President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. pledged to replenish the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) dwindling calamity fund as the country faces mounting costs in disaster response.
During a Palace briefing yesterday, NDRRMC Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno reported that the agency’s calamity fund, along with the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of several government agencies, is nearly exhausted.
“Technically, the QRF of agencies is lacking, and our NDRRM fund is also almost depleted,” Nepomuceno said.
Despite the low funds, Nepomuceno assured the public that the Office of the President has committed to provide the necessary funds to sustain disaster response efforts.
“We got the commitment from the President himself to replenish this,” he said.
“Theoretically, we will not run out of funds for our needs because the Office of the President will provide it,” he added.
Currently, the NDRRMC has about P300 million remaining in its calamity fund, which Nepomuceno described as insufficient to meet the country’s average disaster expenses.
“That amount is very lacking since, per calamity, we average between P400 to P500 million,” he explained, noting that certain events, like the recent impact of Typhoon Kristine, required over P500 million in direct government assistance.
As of Friday, more than 17,000 people across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are taking shelter in evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC said that Ilocos Region has 522 evacuees, Cagayan Valley has 15,631, and CAR has 899.
“Right now, we’re still receiving reports from the field as affected communities continue dealing with Marce’s impact,” NDRRMC Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said.
National agencies took significant steps to provide relief. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed over 1,200 dedicated teams, including 1,364 vehicles, 88 land assets, and multiple watercraft and aircraft.
The Philippine Coast Guard is providing 81 land assets and 132 watercraft, while the Philippine National Police (PNP) prepared up to 10,000 personnel for deployment if needed.
To address immediate needs, the government distributed over 187,000 food packs and essential items like potable water, hygiene kits, and medical supplies.
The President has directed officials to prioritize the delivery of these resources to communities in need.
Infrastructure challenges remain a pressing issue. Five bridges and eight road sections in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and CAR are currently impassable due to flooding and landslides.
Adams in Ilocos Norte and Peñablanca in Cagayan have reported landslides, while the seawall in Pagudpud sustained significant damage from heavy rains.
With ongoing damage assessments, officials anticipate a high toll on agriculture and infrastructure. Given the severe impacts of the previous storms, the NDRRMC plans to consolidate damage figures to capture the cumulative losses from Typhoons Julian, Kristine, Leon, and Marce.
The NDRRMC is closely coordinating with local governments to implement relief efforts and prepare for the possible arrival of a new storm next week.
