Mount Mayon spews red-hot lava in another eruption as seen from Legazpi City, Albay province, roughly 340 kilometers southeast of Manila, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. Some 56,000 villagers have fled to evacuation centers. (Photo by BULLIT MARQUEZ / AP)
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of Albay as the province continues to deal with the wrath of Mount Mayon.
“The IRA of all Local Government Units (LGUs), including that of the Province of Albay, was released on Monday,” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in a statement on Wednesday.
Diokno said the funds would be downloaded simultaneously to all LGUs but priority was given to Albay.
“However, given the situation in Albay, we made a request to the Bureau of the Treasury to expedite the downloading of funds to Albay,” he said.
The provincial board had earlier placed Albay under a state of calamity due to Mayon’s heightened activity.
As of Jan. 23, 2018, the DBM said Albay had incurred expenses totaling P21.2 million due to the calamity.
The DBM said national government agencies (NGAs) continued to monitor the situation in Albay and to provide relief and assistance.
“The agency said NGAs have an available P7.6 billion in Quick Response Funds; P7 billion from which has already been comprehensively released to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Agriculture (DA),” the DBM said.
The DBM said NGAs could also tap the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), which has a balance of P19.6 billion for fiscal year 2018. /atm