Recto: Marcos wants simplified process on aid requests of LGUs amid calamities

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants swift assistance for communities affected by natural calamities, according to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.

Recto underscored this during a meeting with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday.

He emphasized the need to simplify the current process for vetting requests of local government units in order to remove bottlenecks and speed up the release of support.

Recto then said that allocation mechanisms under the National DRRM Fund–Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program (NDRRM-DRRAP) should facilitate and not hinder swift implementation on the ground.

For their part, the DBM, OCD, and DILG vowed to work closely to ensure timely and coordinated response.

Those present during the meeting were DBM Secretary Rolando Toledo, DBM Undersecretary Rhea Dela Vega, OCD Undersecretary Harold Cabreros, DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan, and DBM Assistant Secretary Ryan Lita. — BAP, GMA Integrated News