MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon formally filed today Senate Joint Resolution No. 5 authorizing the government to use the unobligated and unreleased budget for the calamity fund and quick response funds for one more fiscal year for extensive disaster relief and rehabilitation activities to be implemented in 2014.
Senate Joint Resolution No. 5 seeks to extend the validity of appropriations under the calamity fund, including those sourced from savings realigned in the current year, as well as all unobligated and unreleased allotments for the calamity related projects under the 2013 national budget until December 31 of next year.
“Given the massive effects of the past calamities, the government may not be able to obligate funds necessary to fully implement the above measures before the end of this fiscal year,” explained Drilon.
“If they remain unobligated by the end of the year, the funds will go back to the National Treasury and could not be used anymore by the start of the next fiscal year,” he added.
The Senate chief estimated that the unused disaster-related funds will be around P20.8 billion by the end of December 31.
“Once the validity of the P20.8 billion budget is extended by the joint resolution, it could join the P14.6 billion supplemental budget and the P20 rehabilitation fund to serve as a collective P55.4 billion then available to the national government and all its agencies for the relief and rehabilitation programs throughout 2014,” Drilon said.
“It is imperative for the government to implement aggressive and continuous relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas to enable our people and communities to recover from the damage caused by the said calamities,” he said.
Drilon pointed out that the continued use of the P20.8 billion can augment funding for massive relief and rehabilitation efforts, in light of the considerable loss of life and property caused by various devastating disasters particularly super typhoon Yolanda.
The resolution further said that the implementing agencies shall first secure the favorable endorsement by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the calamity related projects that will be covered by the extended validity of allotments authorized therein.
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