DBM OKs P716-M release for storm relief – BusinessWorld Online
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved a P716-million fund release to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the procurement and stockpiling of relief items for families affected by recent storms.
In a statement on Thursday, the DBM said it approved the release of P716.15 million to the DSWD to replenish its Quick Response Fund (QRF).
The QRF serves as a stand-by fund that agencies can immediately tap for relief and rehabilitation programs during calamities.
“This replenishment helps guarantee the DSWD can continue to provide food, shelter, and cash aid to families when they need it most,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said.
The DBM said this will finance the procurement and stockpiling of family food packs and non-food items in the DSWD’s warehouses to around 424,681 families.
The provision of Emergency Cash Transfers (ECT) will benefit 41,502 families affected by the Southwest Monsoon and Tropical Cyclones Mirasol, Nando, and Opong in Regions V, IV-B, and II, it said.
The allocation will be drawn from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, which had a remaining balance of P7.97 billion as of end-September. — Aubrey Rose A. Inisante
