Senate finance body eyes P10B of NDRRM budget for Marawi rehab

Senator Loren Legarda. FILE PHOTO

In light of the crisis in Marawi City, the Senate committee on finance has earmarked the P10 billion from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) 2018 fund to the rehabilitation of the war-torn city in Mindanao.

Senator Loren Legarda said during her sponsorship speech before the Thursday’s Senate budget plenary debates that they support the move of the House of Representatives to help rebuild Marawi City.

“Speaking of Marawi, we support the move of the House to provide for the rehabilitation of the city, but we were firm in our stand that the budgetary allocation should be increased,” Legarda said.

“Thus, in the light of Marawi City’s current situation, we are making available 10 billion pesos of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund for 2018 for the city’s quick recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation,” she added.

The senator said the P10-billion fund is on top of the P5 billion given this year from the Contingent Fund and funds of different government agencies.

The Senate panel also allocated a P500-million subsidy for a loan facility for Marawi residents, under the auspices of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

“With this small, yet meaningful, allocation, we signal to all Filipinos that the Senate accords culture and the arts an important place in our budget priorities and would not allow cultural agencies–which provide nourishment to our national soul and identity–to be left behind,” Legarda said. /idl