Legarda: Nearly P5B ready for Typhoon Nina rehab
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda on Thursday called for urgent government action to rehabilitate areas devastated by Typhoon Nina, one of the strongest storms to hit the country amid a holiday revelry.
In a statement, Legarda said there remains P4.963 billion in the 2016 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund that could be immediately used for rehabilitation and recovery in affected areas.
The NDRRM fund for 2017 is at P15.755 billion.
“The government still has funds for 2016 which will still be carried over to 2017 and we also have a new NDRRM Fund appropriation for 2017. We urge the concerned agencies to utilize these resources immediately and efficiently,” said Legarda, chair of the Senate committees on finance and climate change.
“We do not want the affected population to suffer more when the government has the resources to alleviate their suffering now,” said the lawmaker.
Legarda has been advocating for full utility of allocated government funds especially those earmarked for disaster relief and rehabilitation.
Article continues after this advertisementEarlier this year, she said the Aquino administration had failed to disburse P20.7 billion of the total P25.6 billion allocated for shelter support for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda, which decimated much of the Visayas in 2013.
Article continues after this advertisementThe latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that Typhoon Nina, which plowed through Luzon on Christmas Day, left three dead and 10 missing, and destroyed 30,800 houses, mostly in the Bicol region.
Legarda said the “level of disaster preparedness has evidently improved,” including the areas of weather forecasting and early warning, preparation of relief goods and the evacuation of at-risk families.
This would “allow the government to swiftly shift from response and relief to recovery and rehabilitation,” she added.
“All concerned agencies were prepared and were on standby even during Christmas. The quick response following the typhoon’s devastation was very important as well,” Legarda said.
“It is unfortunate that there are still casualties, but they are fewer considering the magnitude of devastation caused by the typhoon, and there could have been more if we were not prepared enough,” she added. CDG/rga
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