P18.6 B calamity fund used in 11 months

The national government has utilized P18.6 billion from the national calamity fund to support disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts across the country from January to November, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed.

- By MARCO LUIS BEECH

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, the government still has nearly P2.4 billion available for calamities, disaster response and other emergencies that require funding and assistance this December.

Broken down by segment, P1.39 billion remains under the NDRRM program, while another billion is still available from the People’s Survival Fund.