CAGAYAN de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said today, Friday, the government can tap the calamity or disaster funds under the 2022 national budget to raise funds for the victims of super typhoon “Odette.”
At least P27 billion in disaster response-related funds is available in the newly signed 2022 national budget to aid millions of victims of super typhoon Odette, the Deputy Speaker Rodriguez said.
“Our people in Mindanao, the Visayas and in Southern Luzon suffering in the aftermath of the recent strong typhoon are still waiting for government assistance,” he said.
“We should help them rebuild their homes, livelihood, their communities, and their lives,” the representative of Cagayan de Oro’s second district said.
Rodriguez pointed out that there is a P7-billion contingent or contingency fund in the 2022 budget that the government can use to help Odette victims.
Another source is the P20-billion national disaster risk reduction and management fund, he added.
He recalled that President Duterte had promised at least P10 billion to be made available to communities devastated by the recent super typhoon.
Only part of that has been released and taken from the 2021 budget because the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was waiting for the 2022 outlay to be signed by the President, he said.
“Now that the President has signed the budget, the DBM should disburse the additional funds as early as this coming Monday,” Rodriguez said.
He said aside from the P10 billion promised by the President, communities affected by Odette will require billions more for reconstruction.
He noted that the Department of Agriculture has estimated damage to farming areas at more than P8 billion, while the Department of Education has calculated at P3.4 billion the cost of rebuilding destroyed school buildings.
“Government agencies have their own disaster response-linked funds in their respective budgets. They should use these to help our people in Mindanao, Visayas and Southern Luzon,” the House leader said. (Ben Balce)
