The social welfare department had no emergency funds left for the Bicol and Calabarzon regions as of Tuesday morning, November 3, and Senator Francis Pangilinan urged the government to immediately replenish these funds.

The latest situation report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), last updated at around 2 pm Tuesday, indicated that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had zero “standby funds” for Calabarzon and Bicol – regions hardest-hit by Super Typhoon Rolly (Goni).

Before Rolly hit, Typhoon Quinta (Molave) traced a similar path across these regions. The back-to-back storms devastated many communities. Rolly left at least 20 people dead, and more than a dozen injured.

In a statement, Pangilinan said the standby funds for these areas must have been depleted because of the recent disasters.

“We hope the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) can act with dispatch in augmenting the QRF (Quick Response Fund) of these provinces to help them in the recovery phase,” the senator said.

“Maraming pamilya sa Bicol ang walang-wala na, at wala na silang ibang mapupuntahan kung hindi ang gobyerno. Tulungan natin sila (Many families in Bicol are in dire straits, and they have no one to turn to but the government). We should not fail them,” he added.

A total of P6.8 billion in QRF was allotted to different government agencies under the 2020 national budget, Pangilinan pointed out.

According to the NDRRMC report, the DSWD had an average of P3 billion in standby funds for most other regions. Only Bicol and Calabarzon had their shares depleted.

Earlier on Tuesday, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the government to reallocate some of the P19-billion proposed 2021 budget of the anti-insurgency National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, for the rehabilitation of storm-hit parts of the country.

Tropical cyclones Quinta and Rolly destroyed around P4.6 billion worth of agricultural goods. Damage to infrastructure caused by Rolly was estimated at P4.6 billion, too, in Bicol alone.

Pangilinan called for a price freeze on all basic commodities in storm-hit areas. With a state of calamity declared over Albay, Batangas, Cavite, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Camarines Sur, these places already have price control measures in force. The rest have yet to follow suit.

Pangilinan urged the Department of Trade and Industry to “continuously monitor” the prices of basic commodities to guard against profiteers. – Rappler.com