Preventive measures, not post-disaster
activities needed in RP - Loren

The Philippines could address climate-related problems better if preventive measures rather than post-disaster activities are given strong considerations. Senator Loren Legarda raised this point yesterday as she batted for the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction (DRR) as a "legitimate purpose" and for which funds are specifically allotted.

"There must be a clear provision that would provide a legal basis for the use of these funds for DRR. And this is what mainstreaming DRR means," Loren pointed out.

Loren explained that such a strategy is desirable not only because it does not require additional resources, but is in fact "an efficient use of existing resources."

"By investing in pre-disaster construction, we avoid or at least considerably decrease post-disaster costs," she said, adding that the 2008 General Appropriations Act (GAA) under Sec. 37 also authorizes departments, bureaus, offices and agencies to implement projects designed to address disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparednes activities.

Furthermore, since DRR is a cross-cutting issue that presents a common concern among various departments, Loren said it would be justifiable to allocate a percentage of these departments' budgets for DRR-related activities.

Loren was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where she participated in high level round table (HLRT) focusing on mobilizing resources for disaster risk reduction at the Third Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction yesterday.

During that forum, Loren, who has been bestowed AsiaPacific Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction by the United Nations ISDR, delivered a speech during the Parliamentarian Forum on Allocating Budgetary Resources for Disaster Risk Reduction yesterday at the conference.

Loren noted that in the Philippines, the use of funds as specified under the General Appropriations Act is primarily directed at post-disaster activities and therefore reflects the still reactive approach.

Under the GAA, funds are to be spent "for aid, relief and rehabilitation services to communities/areas affected by man-made and natural calamities, repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including other capital expenditures for disaster operation and rehabilitation activities."

"Clearly, there is scope for the insertion of DRR,"Loren said. "Instead of focusing on post-disaster repair and reconstruction, legislators, given their power of the purse, can channel some of the funds for disaster-proofing public infrastructures.'

The Philippine Congress is currently engaged in a marathon deliberations on the 2009 budget, and that, Loren said, "it is best time to determine if disaster prevention is given necessary budgetary attention."

"Because the Philippine government, as well as the other governments, have finite resources, decision makers andgovernment leaders should find more ways to secure greater financial allocation for disaster risk reduction," Loren stressed.

In 2008, the national Calamity Fund was allotted P2 billion out of the P1.227 trillion national budget. Out of this calamity fund, P517.297 million was appropriated for Quick Response Fund.

The proposed national budget for 2009 is P1.415 trillion, but Loren noted that the appropriations for the NCF and QRF remain the same.

In the Ministerial Conference in Kuala Lumpur, a set of key policy recommendations for scaling up investment in disaster risk reduction at regional, national and local events has been identified.

The HLRT also came out with policy recommendations on legislations, institutional mechanisms, financial tools and modalities for enhancing regional cooperation in the Asian and Pacific Region.