HOUSE Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has committed to draft a resolution that will extend the validity of the P19.6-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund for Marawi rehabilitaton until December 2019.
Arroyo made the commitment to President Rodrigo Duterte in a meeting in Malacañang last Tuesday, October 9.
Also present during the meeting were Deputy Speaker Arthur Yap, Majority Leader Rolando Andaya, Arroyo consultant Medy Poblador and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go.
According to the Office of the Speaker, Arroyo also discussed with the President the pending legislative measures at the House of Representatives including the conduct of a bicameral conference on the coco levy fund.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said the President wants to amend the coco levy measure approved by the bicameral conference committee so that majority of the board members who will distribute the funds to the farmers would be government officials, and not civilians.
Due to this, the Congress will reconstitute the bicameral conference committee to include the President’s request.
Duterte, during the meeting, also asked Arroyo to include in the 2019 budget funding for the housing projects for members of the military and the police and for the water system for the housing project for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.
The House of Representatives has yet to pass the P3.757-trillion budget for 2019 on third reading. It earlier created a small committee that will discuss the amendments to the budget before it is brought to the plenary for approval. (SunStar Philippines)