Thursday, May 5, 2016

LGUS CAN TAP CALAMITY FUNDS, OTHER AVAILABLE FUNDS TO COMBAT EL NINO -- DILG

As several parts of the country continue to be affected by El Nino, Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today urged concerned local government units (LGUs) to utilize their respective local calamity funds and tap other available national government funds to help mitigate the effects of this extreme weather phenomenon.

Sarmiento said that Section 21 of Republic Act 10121 provides that local governments have to set aside not less than five percent of their yearly budget for a local calamity fund or what is now known as the local disaster risk reduction management fund (LDRRMF) in their yearly budgets.

“Sa ilalim ng batas, bawat LGU ay dapat naglalaan ng pondo sa kanyang taunang budget para sa mga kalamidad tulad ng El Nino. Ito na ang panahon para gamitin ito para maibsan ang hirap ng mga magsasaka at ng ating mga kababayan sa epekto ng El Nino,” he said.

He explained that the LDRRMF shall cover 30 percent lump sum allocation for quick response fund or standby fund for relief and recovery programs, and 70 percent allocation for disaster prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, rehabilitation and recovery.

National calamity fund

Aside from the local DRRM fund, the DILG Secretary said LGUs may also access the P19-billion national calamity fund, a lump sum fund appropriated under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) to cover aid, relief, and rehabilitation services to communities/areas affected by manmade and natural calamities like the El Nino.

Sarmiento said LGUs need to submit their request to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the concerned Regional/Provincial/City/Municipal DRRMC to be able to access the funds.

“Alinsunod sa batas, ang request para sa calamity fund ay may kasamang mga papeles para maibaba ang pondo sa mga LGUs,” he said.

Among the supporting papers required for the release of the calamity fund are the following:
Complete description/justification of the project
Local DRRMC Damage Report/Calamity Impact Assessment Report/Work and Financial Plan (to include pictures)
Sanggunian Resolution declaring the area under a State of Calamity/Imminent Danger and appropriating local counterpart for the project
Certification by the Local Chief Executive (LCE) thru a Sanggunian Resolution assuring that whatever amount will be provided by the Office of the President, the project will be completed/finished
Endorsement of the RDRRMC Chairperson (OCD Regional Director)
Certification and justification by the LCE concerned that funding requests chargeable against the Calamity Fund are emergency in character
Certification by the Local Accountant or Finance officer that their Local Calamity Fund is already depleted/exhausted and/or non-availability of funding source other than the Calamity Fund
Certification that the infrastructure being requested for funding support are not covered by insurance; and
Pertinent documents may be required on a case to case basis

People’s Survival Fund

There is also a P1-billion People’s Survival Fund (PSF), which supports adaptation projects and activities of LGUs and community organizations, according to the DILG Secretary.

Sarmiento said provincial, city and municipal LGUs may directly submit their letter of intent, project proposal and work and financial plan to the PSF secretariat under the Climate Change Commission.

A PSF Board will review and approve the proposals submitted by LGUs.

Quick Response Fund

Sarmiento said another fund that LGUs could tap to help them address El Nino is the Quick Response Fund (QRF), a built-in budgetary allocation that represent pre-disaster or standby funds for agencies in order to immediately assist areas stricken by catastrophes and crises like El Nino.

To be able to access the QRF, he said LGUs should coordinate their request with the regional offices of agencies with built-in QRFs, and submit the necessary documentary requirements.

The requirements include the following: 1) Letter or request to the agency’s regional office; 2) local DRRMC damage report/ calamity impact assessment report/ work and financial plan; 3) sanggunian resolution declaring the area under a state of calamity/imminent danger and appropriating local counterpart for the project; 4) rehabilitation/reconstruction plan.

The following agencies have built-in QRFs to ensure immediate action during calamities: Department of Agriculture (DA) – P500M; Department of Education (DepEd)- P1-Billion; Department of Health (DOH) – P510.5M; Department of National Defense (DND) – P200M; Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) – P530M; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – P1.3B; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – P1.325B; Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) – P125M; and National Irrigation Administration (NIA)- P500M.

Sarmiento said the Department’s Local Government Sector is not a recipient of the Quick Response Fund (QRF).

He said only the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire (BFP) has PhP 75 million QRF allocation each but the fund is not for downloading to the LGUs. It is programmed to be used by these two offices in their internal operations to respond to calamities.

Unlike the NDRRMF, the QRF does not require the recommendation of the NDRRMC or the approval of OP to trigger the use and release of funds. When the QRF gets depleted, the agency may request for replenishment with a request to the DBM and to be approved by the Office of the President.

39 LGUs under state of calamity

As of April 4, 2016, the El Nino Task Force headed by the National Economic Development Authority reported that at least 39 LGUs have already passed their respective sanggunian resolutions declaring a state of calamity in their areas. 

These LGUs are: Region 2 - the provinces of Isabela and Quirino; Region IVB - the towns of Looc, Magsaysay and Paluan, Occidental Mindoro; Region 9 - the town of Titay and Zamboanga City; Region 10 - Bukidnon province, and the towns of Libona, Bukidnon, and Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte; Region 11 - province of Davao del Sur.

For Region 12, the Province of Cotabato and the towns of Matalam, Alamada, Carmen, Antipas, Banisilan, Arakan and Pikit, and the cities of Cotabato and Kidapawan; Koronadal City and its component barangays Brgy. Carpenter Hill and Brgy. San Roque; General Santos City and the towns of Banga, Surallah, Tampakan and Tantangan.

For CAR, Alfonso Lista in Ifugao; and for ARMM – the province of Maguindanao and the towns of Datu Piang and Pagalungan; Upi in North Maguindanao, the province of Basilan and Lamitan City.

LGU interventions on El Nino

Sarmiento said local governments are carrying out several measures in addressing El Nino.

Aside from the declaration of state of calamity, LGU interventions include the following: utilization of LDRRM fund; creation/reactivation of El Nino local task forces; preparation of El Nino mitigation and adaptation plans; conduct of rapid damage and needs assessment; establishment of firebreaks in areas most likely to be affected by forest fires; stockpiling and distribution of seedlings (palay, corn, cassava, etc.), farming equipment and fertilizers to farmers.

Other measures are: distribution of rice and other relief goods; construction/ activation/ distribution of rainwater catchments or harvesters; installation of water pumps and water tanks for storage; and conduct of IEC campaigns on El Nino.

Early El Nino directives

The DILG Secretary said that as early as October 2015, the Department had already issued a memorandum circular on El Nino to all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Chief and agencies concerned.

“Maaga tayong nagbigay ng advisory sa mga LGUs at BFP na maghanda sa darating na El Nino lalong-lalo na ang mga probinsiya na na-identify ng PAG-ASA na matatamaan ng drought o dry spell,” he said.

Sarmiento reminds LGUs to urgently enact ordinances curbing illegal connection and encouraging prudent use of water. Among the prudent practices mentioned are using broom instead of water hose in cleaning sidewalks and driveways; fixing leaky faucets, using pail or bucket instead of hose in cleaning cars; using recycles or leftover water for houseplants; and watering garden during the coolest part of the day.

The DILG Chief also encouraged LGUs to allow water concessionaires and water utilities to conduct emergency repairs of leaks prior to securing the necessary excavation permit, provided that said permit shall be secured within reasonable period from the commencement of the repair works.

Likewise, Sarmiento urged LGUs to lift the application of number-coding schemes, as applicable regarding the water tankers that will be used by water concessionaires and water utilities to immediately address the water supply needs of their affected consumers.

Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Nino (RAIN)

In the middle of 2015, the DILG Chief said the government has already started crafting the Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Nino (RAIN) with NEDA as the lead, having been designated by President Aquino as El Nino Task Force head.

RAIN is aimed at mitigating the impact of the El Nino phenomenon on four areas: 1.) Food security, 2.) Energy security, 3.) Health, and 4.) Safety. This action plan focuses on 67 El Nino-affected provinces throughout the country, including Metro Manila.

Aside from the DILG, other agency-members of the Task Force are DPWH, NIA, DA, and the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (OPAFSAM).  # Source – www.dilg.gov.ph.

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