‘Lando’ rehab fund inclusion in 2016 nat’l budget pushed

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero sought yesterday the inclusion of rehabilitation and reconstruction fund for areas ravaged by typhoon “Lando” in the proposed 3.002-trillion national budget for 2016 to help provinces of Luzon affected by the calamity get back on its feet the soonest.

Escudero said the Lando funds should be itemized in the budget similar to the Yolanada Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Fund, which became part of the 2014 General Appropriations Act (GAA) which he proposed when he was chairman of the Senate finance committee.

“We can have a separate Lando Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Fund in the 2016 budget or, at the very least, we should itemize Lando-related rehabilitation activities in the Calamity Fund, which is officially called National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management or NDRRM Fund,” Escudero said.

The senator said the large-scale devastation that Lando left in Northern and Central Luzon regions highlights the need for a separate rehabilitation fund in the budget.

“Lando did not only alter the landscape of north Luzon, but also that of the national budget. It has created a big gash across the island,” said Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares’ running-mate in the May 2016 elections.

Escudero pointed out the typhoon has “punched a hole” in the country’s food and rice basket as its destruction footprint amounted to 7-billion in damage to farm and public works. Over 1.2 million persons were also affected by the disaster.

The senator said he is concerned allocations for rehabilitation efforts in next year’s spending plan may fall short considering the extent of the damage caused by Lando.