The Marcos administration has bumped up its calamity fund to P31 billion for 2025 to brace for the impact of climate change and extreme weather events in the months ahead, according to Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr.
“In the 2025 national budget, Malacañang is seeking the sum of P31 billion in new appropriations for the calamity fund or 51 percent higher than this year’s allocation of P20.5 billion,” said Campos who is vice chairperson of House committee on appropriations.
“We are all for enlarging the fund to enable agencies to deliver highly improved emergency aid, relief and rehabilitation services to disaster victims,” he added.
Out of the P31-billion calamity fund, he said, P14.7 billion would go to capital outlays, mainly for the reconstruction of damaged roads, bridges and school buildings.
At least P7.7 billion would be for the quick response fund of eight frontline departments, Campos added.
He welcomed the calamity fund’s inclusion of P1 billion for the people’s survival fund.
“The PSF is a special fund that provides subsidies to climate change adaptation and natural disaster resilience strategies, including, for example, the installation of practical rainwater collectors,” explained Campos.
He called on barangays and nongovernment organizations to avail of the PSF money so that they could put up functional rainwater harvesting systems in their communities.
“We all have to get used to stockpiling rainwater during the wet season so that everybody can have access to extra freshwater supplies during dry conditions,” he said.
