for any calamity.

As of end-October, the DSWD’s QRF balance had dropped to P557.77 million, which is 31.87 percent of its current appropriations — well below the 50 percent threshold required for additional funding from the NDRRM Fund.

The additional allocation is particularly intended for the procurement of various family food packs and nonfood items for the stockpiling of relief resources in DSWD warehouses and the implementation of cash-for-work for the affected families of Typhoon Julian in Ilocos region, Pangadaman said.