The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) told agencies to access their emergency response funds to address the devastation caused by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu.
The quick response funds (QRF) are standby provisions that first responder agencies like the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have.
‘We also have the NDRRM (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) Fund on standby for larger-scale needs, including the repair of damaged facilities and heritage sites, to help ensure that our communities can rise again as quickly as possible,’ DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement.
The NDRRM fund still stood at around P8 billion as of October 1, the DBM said.
Once agencies exhaust 50% of their QRFs, they can ask the DBM to replenish them.
The earthquake that struck Cebu late Tuesday night killed at least 20 people, with reports on the ground saying that the number has reached around 30.