House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan on Sunday said P39.8 billion in fresh funding has been made available this year to strengthen the country’s disaster response and rehabilitation programs.
“Congress allocated ₱39.8 billion for this year’s Calamity Fund—a 90 percent increase from the ₱21 billion set aside in 2025,” Libanan said.
Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, Libanan said the P39.8 billion allocation will be distributed as follows: P15.3 billion for the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program for local government units; P12.5 billion in capital outlays for the repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including pre-disaster operations and rehabilitation; P11 billion for aid, relief and rehabilitation services to affected communities, including personnel training and other preparedness measures; and P1 billion for adaptation projects under the People’s Survival Fund.
“The disaster-response funds cover natural and human-induced calamities, epidemics as declared by the Department of Health, crises from armed conflicts, insurgency, terrorism, and other catastrophes,” Libanan said.
The lawmaker’s disclosure coincided with reports from the Region 11 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirming that at least seven people were killed in Mati City, Davao Oriental, and Monkayo, Davao de Oro due to flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains.
Authorities said 84,208 individuals across 65 barangays in the Davao region have been affected by prolonged rainfall caused by a shear line, a weather boundary where converging winds often result in heavy precipitation.
Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Basyang triggered flash floods and landslides that killed at least 12 people and affected 232,550 residents across 517 barangays in Mindanao and the Visayas.
The 2025 World Risk Report ranked the Philippines first among 193 countries for the fourth straight year, citing the country’s high exposure to natural hazards, including typhoons, floods, sea-level rise, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
The Philippines lies along the western Pacific typhoon corridor, where nearly one-third of the world’s strongest tropical cyclones develop. It is also situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Three active volcanoes — Mayon, Taal and Kanlaon — are currently exhibiting unrest or ongoing eruptions.