Legarda: 2014 National Budget Promotes Climate Mitigation and Disaster Prevention

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that the 2014 proposed national budget has been crafted to ensure that programs on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are given due importance and priority in the national agenda.

“For the very first time since the enactment of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Law in 2010, the fund allocated for its implementation will now be called the NDRRM Fund. It was previously called the Calamity Fund and therefore the focus was on response and rehabilitation. With this paradigm shift, we can now use the fund for pre-disaster activities,” said Legarda, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, during the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2014 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Climate Change and Environment and Natural Resources, added that the proposed 2014 GAA contains a special provision on disaster risk reduction particularly on the implementation of infrastructure projects.

The special provision indicates that the government will not undertake infrastructure and development projects in protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act, as well as in identified danger zones.

“Ang ibig pong sabihin ay hindi gagamitin ang pondo ng gobyerno sa mga proyekto na makakasira sa mga protected area na kinikilalang sakop ng NIPAS Law, at maging sa mga vulnerable area o danger zone ayon na rin sa pagsusuri ng Mines and Geosciences Bureau. Ibig sabihin, hindi magtatayo ng barangay hall, school building, classroom at anumang imprastraktura na ginagamit ang pondo ng gobyerno sa mga lugar na maguguho o matatabunan sa panahon ng bagyo at iba pang kalamidad,” the Senator stressed.

“I am happy because although belatedly, we all realize now that pre-disaster activities, mitigation, disaster prevention and preparedness are relevant to our development agenda and that a vital component of building our nation’s resilience is a climate-sensitive and disaster risk reduction-proofed budget,” said Legarda.