Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday reiterated his call to the Department of Budget and Management to immediately process and release the national government’s assistance to local government units affected by Typhoon Ulysses.
Binay said more than two weeks has passed since the typhoon made landfall and cut a path of destruction throughout Luzon but the DBM, by its own admission, only completed processing the documents last Tuesday.
“There is no sense of urgency despite the extent of the devastation and the orders from the President to cut red tape in the processing of aid. The DBM seems to treat emergency situations like this as another day at the office,” Binay said.
“The two weeks it took the DBM to process the documents is two weeks of burden for the LGUs, and for their constituents whose lives have been severely affected by the typhoon,” he added.
Typhoon Ulysses made landfall in Quezon province on Nov. 11, moving across provinces previously devastated by Typhoon Rolly. The typhoon caused widespread flooding in Metro Manila, Cagayan, and Isabela.
The former Vice President said it would be difficult for these LGUs, whose resources are already stretched to almost breaking point, to endure the expected arrival of more typhoons.
Their problems are aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the high risk of infection in evacuation centers and in communities, he added.
President Duterte ordered government agencies to cut red tape in releasing aid to affected LGUs and created a task force to oversee the rehabilitation of the affected areas.
On Nov. 24, the DBM reported that the documents needed to release the aid were ready for the President’s signature.