To ensure a responsive, data-driven budget that will facilitate the rehabilitation of areas battered by back-to-back Typhoons Tino and Uwan earlier this year, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson pressed for ground-validated disaster assessment reports from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
During his interpellation of the Department of National Defense’s proposed 2026 budget, Lacson requested copies of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and Rapid Damage Needs Assessment (RDANA) to guide lawmakers in crafting the needed amendments.
He pointed out that Malacanang, through Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, formally requested funding in the 2026 budget to assist the local government units (LGUs) concerned in their rehabilitation efforts.
“The Senate, and Congress for that matter, cannot simply introduce amendments under the Senate version and even during the bicameral conference committee without getting data on the ground,” he said in his interpellation.
“We will try to avoid lump sum appropriations. Because when we realign some appropriations (for the Local Government Support Fund) because the request was to augment the LGSF, (so that) local government units on their own can rehabilitate and recover,” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson, Isinulong ang Pondo para sa Rehabilitasyon ng LGUs na Tinamaan ng Magkasunod na Bagyo
Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, who sponsored the DND’s budget, said the OCD will submit the needed reports, possibly by Dec. 1.
Lacson requested that the reports be submitted to the finance committee so the committee members can discuss it when they introduce amendments during the bicameral conference committee.
Without the needed reports, he said Congress may resort to passing a supplemental budget. Gatchalian noted that a supplemental budget may be needed since the Senate has removed the unprogrammed appropriations from its version of the budget bill.
But Lacson pointed out that resorting to a supplemental budget will need a certification from the Treasury that there are available funds. “We can do away with that and instead just introduce amendments in the bicam,” he said.
Also, Lacson said they must consider as well the calamity funds of the LGUs concerned, which is five percent of their total local budgets. He cited the case of Cebu, which had a P23-billion budget for 2024 and likely P1.15 billion in calamity funds. Negros Occidental’s 2024 budget of P5.4 billion for 2024 may mean a possible P270 million in calamity funds, he added.
“All these should be considered when we realign funds from some other items to the LGSF. But we should be very specific,” he said.
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Lacson, Isinulong ang Pondo para sa Rehabilitasyon ng LGUs na Tinamaan ng Magkasunod na Bagyo
Upang tiyakin ang isang responsive at data-driven na badyet para sa rehabilitasyon ng mga lugar na napinsala ng magkasunod na bagyong Tino at Uwan, hiniling ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang mga ground-based na disaster assessment report mula sa Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Sa kanyang interpellation para sa panukalang 2026 budget ng Department of National Defense, humiling si Lacson ng kopya ng Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) at Rapid Damage Needs Assessment (RDANA) bilang gabay sa paggawa ng kinakailangang mga amyenda sa budget bill.
Tinukoy niya na ang Malacañang, sa pamamagitan ni Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, ay pormal na humiling ng pondo sa 2026 budget upang matulungan ang mga lokal na pamahalaang naapektuhan sa kanilang rehabilitasyon.
“The Senate, and Congress for that matter, cannot simply introduce amendments under the Senate version and even during the bicameral conference committee without getting data on the ground,” diin ni Lacson.
“We will try to avoid lump sum appropriations. Because when we realign some appropriations (for the Local Government Support Fund) because the request was to augment the LGSF, (so that) local government units on their own can rehabilitate and recover,” dagdag niya.
Ani Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, na sponsor ng budget ng DND, isusumite ng OCD ang mga kinakailangang report, posibleng sa Disyembre 1.
Hiniling ni Lacson na isumite ang mga report sa Senate finance committee para magabayan ang mga miyembro nito kapag nagpapasok ng mga amyenda sa bicameral conference committee.
Kung hindi makapagsumite ng mga report, aniya, baka mapilitang magpasa ang Kongreso ng supplemental budget. Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian na maaaring kailanganin ito dahil inalis ng Senado ang unprogrammed appropriations sa kanilang bersyon ng budget bill.
Ngunit ipinunto ni Lacson na ang supplemental budget ay mangangailangan ng sertipikasyon mula sa Treasury na may available na pondo. “We can do away with that and instead just introduce amendments in the bicam,” aniya.
Dagdag din ni Lacson, dapat isaalang-alang ang calamity funds ng mga LGU, na katumbas ng limang porsyento ng kanilang kabuuang lokal na budget. Halimbawa, ang Cebu na may P23-bilyong budget para sa 2024 ay malamang may P1.15 bilyon sa calamity fund. Ang Negros Occidental naman, na may P5.4-bilyong budget para sa 2024, ay maaaring may humigit-kumulang P270 milyon sa calamity fund.
“All these should be considered when we realign funds from some other items to the LGSF. But we should be very specific,” aniya.
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