Funds for Odette-hit areas released by Friday? DBM can't commit yet

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday said it could not commit yet when funds for areas hit by Typhoon Odette would be  distributed as assessment of the extent of damage is still ongoing.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier promised that the funds would be downloaded to Odette-hit communities on or before Friday, Christmas Eve.

“Wala pa pong ganung commitment na madi-distribute by Friday kasi tinitignan pa nga ‘yung total damage, so hindi pa natin alam kung papaano idi-distribute at kung magkano ang distribution per region and local government unit,” DBM Acting Secretary Tina Canda said during a Palace briefing.

(There is no commitment that it will be distributed by Friday because we are still assessing the total damage and how to distribute the money and how much will be distributed per region and local government unit.)

Duterte on Tuesday ordered the release of funds from the Office of the President to help communities affected  by Typhoon Odette. 

“What I can promise you is that I said on or before Friday, the money will be downloaded. Hindi ito yung contingent fund, hindi yung calamity [This is not the contingency or calamity fund]. This is the money nakuha ko [I got] from my office,” Duterte said during his Talk to the People.

Nonetheless, Canda said assistance would be accessible since frontline agencies have their own quick response funds (QRF).

The acting Budget chief noted that frontline agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Health will have no problem in asking for QRF augmentation when needed.

“Hindi problema ‘yun [It won’t be a problem] … kinukuha ‘yun sa main sa NDRRMF [it’s being sourced from the main NDRRMF],” Canda said, referring to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund or calamity fund.

“So pag ni-request ng agency ‘yan [So if the agency requests an amount], automatically we release the amount,” she added.

In the same briefing, Canda said the agency has identified sources of the P10-billion aid to the victims of Typhoon Odette that was promised by Duterte. 

Duterte has promised to raise P10 billion for the rehabilitation and recovery efforts in the typhoon-affected areas, according to acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles on Tuesday.

The President made the pledge after he claimed that government coffers have been depleted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nograles said the President’s comments were made to show Filipinos the huge challenge the country is facing.

"It was made in the context of informing people that we have a lot of challenges. We have spent so much for COVID-19 vaccines, then another challenge is [the devastation brought by] Odette," he said in the same Palace briefing. —KBK, GMA News