THE administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has bumped up the Calamity Fund to P31 billion, as the government braces for the impact of brutal climate change and extreme weather events in the months ahead, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., vice chairperson of House committee on appropriations, said on Sunday.
“In the 2025 national budget, Malacañang is seeking the sum of P31 billion in new appropriations for the Calamity Fund, or 51 percent higher than this year’s allocation of P20.5 billion,” Campos said.
“We are all for enlarging the fund to enable agencies to deliver highly improved emergency aid, relief and rehabilitation services to disaster victims,” Campos said.
Super Typhoon Carina recently brought heavy rains across the country that led to widespread flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Of the P31 billion for the Calamity Fund, Campos said some P14.7 billion would be for capital outlays, mainly for the reconstruction of damaged permanent structures such as roads, bridges, and school buildings.
Some P7.7 billion would be for the Quick Respond Fund (QRF) of eight frontline departments, according to Campos, the husband of Makati Mayor Abby Binay.
Campos welcomed the Calamity Fund’s inclusion of P1 billion for the People’s Survival Fund (PSF).
“The PSF is a special fund that provides subsidy to climate change adaptation and natural disaster resilience strategies, including, for example, the installation of practical rainwater collectors,” Campos pointed out.
Campos urged barangays and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to avail of PSF money so that they can put up functional rainwater harvesting systems in their communities.
“We all have to get used to stockpiling rainwater during the wet season so that everybody can have access to extra freshwater supplies during dry conditions,” Campos said.
The People’s Survival Fund Board administers the PSF.
The board is composed of the heads of the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Economic and Development Authority, and the Philippine Commission on Women, along with the vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission, and one representative each from the scientific community, business sector, and NGOs.
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