President Rodrigo Duterte called on Congress to pass a multibillion-peso supplemental budget for the government’s response to the eruption of Taal Volcano.
“I will ask Congress to expedite. ₱30 billion will cover everything. ‘Yung tulong na ninyo sa [That will be aid for your] livestocks, pati mga bahay [and your houses,]” Duterte said Monday in Batangas in front of an audience of refugees.
Duterte even pushed the legislature to increase funding to ₱50 billion, supposedly to build bigger evacuation centers — something which the President had advocated for.
He explained in his speech that funding is needed for an unforeseen event like the volcano eruption.
“Itong pangyayari na ito, hindi naman ito kasali sa budgeting, hindi naman natin akalain puputok, so baka magkaroon tayo ng supplemental budget sa Congress,” Duterte said.
[Translation: This event was not included in the budgeting because we never knew that it would actually erupt, so maybe we’ll have a supplemental budget in Congress.]
In between statements urging Congress for additional funding, Duterte also repeatedly insisted that the government has enough funds to respond to Taal victims.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said during the Senate session on Monday that there is a “raft of aid” that can be used from the ₱4.1-trillion 2020 national budget — the calamity fund.
Recto added that off-budget items like revenues from travel taxes and the motor vehicle users’ charge could also be tapped for aid for those affected by Taal’s eruption.
Before Taal’s eruption, Duterte also prodded Congress to pass a supplemental budget for the repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
Government volcanologists have maintained Alert Level 4 over Taal, which means an eruption remains “imminent,” despite what appeared to be weaker activity in the past days.
Over 100,000 people, including 26,000 families, have been evacuated since Taal’s stream-driven eruption on January 12.
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This article first appeared on CNN Philippines.
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