Romualdez: House OK to hike supplemental budget for Taal eruption victims to P50-B

MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said the House will give “highest priority” to the approval of the supplemental budget for areas affected by Taal Volcano’s eruption.

Romualdez made the remark following the request of President Rodrigo Duterte for the Congress to expedite the passage of a P30-billion supplemental budget to augment the government’s calamity fund for Taal volcano’s eruption.

“Under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, we assure that the House of Representatives would give the highest priority to the request of President Duterte for Congress to fast-track the approval of a P30 billion supplemental budget for areas affected by the Taal Volcano eruption,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“If need be, the House leadership is even willing to increase the amount of the supplemental budget to as much as P50 billion for the sake of our ‘kababayans’ there,” he added.

The lawmaker said the House of Representatives will coordinate with the Palace to get the full details of the supplemental budget.

“The House is committed to show ‘malasakit’ and provide families displaced by the explosion of Taal Volcano long-term and permanent solutions to their woes,” Romualdez said.

The House of Representatives will hold its plenary session on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Batangas province.

In a privilege speech on Monday, House Speaker Cayetano urged lawmakers to come up with “long-lasting, reliable solutions, programs, mechanisms, to address disaster and calamity.”

Edited by MUF