The government remains “financially capable” of sustaining its disaster response operations despite the series of calamities that have recently struck the country, Malacañang said on Monday.
According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, although the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed that the allocations under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) and Quick Response Fund (QRF) have been “fully exhausted,” there are still available resources from the ₱12.005-billion Contingent Fund that can be utilized.
“Kung mauubos man po ang Contingent Fund dahil sunod-sunod po ang nangyayaring calamity sa ating bansa, maaasahan po natin na kung may excess revenue, makakakuha po tayo sa unprogrammed appropriations mula sa SAGIP,” Castro explained.
When asked if President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would formally request additional emergency funds from Congress, Castro clarified that there has been “no official communication yet.”
“Sa ngayon po ay wala pa po kaming natatanggap na update na nakipag-usap ang Pangulo sa Kongreso,” she said.
Earlier, President Marcos personally visited earthquake-hit communities in Davao Oriental, where he distributed over ₱298 million in aid to affected residents.
Meanwhile, the DBM announced it is expediting the release of ₱145 million in emergency funds to assist families impacted by recent disasters in Mindanao.