The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released additional funding to replenish the Quick Response Funds (QRF) for the agencies responding to the effects of the three tropical storms “Crising,” “Dante” and “Emong.”
The QRF serves as a stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs in order to help communities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics or complex emergencies be normalized as quickly as possible.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the DBM has downloaded P1.625 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
For fiscal year 2025, the DBM replenished DSWD’s funds with P625 million, which will be used for the procurement of Family Food Packs and non-food items to be distributed to affected families.
With this, the DSWD will be able to aid 510,745 families affected by disasters.
Meanwhile, the DPWH received P1 million for the 2nd replenishment of its built-in QRF. “We are following the President’s order to prioritize the safety and well-being of our countrymen who have been devastated by a series of typhoons and floods. The DSWD and DPWH are among the government agencies that have built-in QRFs to ensure that they can respond immediately in times of calamity,” Pangandaman said.
She added that the aforementioned agencies have requested to replenish their QRF.
National agencies in need of additional funds may request replenishment when the balance of the QRF has reached fifty-percent.
DBM readies help
To alleviate public concerns about the use of funds, Pangandaman assured that as long as agencies submit the necessary documents required for fund requests, the DBM is ready to assist them.
“We understand how important it is for these agencies to have sufficient funds to respond and aid those in need. As for us at the DBM, as long as the documents submitted are complete, we will immediately act on them,” he said.
The funds shall solely be used for reconstruction efforts and rehabilitation programs, activities, or projects, including the pre-positioning of goods and equipment in communities or calamity-hit areas where disasters occurred in the fourth quarter of the preceding year and the current year, enabling victims to return to normalcy.