President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
President Duterte has given his go-ahead for an additional P14.5-billion funding to be spent on the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City, Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno said Wednesday.
“Last Oct. 30, the Office of the President approved the P14.5-billion augmentation of the fiscal year 2017 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund. This amount will be sourced from the savings of the Department of Public Works and Highways,” Diokno told reporters.
“Agencies are now expected to submit their respective budget execution documents to support the release of such funds, especially for the budgetary requirements for pre-post conflict needs assessment inclusive of housing, health and social welfare, business and livelihood, peace and order, and information management and strategic communications support,” the Budget chief said.
Diokno said the Department of Budget and Management this week also released about P3 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development not only to cover relief efforts but also for the cash-for-work program which taps Marawi residents for reconstruction and rehabilitation work.
Also, the DPWH received P195 million for quick response as well as to build transitional shelters and evacuation centers,” Diokno added.
“Prior to these releases, an amount of around P495 million sourced from the Quick Response Fund of various agencies had already been spent for evacuation and relief of internally-displaced families and persons in Marawi City,” according to Diokno.
The Budget chief had said the government may have to spend more than the initial estimate of P20 billion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi.
Diokno had said the reconstruction of Marawi will involve a multi-year, likely three-year, plan, such that the cost of rehabilitation could exceed President Duterte’s earlier estimate.
According to Diokno, the funding for reconstruction efforts were already on standby, although the rehabilitation plan should first be firmed up.
For this year, the DBM had set aside P5 billion from the NDRRM Fund for 2018, on top of a higher P10 billion next year and a yet to be determined amount for 2019. /je