Senatorial aspirant Francis Tolentino
Senatorial candidate and safety advocate Francis Tolentino proposed to the National Government to make the Calamity Fund of 5% of local government units “replenishable”, to adequately meet the needs of their own people especially in the event of successive disasters.
As the former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Tolentino said that he personally witnessed and felt the various disasters in the country and how local government units experience hardship and apparently beg for funds due to insufficient calamity fund.
He said it would be better if these funds can be replenished by the government when it becomes depleted as long as it is properly liquidated properly to the Commission on Audit (COA). He said it will also be better if replenishment be made automatically especially since not just one natural disaster hits the country every year.
“LGUs are the first responders to these disasters and should not be denied fast and timely financial aid to their citizens,” he said.
It can be recalled that Tolentino served three terms as mayor of Tagaytay City and he was also the President of the League of Cities of the Philippines before being appointed by President Benigno Aquino to chair the MMDA.
Based on his vast experience in those offices, it’s about time to revise the Local Government Code of the Philippines to more effectively help small LGUs.
Tolentino said that making the 5% calamity fund on the Local Government Code replenishable shall be his focus when elected to the Senate.