P 1.8B in 2020 calamity funds expire
A total of P1.8 billion in calamity funds set aside in the 2020 budget expired in 2021, with allocations for victims of a 2019 earthquake and the 2017 Marawi siege unspent.
The latest Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data on Monday showed that of the P5.14 billion in the 2020 national disaster risk reduction management fund (NDRRMF), which spilled over to last year, P3.34 billion were released to agencies as of Dec. 31, 2021.
Unreleased, hence unspent, budgets included P1.79 billion in the comprehensive aid to repair earthquake damage (Cared) fund. It had been allocated for the Davao and Soccsksargen regions flattened by strong quakes in 2019. Last year, P2.89 billion out of the P4.69-billion Cared funds were released to implementing agencies.
The 2020 Marawi recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction program also left P2.17 million in funds unspent out of the P8.19 million, which spilled over to 2021.
To recall, the validity of the P4.51-trillion 2020 national budget had been extended until Dec. 31 of last year. As such, the funds unreleased from the 2020 calamity funds already reverted to the national treasury.
The DBM releases items in the calamity fund following the endorsement of the inter-agency National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and, ultimately, approval of the Office of the President.
Meanwhile, all of the P439.19 million in the carryover 2020 national disaster risk reduction and management program were released to agencies.
As for the P25.14-billion 2021 NDRRMF, whose validity had been extended up to the end of 2022, only P2.49 billion remained for spending this year, following fund releases in December to respond in the aftermath of Typhoon “Odette” (international name: Rai).
