PDRRMC puts in P238M

DRRM budget for 2026

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—The Provincial Disaster and Risk reduction Management Council, during its last quarter full council meeting approved a P238 million local disaster and risk reduction management fund for 2026.

The fund is comprised of a P166.6 million Pre Disaster Program and another P71.4 million Quick Response Fund, as mandated by the Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Law of 2010.

The pre-disaster preparation program involves a P64.89 million in prevention and mitigation programs, projects and activities, and some P101.7 million in preparedness and response, according to PDRRMC administrative officer Tiara Lourdes Bulilan, during the full council meeting.

Biggest share of the pre disaster program which comprises the 70 percent of the total budget is the P39.6 million acquisition of disaster and risk reduction vehicles alike ambulance units for TARSIER 117, a mobile kitchen, a self-loading vehicle and a mobile water desalination.

This is followed by P14.08 million allocated for the procurement of search rescue and retrieval as well as water search and rescue equipment and P8,656,400 support for the conduct of enhanced local DRRM plan formulation workshops to city and town LGUS especially those in the Loboc Watershed ecosystem, she reported.

The budged also included the P8M support for the full 24/7 operations of the PDRRMO-TARSIER 117 and Unified Command Center, drugs and medicines, supplies, 4 sets of hybrid solar power system for 4 hospitals and TARSIER rescue hubs.

The council also approved the appropriation of a P7.88 million construction of radio antenna tower in Banat-I, to support its redundant communications network system, a P5M fund for the mitigation of effects of climate change especially with the dry spell which goes for cloud-seeding operations and agriculture support.

Also included in the proposed budget is a P5M for capacity development program for health sector workers, to make them better manage emerging and re-emerging diseases, and another P5M for capacity development and vulnerability measures for poultry and swine stakeholders.

And for the disaster-prone Loboc Watershed, the council puts in P5M for the phase 2 of the Hydrological and Hydrogeological study of the upper Loboc watershed with Bohol Provincial environment management office to better understand and plan for the disaster risk mitigation of the lower reaches of the river and watershed.

And with the government campaign for DRRM and readiness, a P4.9 M has been earmarked for the subscription to a risk information tool for DRRM and infrastructure management, P4.6 M in the conduct of DRRM-related training, drills and workshops for council members, municipal counterparts and LGUS, Bulilan also said.

The council also approved a P2.8M support in crafting an enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan< Green House Gas and Geographic Information System, a P2.8M fund for the procurement of 3 additional automated weather systems with subscription and another P2.7M fund for the continued dissemination of updated LDRRM plans to all stakeholders, disaster officers and council members.

And from the DRRM Trust Fund, the council has approved the P10 million for the construction of phase 1 of a warehouse for relief operations in Ubay, after the hard lessons of delayed island relief operations without a forward base, which the Ubay warehouse can provide, PDRRM Officer Anthony Damalerio reported. (PIABohol)

MORE FORWARD BASES. With a P50M Disaster Assistance Fund from the Office of the President, Bohol PDRRM Officer Anthony Damalerio said they planned to use the fund to build more relief warehouses in strategic areas in Bohol like Ubay, Getafe and Jagna to establish forward base of operations for prepositioned relief operations. The promised presidential assistance has not been received yet, according to Atty Filipina Piollio. (PIABohol)