Misappropriated

In a calamity, the local government has first responsibility for mobilizing an adequate response.

- ALEX MAGNO

It also has first responsibility for mitigating the recurrence of calamities.

The much-touted flood control programs failed our people. There is strong suspicion much of these funds have been looted. Sen. Imee Marcos, for one, has called for an investigation into the P32 billion in flood-control money allocated for the Bicol region alone.

We hope such an investigation happens and that it is thorough. The flood control funds are from hard-earned taxpayer money. Some of it was sourced from borrowings that compromise the future generations. If they were looted, the guilty must be brought to justice.

On top of the flood-control funds, millions are allocated each local government by way of a Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF). This allocation is supplemented, when necessary, by money from the Local Development Fund (LDF). Use of these funds is a critical measure of the quality of governance the local government provides.

The manner these critical funds were used by Naga City is a case study in how disaster mitigation money might be poorly used.

Naga City in Camarines Sur was one of the hardest hit areas in the wake of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. The flooding caused by the overflow of the Bicol River and runoff from the deforested slopes of Mount Isarog submerged 30 percent of the city's land area. Confirmed fatalities from the deluge stood at 14 while a total of 380,000 individuals were dislocated.