DepEd gets P1-B disaster fund

MANILA, Philippines – Congress has given the Department of Education (DepEd) P1 billion solely for use in disaster response, budget documents show.

A review of the General Appropriations Act of 2016 revealed that DepEd is among 12 national government agencies that will separately receive the quick response fund (QRF), which shall serve as a standby fund for the replacement, reconstruction, rehabilitation or repair of school buildings and facilities damaged by calamities.

The fund aims to normalize as quickly as possible communities stricken by crises.

“In no case shall the QRF be used for pre-disaster activities or any other purpose not authorized in this provision,” the DepEd budget qualified.

DepEd is also required to submit quarterly reports on the use of the QRF to the budget and finance departments, the national disaster risk reduction and management council and the Senate and House committees on finance.

Also allotted its own QRF are the Departments of Agriculture, P500 million; Health, P510.5 million; National Defense, P200 million; Public Works and Highways, P1.3 billion; Social Welfare and Development, P1.325 billion; Transportation and Communications, P125 million.