DAVAO City will allocate approximately P17 million in financial assistance to areas affected by Typhoon Kristine.
The resolution, proposed by Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chair of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, aims to provide aid to local government units (LGUs) declared under a State of Calamity.
“This financial aid is meant to support their respective relief and rehabilitation programs, aiming to alleviate the living conditions of the affected victims and communities,” she said on Tuesday morning, November 12, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The City Government’s 2024 Annual Budget includes P626 million for the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (DCDRRMF), with P188 million allocated to the Quick Response Fund (QRF).
Earlier, in February 2024, the city council used P114.35 million from the QRF for relief and rehabilitation in barangays affected by severe flooding.
In August, an additional P14.5 million was approved for LGUs under the State of Calamity due to Typhoon Kristine.
After allocating P17.7 million for the latest assistance, the remaining QRF balance will be P41.49 million.
Ortiz detailed that municipalities will receive P300,000, cities will get P500,000, and provinces will receive about P1 million each. A total of 36 cities, provinces, and municipalities will benefit, including Batangas, Camarines Norte, Laguna, Sorsogon, Masbate, Catanduanes, Cotabato, Quezon, Samar, and Albay.
Under Republic Act No. 10121 (the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010), LGUs are required to allocate at least five percent of their estimated revenue to the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) for disaster activities. The LDRRMO, with the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, may transfer funds to assist LGUs declared under the State of Calamity.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reports that Typhoon Kristine became the deadliest weather event in the Philippines in 2024, surpassing the 48 fatalities caused by the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Butchoy and Carina in August. RGP