The House of Representatives has allocated an additional P500 million for the calamity fund or the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund to bolster the country’s disaster preparedness and long-term climate resilience, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo on Sunday said.
In the 2025 General Appropriations Law, we earmarked P21 billion for the calamity fund. This is P500 million more than the P20.5 billion allocated in 2024,” he said.
“Our goal is to ensure that government agencies are well-equipped to respond to disasters, enabling faster recovery and continuity of essential services,” he added.
Rillo is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.
He enumerated the distribution of the P21-billion calamity fund as follows: P10.7 billion for aid, relief and rehabilitation services in calamity-affected communities, including the training of personnel and other pre-disaster activities; P9.3 billion in capital outlays, primarily for the repair and reconstruction of damaged permanent structures; P1 billion for the People’s Survival Fund, supporting adaptation projects and initiatives led by local government units and community organizations; P3 billion for Quick Response Fund for the Department of Education; P1.25 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development; P1 billion each for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Works and Highways; P500 million for the Department of Health; P500 million for the Department of National Defense-Office of Civil Defense; P300 million for the National Irrigation Administration; P75 million for the Department of Transportation-Philippine Coast Guard; and P50 million each for the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Citing the World Risk Index 2024, Rillo said the Philippines ranks as the world’s most disaster-prone country.
