By CESAR JOLITO III
The release of national government funds worth P203 million for local government units (LGUs) affected by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano remains in limbo, leaving more than 6,000 evacuees in temporary shelters.
“Until now, the funds have not been downloaded. The Department of Budget and Management [DBM] advised that only local chief executives are authorized to follow up on these requests,” Donato Sermeno III, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR), said.
Sermeno said the funds are supposed to come from the Local Government Support Fund, and each LGU must follow up directly with national agencies for disbursement to ensure timely release of funds, while the OCD continues to provide technical support and disaster response coordination.
He clarified that the funding proposal had been endorsed by OCD to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who then forwarded it to the Office of the President.
However, complications arose when DBM redirected the funding source to the LGU Support Fund, effectively causing the delay.
Among the LGUs requesting additional financial aid are La Carlota City, which sought P63 million; Himamaylan City with P62.5 million; La Castellana town with P48.5 million; and Negros Oriental’s Canlaon City, which requested P29.7 million.
The additional assistance aims to support the affected communities in recovery and rehabilitation efforts following the volcanic eruption, which caused significant displacement and damage across several barangays.
The recent interagency meeting was led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, where the stalled fund request was among the key concerns raised.
In June, the OCD-NIR admitted it cannot intervene in the release of additional financial assistance to LGUs affected by Kanlaon Volcano’s unrest.
Sermeno acknowledged the pressure faced by OCD, as they were the agency that announced the approval of the said financial assistance.
However, they are limited in their capacity to expedite the fund release process.
In May, the OCD said an additional P203 million worth of financial assistance in response to Kanlaon’s continuing unrest will go directly to the affected LGUs in Negros Island after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. approved the funds.
The funding aims to support recovery efforts and address urgent needs such as water supply, utilities and other essential services in the impacted communities.
This supplementary aid is expected to help the LGUs address shortages in critical services and resources for their communities displaced or affected by the volcanic activity.
OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said the additional aid comes from the P20 billion National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, but stressed this budget diminishes fast, especially during the rainy season.
Nepomuceno added that the downloading of the funds was expected soon, reassuring the affected citizens that the national government will continue to provide needed support amid this crisis./CJ, WDJ