By Liza Soriano
MANILA — The passage of the 2025 national budget will strengthen the calamity fund to provide “fast and timely” relief to communities hit by successive typhoons, Senator Grace Poe said.
The Senate finance committee’s report on the proposed P6.352 trillion budget for 2025 allocates P21 billion for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.
Poe noted that this amount is P500 million higher than this year’s allocation.
As head of the finance panel, Poe is defending the 2025 budget in the plenary.
“The increase is meant to address our people’s urgent and essential needs during calamities,” Poe said.
“If communities have the resources, they can respond quickly, potentially saving lives,” she added.
Poe emphasized that the calamity fund should not only provide immediate relief but also support the repair and rehabilitation of affected areas.
“This budget should not just be for providing food to disaster victims for a few days,” the senator said.
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