DBM: Release of nat'l calamity fund to LGUs takes 4 months to over a year

The release of calamity fund from the national government to disaster-hit local government units (LGUs) takes four months to over a year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Thursday.

DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman was referring to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund or calamity fund under the national budget that LGUs can access in the event that they have already used up their respective calamity fund.

“It takes four months to one and a half year [before it is released to LGUs], to be honest,” Pangandaman said in response to the question posed by Senate Pro Tempore Loren Legarda.

DBM Assistant Secretary Mary Anne dela Vega noted that before such aid is released, a disaster-hit LGU’s request needs to be approved first by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) which serves as the Secretariat of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) which is composed of over 40 government agencies.

After OCD’s approval, the request has to be approved by the Office of the President to enable DBM to release the calamity fund.

Dela Vega then said that of the P30 billion calamity fund for 2023, only P11 billion has yet to be obligated.

Of the P11 billion, P9 billion covers pending requests in different stages of approval.

“Some [of the P9 billion] are within the OCD being the Secretariat of the NDRRMC, while P800 million are with the Office of the President,” dela Vega said.

Pangandaman also lamented the law’s limitation that the said calamity fund can only be accessed by affected areas within two years from when the calamity happened.

“The process [of approval] takes such a long time. There is the case of Siargao when they can no longer access the calamity fund anymore because the law provides for a two-year period,” Pangandaman said.

“It (multiple agencies having a say on its approval) is provided for in the law. I think we need to amend it,” Pangandaman added.

Legarda and Senate Committee on Finance Chair Sonny Angara, however, were aghast and countered that the law should not limit the DBM in finding ways how to dispense the calamity fund to those in need.

“If you don’t get aid from the government after two years, the government is prevented from giving you aid because the government was delayed in giving aid? That makes zero sense,” Angara said.

Legarda,  National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Law is precisely designed to deliver the calamity fund to those in need as soon as possible.

“Even if it takes four months[before a calamity fund is released], if you lost a house...you will be under the rain for four months. That can’t be the case. Let us do everything possible [to address this] that does not need legislation, as long as COA (Commision on Audit) approves [of the guidelines] so access to the fund can happen within three months or less,” Legarda said.

“This [release] should be quick, and it is not quick at all,” Legarda added.

Angara then asked the DBM to submit to the Senate the details on how many signatures are needed for the release of the calamity fund so the Senate can address the matter.

DBM agreed to comply with Angara’s request. —VAL, GMA Integrated News