Legarda wants quick response fund for AFP

Senator Loren Legarda urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to have a Quick Response Fund (QRF) allocation included in their yearly budget proposals.

During the Senate plenary session on Friday, Legarda said that the military is among the first responders to the crisis, but does not have any budget for QRF since 2018.

“QRF is given to agencies so they may use it in times of natural hazards, which turn into disasters, and I recall in the 2018 GAA (General Appropriations Act), I gave the AFP P750 million as QRF. And this fund supported rescue operations, logistics, and post-disaster operations,” she said.

“I see in the succeeding years, there was none… I know that the AFP also helps the PNP, LGUs, DPWH, agencies of government [in disasters]… Has it been helpful?” she asked.

Legarda said that the QRF must be treated separately from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) fund.

“There’s a world of difference between the NDRRM fund kasi it takes so long to secure the NDRRM fund and there’s something wrong with our system. I’m blaming our law, there are so many requirements for the NDRRM and even the LGUs complain of the lengthy, arduous process for them to receive the NDRRM,” she shared.

Meanwhile, Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said he supports the goal to raise the budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) to the equivalent of 2% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

During Friday's plenary deliberation of the proposed DND budget, Gatchalian said that the current defense budget is equivalent to 1.2% of the country’s GDP.

“This is actually the highest in recent history… [2% is] the goal. Hopefully, in the next few years, sana before 2028 mareach po natin yan. We’re committed to slowly raising this. Ang target natin is 2% so kung [magaallocate] po tayo with wise spending and appropriation, kaya naman po,” he said.

(This is actually the highest in the recent history… [2% is] the goal. Hopefully in the next few years, hopefully we can reach it before 2028. We’re committed to slowly raise this. Our target is 2% so if [we allocate] with wise spending and appropriation, I think it’s achievable.)

He noted that the targeted 2% was at par with defense budgets of neighboring countries, citing the likes of Singapore, with around 2.7% of its GDP allocated towards defense, and Vietnam, which allocated 1.8% of its GDP to defense.—LDF, GMA Integrated News