Press Release
April 21, 2007

Palace urged to release Calamity Fund
 to aid civilians caught in Jolo fighting

Government was told to tap the P1 billion Calamity Fund in the 2007 national budget in aiding an estimated 45,000 persons displaced by fighting between the military and Moro National Liberation Front rebels in Jolo.

Sen. Ralph Recto said the amount needed to house and feed those who have fled their homes for safer grounds should immediately be released to government agencies on the ground to prevent a humanitarian crisis from exploding out of the mass evacuation.

Republic Act 9401, or the national budget law for this year, explicitly authorizes the use of the Calamity Fund for crisis triggered by armed conflicts and acts of terrorists and insurgents.

Actually, this years Calamity Fund has an appropriation of P9 billion, but P8 billion of this, Recto explained, has been earmarked by the same law for the reconstruction of Bicol and other areas devastated by four supertyphoons last year.

Of the remaining P1 billion in uncommitted funds for disaster relief, about 25 percent should have been released by now as quick reaction fund or QRF to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Office of Civil Defense, Department of National Defense and the Department of Public Works and Highways, Recto said.

The intent of Congress is to advance the release of a portion of the Calamity Fund so it can be used as a stand-by fund which can be quickly tapped for activities aimed at normalizing living conditions in disaster areas, Recto said.

Agencies are expected in turn to forward deploy humanitarian aid material in regions deemed as disaster-prone, the reelectionist lawmaker pointed out .

But in case the QRF has been depleted or will be depleted by the gravity of the crisis that must be attended to then Malacanang should order that this fund be replenished so work by disaster agencies will not be affected, Recto said.

He added, LGUs should be given part of the relief resources because they know who to give it to, when to give it to.

On Thursday, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza appealed to donors to send aid to 45,000 residents displaced by the fighting between the military and Moro National Liberation Front rebels led by firebrand commander Habier Malik.

Responding to Durezas appeal, the US Embassy in Manila has sent US$75,000 to Sulu through the Save the Children Federation, a non-profit organization, to provide temporary shelter, water containers, cooking utensils and hygiene kits to families affected by the conflict.

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