PDC Approves P133 Million DRRM Fund

uThe Provincial Development Council (PDC) approved the P133-million proposed budget of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) last Oct. 13.

Governor Hilario P. Davide III said the PDRRMO budget will then be endorsed for approval to the provincial board as part of the executive’s proposed 2016 annual budget.

The proposed annual budget will be finalized and submitted to the Provincial Board on October 16.

Of the P133 million DRRM fund, at least P27 million is set aside for insurance premiums of buildings, crops and volunteers for Cebu Province as well as risk insurance of the World Bank.

The amount comprised the 31 percent of the PDRRM fund or P40 million earmarked for disaster preparedness.

The quick response fund (QRF) is P39.9 million, representing 30 percent of the total PDRRM fund.

Around P25 million or 19 percent of the total PDRRM fund is allocated for prevention and mitigation.

PDRRMO Head Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. said the bulk of the P25 million will be spent for the mainstreaming of DRR in the land use plan of the LGUs. The budget also covers the construction and repair or rehabilitation of dams, embankments or impounding.

The budget for the procurement of disaster equipment for disaster response activities is 13 percent or P17.5 million while the P10 million (7 percent) is set aside for rehabilitation and recovery.

As of this month, the PDRRMO has around P47 million unexpended budget, including the P20 million plus unexpended balance in 2013-2014.

By yearend, the unexpended balance is projected to be around P15 million. The PDC agreed to use the amount to augment its draining QRF, which only has P2 million left due to the intervention made to the El Niño-affected farmers.

www.cebu.gov.ph