Cayetano backs passage of supplemental budget for Taal eruption victims

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday supported the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to expedite the passage of a P30-billion supplemental budget to augment the government’s calamity fund for victims of the Taal Volcano eruption.

Cayetano said the chamber is coordinating with the concerned agencies and is in consultation with the local government officials in the affected towns and provinces.

“The supplemental budget can help alleviate the conditions of our kababayan and enable them to recover from their economic losses,” Cayetano said in a statement.

The House Speaker said they will wait for the proposal of the Department of Budget Management (DBM) on the supplemental budget.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez earlier said the House of Representatives is willing to increase the supplemental budget for victims of the Taal Volcano eruption to P50-B.

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

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

Edited by MUF