Disaster and finance managers meet for DRRM fund utilization

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) VI gathered the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers, Budget Officers, Accountants and State Auditors of Antique and Guimaras for a symposium on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund Utilization in Boracay.

The activity aims to address the different issues and concerns on the utilization of the DRRM Fund which cropped up during the forum on Republic Act 10121 and the Local Chief Executives Forum on Geohazards in 2011.

Major issues discussed were the 70-30 sharing of pre-disaster and quick response items in the DRRM Fund, the use of the unexpended DRRM Fund in the Special Trust Fund and the creation of the Local DRRM Office.


On the concern of the use of the Special trust Fund, Director Ronald I. Flores, Executive Officer of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said that the use of the Special Trust Fund could change depending on the needs of the LGU. It could be used to fund activities according to its original purpose or it could be reprogrammed to fund other activities, be it for pre-disaster or quick response.

On the creation of the Local DRRM Office, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Regional Director Alfonso Bedonia, Jr.  said that it is DBM policy that the Personal Services (PS) requirement of the positions created for the Office shall be funded from the LGU General Fund, subject to PS limitation and it shall not be charged against the local DRRM Fund.

Meanwhile, Dir. Flores said that the DRRM Fund could be used to hire job order employees on project basis


Other speakers in the symposium were RDRRMC VI Chairperson and OCD VI Regional Director Rosario T. Cabrera and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) VI Mines and Geosciences Bureau Officer-in-Charge Mae Y. Magarzo.