Higher disaster budget proposed

The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has proposed P215 million budget for its operations next year, which is P18 million higher than this year’s budget.

Of the amount, P195 million is allotted for local disaster risk reduction and management fund (LDRRMF) and the remaining P20 million is intended for personal services, including employees’wages.

Over 40 percent or 90.98 million of the P195 million is set aside for the province’s disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

The 90.98 million budget covers the P35 million for insurance of agri-fishery farms and the P21 million for early warning system development, including a digital radio communication system.

Also, the LDRRMF covers P60-million Quick Response Fund (QRF), which is 30 percent of the entire office fund; P33.99-million disaster preparedness and response; and P10-million rehabilitation and recovery efforts.

The P33.99 million is appropriated for the capacity building of communities. It includes trainings, drills, simulations, and emergency cash aid allocations for local government units that would be hit by calamities.

The P10 million budget, on the other hand, is intended for the purchase of equipment and implementation of infrastructure projects.

The budget is broken down into P1.5 million for the purchase of water impounding facilities, P3.7 million for the installation of farmers’rainwater catchment, P3.5 million for flood control system especially in karst (limestone) areas, which are prone to landslides.

This year, PDRRMO has an approved budget of 197 million and P182 million in 2017.

The disaster budget was referred to the Provincial Board's committee on budget and appropriations for deliberation. —