PhP132B reserved

 

The Department of Budget and Management plans to set aside P132 billion from the 2016 national budget to fund programs that seek  to boost the resilience of vulnerable communities amid threats of the impact of climate change.

This is based on the ongoing audit of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the World Bank. With this, the DBM has tagged P132 billion worth of projects for climate-change expenditures under the proposed P3.002- trillion budget for 2016.

The amount of P132 billion for climate expenditures is a huge investment, but we have been working on increasing the budget to address climate change since 2011. More important, the 2016 budget builds on the lessons of Typhoon Yolanda, as well as focusing on climate-change adaptation. This prioritization reflects the national government’s major support for enhancing disaster preparedness and resilience in vulnerable communities,” the DBM said.

The bulk of the tagged P132-billion resiliency fund, or 72.2 percent, will be used to fund flood-control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The funds will cover construction of flood-control facilities covering 18 major river basins and principal rivers and watersheds by the DPWH, costing P59.8 billion.

The DBM and the World Bank also tagged reforestation of 1.5 million hectares under the climate expenditures. The project will cost P10.2 billion under the six-year National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

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