Lawmaker bats for P20-B rehab fund for Bicol region
2024-Oct-31 09:00
KRISTINE'S FURY. Aerial view of Bato, Camarines Sur on Friday (Oct. 25, 2024), one of the areas severely battered by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in the Bicol Region. The Office of Civil Defense-Bicol reported that as of 1 p.m., there are 389 affected roads and bridges in the region, 180 of which are not passable to all kinds of vehicles. (PNA/OCD-5)
MANILA – A lawmaker on Wednesday proposed a multi-year Bicol Rehabilitation and Recovery Fund (BRRF) with an initial outlay of P20 billion for 2025 to support efforts to rebuild communities devastated by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami) in the region.
In a statement, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. said the BRRF could finance the revival of the long-discontinued Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP) to mitigate recurrent flooding, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself has prioritized for review.
"Given the worse-than-expected damage inflicted by Kristine, especially in CamSur where most barangays were submerged for the first time ever in above-head or roof-level floods, a special rehabilitation and recovery program and funding is crucial for putting Bicol back on its feet soon enough," Villafuerte said.
He urged the Senate to identify fund sources as it tackles the 2025 budget bill next week.
"Our senators could realign funds or find new sources for this proposed BRRF once they take up the House-approved national budget bill when the 19th Congress reopens next week," Villafuerte said.
He added that the House of Representatives under Speaker Martin Romualdez is prepared to approve the funding proposal in the bicameral committee meeting on the proposed 2025 national budget.
Villafuerte said the BRRF could also be tapped to support emergency infrastructure repairs, agriculture, and fishery assistance, and medical aid while addressing urgent shelter needs through the construction of climate-proof evacuation centers.
He cited data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) showing that Camarines Sur experienced its worst flooding last week as Kristine unleashed 711 mm. of rainfall in a single day, far exceeding Typhoon Ondoy's 455 mm. record in 2009.
The province received a total of 931 mm. of rainfall over three days, he said. (PNA)