Press Release
25 November 2013
Refer to: Jeeno Arellano (0905.302.5098)
Senate
President Franklin M. Drilon formally filed today Senate Joint
Resolution No. 5 authorizing the government to use the unobligated and
unreleased budget for the calamity fund and quick response funds for one
more fiscal year for extensive disaster relief and rehabilitation
activities to be implemented in 2014.
Senate
Joint Resolution No. 5 seeks to extend the validity of appropriations
under the calamity fund, including those sourced from savings realigned
in the current year, as well as all unobligated and unreleased
allotments for the calamity related projects under the 2013 national
budget until December 31 of next year.
“Given
the massive effects of the past calamities, the government may not be
able to obligate funds necessary to fully implement the above measures
before the end of this fiscal year,” explained Drilon.
“If
they remain unobligated by the end of the year, the funds will go back
to the National Treasury and could not be used anymore by the start of
the next fiscal year,” he added.
The Senate chief estimated that the unused disaster-related funds will be around P20.8 billion by the end of December 31.
“Once
the validity of the P20.8 billion budget is extended by the joint
resolution, it could join the P14.6 billion supplemental budget and the
P20 rehabilitation fund to serve as a collective P55.4 billion then
available to the national government and all its agencies for the relief
and rehabilitation programs throughout 2014,” Drilon said.
“It
is imperative for the government to implement aggressive and continuous
relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas
to enable our people and communities to recover from the damage caused by the said calamities,” he said.
Drilon
pointed out that the continued use of the P20.8 billion can augment
funding for massive relief and rehabilitation efforts, in light of the
considerable loss of life and property caused by various devastating
disasters particularly super typhoon Yolanda.
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