The Marcos administration has asked Congress to earmark about P31 billion in calamity funds for 2024.
Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has set aside over half-a-trillion pesos under the proposed P5.768-trillion 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) for programs and projects aimed at addressing the impact of climate change.
Under the 2024 NEP, about P17.949 billion of the proposed calamity fund or the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) would be allotted for aid, relief and rehabilitation services to communities or areas affected by natural and human-induced calamities.
The remaining P13.051 billion would be used for the repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including other capital expenditures for disaster operation and rehabilitation activities.
The proposed NDRRMF is higher by P11 billion than the P20.5 billion appropriated under the 2023 General Appropriations Act.
The allocation of funds is subject to the approval of the President, taking into consideration the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for local disasters or the appropriate agency for international crises.
In making recommendations, the NDRRMC should consider the donations or grants received by concerned agencies in support of efforts to address calamities.
A separate P7.425 billion worth of Quick Response Fund (QRF) will be appropriated to nine government agencies.
The DBM, in a statement, said the nine offices that would receive the QRF are considered “first responder agencies” during calamities and disasters, such as typhoons, earthquakes and fires.
About P3 billion of the P7.425-billion QRF will be given to the Department of Education; P1.25 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development; P1 billion each to the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Agriculture; and P500 million each to the Department of National Defense and the Department of Health.
The Philippine Coast Guard will receive P75 million, while the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police will get P50 million each.
Once their QRF dips to 50 percent or less, the nine agencies may request the DBM, subject to the President’s approval, for replenishment through the NDRRMF.
The DBM noted that under Republic Act 11936, there is also a Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) for local government units (LGUs).
According to the special provision of the LGSF under the 2023 General Appropriations Act, about P1.9 billion will be used for financial assistance to LGUs and about P7.2 billion will be tapped in support of capital outlays and social programs of the local governments.
The LGSF financial aid to the LGUs may only be used until Dec. 31, 2024.
In a statement, the DBM said it set aside P543.45 billion under next year’s spending program “to mitigate the repercussions of severe weather patterns, such as intense typhoons and worsening floods, within the Philippines.”
The amount, which constitutes 9.4 percent of the total proposed budget, would be used for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The allocation also surpasses the anticipated eight-percent contribution stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan for addressing impacts of climate change.
“Recognizing its fundamental importance, the bulk of climate change expenditures will be allocated for water sufficiency projects with P294.46 billion to benefit communities all over the country,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
Likewise, in his 2024 Budget Message, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the administration’s efforts in tackling climate change.
“With global temperatures reaching record highs, with floods and droughts that displace millions, we have made future-proofing a top priority of this administration to address climate change. In fact, for fiscal year (FY) 2023, the allocation for this purpose was increased by over 60 percent to P464.5 billion. For FY 2024, this has been increased even further to reach P543.4 billion. Of this amount, P168.6 billion will be allotted for mitigation, while P374.9 billion will be for climate adaptation,” said the President.
The DBM said the government prioritizes adaptation measures due to the country’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
The agency said this was outlined in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).
In particular, the DBM said the NCCAP’s list of strategic priority areas includes the following:
Water Sufficiency (streamlining of water governance structure, improving sanitation in infrastructures), P294.46 billion; sustainable energy (promotion and expansion of energy efficiency and conservation, development of sustainable and renewable energy and transport), P180.72 billion; food security (climate-resilient crop and livestock production systems and technologies, early warning systems), P40.18 billion; knowledge and capacity development, 12.97 billion; climate smart industries and services, P6.02 billion; ecosystem and environmental stability, P5.95 billion; human security, P2.58 billion; and cross-cutting, P550 million.
The DBM, meanwhile, said it has institutionalized Climate Change Expenditure Tagging (CCET) together with the Climate Change Commission (CCC).
The CCET) provides guidelines for tracking and reporting government agencies’ climate-related budgets and has been helping government agencies and local government units (LGUs) plan their respective climate-and-disaster responsive budgets.
The DBM has also adopted the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) into the allocation process.
The PCB is a budgeting approach that utilizes government resources for key programs and projects in coordination with attached departments and agencies.
It said that one of PCB’s undertakings is the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) which aims to reinforce the government’s crisis management and adaptive capabilities.
The PCB has a proposed budget of P424 billion and is expected to adapt to and mitigate the damaging effects of climate change and disasters in the country.
The DBM said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)—which will receive the highest climate change expenditure budget at P308.08 billion—will also get P215.643 billion for flood management, which includes the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of various flood mitigation and control structures, as well as for water supply/septage and rainwater collection infrastructure.
“Under the DPWH project, there’s a flagship project called Flood Management Program. This year, we have a budget of P185 billion, and for 2024, we proposed P215.643 billion,” Secretary Pangandaman said, adding that two other projects will be supported by a loan from Korea Eximbank, the credit agency of South Korea.
Other proposed allocations include P1.397 billion for the Pampanga Integrated Disaster and Risk Resiliency Project; P7.4 billion for the Bulacan Angat Water Transmission Project; and over P1 billion for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) flood control initiatives.
Aside from the aforementioned funds, there’s also the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).