THE PHILIPPINE STAR

.i
WEDNE.DAY I JANUARY15,2O2O i

Panelo: Enough gov't funds

for Taal eruptioh, OFW4pAlr_iation
*j:t'll
"r " " r."|-o""
-.3*'. bv the executive branch or
. rhe govemmen, n* *o.,gi ;;, i"
"."*
g;;"j,1;'aget
the expenses for the evacuahon of those 'b"i".i" conceded to the deci-
"f:'
fected b_y.the eruption of Taal Volcano, pegged "fectively
a;;;;;-to'.ri th" budger, meant
by the Office of Civil Defense at37,0OO peopte "t;;i
* i."r'rlif".-f, i""f".uiion una rehj'bilitation
"l::;::i?.'ilifi1flff tast, since :i**ix*lli":"H:i:i i*,*,fl?f;
.tffi,lf
there has been de-escalation of the conflict irir.ai"iii.ii"* il--
there..l suppose that is the reason why ft: ""ifl" p*Jii"ii aia vero any item
President did not pursue his request.or.4l
i" ifrJ pi.f_triffir" "ot
U"aget submitied by
for Congress to special session. Now, vis-a-vis
the present eruption, I understand *e have
[orril""r-.
o}"jf;.r."" leaders confirmed this budget cut,
enough. funds for that." presidential spotes-
6,r, n"ulj"r.;;;:;ih;trh"re would bE tunds
man Salvador Panelo said.. ;;;ft;;;;1, ;";nJ io calamities that coutd
PresidentDutertehasathisdisposalaboxt;;s;l;l;h;pedthroueho,rtth"yeur.
P1-6-billion in_ contingency tunds under ,h" t";;;;i;;iiu" p"t"r"Cuv"t"no' explained
202Onationalbudget,tobeusedforresponse,f,"'tt*-"i,j.jtilii."frrmthenpnnntfcould
disasters, ;;il;;;.;eunJietief ana rehabititation
and recovery_efforts during
attena
Panelo said the government can stilt
welltion, lljiil
to the needs of the Taal evacuees as ^'.' --: i"-- ".--""rt ". "ft""ted by the erup-
while another P4.2 billion for repair
u, tn"""fut"iuiio".;u;il;;;'#;,."-*
Filipino ivorkers (orw"j ;;;;d '- ;; and reconstruction of pennanent structures'
Iran and the Middie East.'
^" including capital expenditures'
rn" rf,ifippi"-" glvlirment sent two he admifted that not the entire Pl6-
, ..Ptt f'"d could bdutilized for the Taal
Navy ships'yiestefr-"ti.'f;"i.;;u[1l Uittio"
ated OFWs affected bv ril'il""t#il calamiry alone as it is intended for all caiami-
tf'," Viaafu E.ri- ties nationwide for th€ entire I91- . -- .
- in-
Withfunds;ti available. Panelo s.;6 -Cayeta^no bared that of
the NDRRMF
P3'5 billion for the
the President doer ilJifii cludet ari allocation
"* "".j ""?
authority from co";;;;;f-;;;il;J- Marawi recoverv' rehabilitation and recon-
tal budget.
"' struction ptogri-' and another P5-billion

.V ;;;;ie$s cut N DiMt\ lX';H31"J",il:'E ;ii :' fi'r"tT::j*[];

' With P4 billion less in the Btrvernment's
re8lfns
is sPe-
calamity tund, lawmakers .ii'i ,i" .Jhil m;ans.half of the NDRRMF
".".inii
.ffiH;";;;;;;;;il;';;i;'i""iv'i1'"ttv"llocaiedtoMindanaororprevious
caramity b,."sili';;';'h'"'i;i ;iX1'jt;;3,*l[lfrt#:H;:ilffS111l
"iJ.",itr'"
eruption. . -
-i'*ria"*
Volcano ongoing Taal v otaurro
o"t"rte had approved the bud- ".rrftiorr.
- With Edu Punay
get cut made by Congress in the appropria-
f,on for the National Disaster Risk Reduction "?AAE 7I
and Manasement Fund (NDRRMF) in the
2020 nation;l budget that he sigled last week'
Based on the report of the bicameral con-
ference committee, which reflected the Gen-
eral Appropriations Act signed by the-Cllef
Execuiit e ihe NDRRMF was given only P16
billion for this Year.
The bicam iePort, a coPY of which was
obtained bv The STA& showed a decrease
in ihe culimity f und by P4 bjllion, both