Additional P10B sought for Taal Volcano eruption calamity fund
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian says he sees the need for a supplemental budget of at least P10 billion to augment the calamity fund for Taal Volcano’s eruption.
“Hindi ito bababa ng P10 billion…but depende kung ano ho yung mga findings pa later. Yung estimate(ed damage) sa livelihood, ‘di pa lumalabas,” Gatchalian said in a media forum on Thursday.
“Importante na malaman nating yung complete picture pero nakikita ko na kailangan na nating mag-supplemental budget para madagdagan yung pondo sa rehabilitation,” he added.
He said that under the 2020 budget, there is P16 billion in calamity funds.
“Nag-carry over yung P11 billion in 2019, so that’s a total of 27 billion in calamity funds, tinatayang 35 billion ang damages, initial estimates, pero tumataas pa ito,” he said.
“So makikita natin na malaki ang kulang pagdating sa calamity funds at dun sa estimated damage, dito papasok ang Kongreso para magkaroon ng isang supplemental budget at mag-re-allocate tayo ng pondo para doon sa kulang pa pagdating sa rehabilitaion,” he added.
The provinces of Batangas and Cavite have been placed under a state of calamity following the eruption of Taal Volcano over the weekend.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), around 34,000 people from the two provinces were affected by Taal’s eruption.
