Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan called on key government agencies to identify and assess available funds for disaster preparedness and risk reduction ahead of the looming threat of a potentially severe El Niño phenomenon.
Stressing the need for early action to protect vulnerable communities, the senator said the government must determine how much funding is available, where these resources can be accessed, and how quickly they can be mobilized to mitigate the anticipated impact of prolonged dry spells and extreme heat on agriculture, fisheries, water supply, and food security.
“Ngayon pa lang alamin na natin kung saan kukuha ng pondo at kung paano ito mabilis na magagamit. Hindi yung kung kelan andiyan na yung problema saka tayo naghahagilap ng pondo. For once, let us be proactive rather than reactive,” he remarked.
“Hindi puwedeng aantayin pa nating matuyo ang mga pananim, mawalan ng huli ang mga mangingisda, at tumaas ang presyo ng pagkain bago tayo kumilos,” he added.
Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, urged the prompt release of available funds as part of his eight-point action plan to address the impact of Super El Niño.
The action points also include declaring a state of calamity, prepositioning supplies and delivering assistance to communities, protecting farms and water systems, enforcing price freezes, going after profiteers and hoarders, providing livelihood relief, and establishing a public accountability system.
He also said that government agencies tasked to oversee and utilize such funds must account for every peso.
He identified sources of disaster preparedness and risk reduction funds based on Section 10 of Republic Act 12287, or the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act.
Under the provisions, the government can tap local disaster risk reduction and management funds, such as the Special Trust Fund (accrued unexpended balance of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund), regular national agency budgets, and National DRRM Fund.
The senator, however, expressed concern over the potential underutilization of the proposed P112 billion in unprogrammed appropriations for the 2027 national budget, which includes allocations for risk management and foreign-assisted projects, as well as the P104 billion earmarked for the same purpose under the 2027 National Expenditure Program.
“Hindi pwedeng aksayahin o waldasin. Linawin ng DBM kung ano ang existing appropriations, available balances, at halaga na pwedeng gamitin para sa specific El Niño interventions,” Pangilinan said.
“Kaya hindi sapat ang sabihing ‘may pondo.’ Kailangang linawin: Magkano ang
puwedeng gamitin ngayon, nasaan ito, sino ang maglalabas, at kailan ito makararating
sa nangangailangan?,” he added.