P45.67-B disaster fund proposed for 2027 amid El Niño, calamity risks

By Rhaydz Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Marcos administration is proposing a P45.67-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) for 2027 as the government strengthens its capacity to prepare for and respond to calamities, including the possible effects of El Niño.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said the proposed NDRRMF under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) is 14.68 percent, or nearly P5.85 billion, higher than the P39.82 billion allocated under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“Hindi kailangang hintaying tumama ang bagyo, lumindol, o maranasan ang matinding epekto ng El Niño bago magamit ang pondo ng gobyerno para protektahan ang mga Pilipino,” De Leon said.

“There is no need to wait for a typhoon to strike, an earthquake to occur, or the severe effects of El Niño to be felt before government funds can be used to protect Filipinos,” he said.

De Leon said the proposed increase reflects the need to maintain resources for disaster risk reduction, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. The government is also preparing for the possible effects of El Niño on agriculture, water supply, food security and vulnerable communities.

“As one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, investing in resilience is no longer a choice, but a necessity,” De Leon said.

Under the proposed P45.67-billion allocation, P30 billion will go to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program, an increase of P6.51 billion from the P23.49 billion allocated in 2026.

Another P14.67 billion is proposed for the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program for local government units to help affected communities rebuild critical infrastructure and restore essential services. An additional P1 billion is proposed for the People’s Survival Fund.

Government records show that the NDRRMF has generally been substantially released in recent years. Of the appropriations from 2023 to 2025, 99 percent was released in 2023, 100 percent in 2024 and 98 percent in 2025, according to the DBM.

For 2026, P17.30 billion, or 43 percent of the P39.82-billion NDRRMF, had been released as of Sept. 25, leaving P22.52 billion available for eligible requirements that may arise during the remainder of the year.

The DBM said the remaining balance does not mean that the fund is idle or unnecessary. Releases from the NDRRMF are based on actual eligible requirements arising from disasters and other covered events, allowing the government to retain resources for emergencies rather than exhaust its disaster buffer prematurely.

Under Republic Act No. 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the fund may support disaster risk reduction, mitigation, prevention and preparedness activities, including personnel training, equipment procurement and capital expenditures.

The proposed NDRRMF also complements measures already being undertaken in anticipation of El Niño. The government has started front-loading assistance to the agriculture sector under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) Framework, including support for farm inputs, fuel and irrigation. The Department of Agriculture is also maximizing its existing appropriations and prioritizing beneficiaries.

The NDRRMF may serve as an additional fiscal buffer if regular agency funding proves insufficient for eligible requirements arising from El Niño and other disasters.

Aside from the NDRRMF, government agencies maintain their own Quick Response Funds (QRFs) for immediate disaster response. As of Aug. 31, 2026, P14.93 billion of the P26.90 billion in available QRFs, including built-in agency QRFs and replenishments from the NDRRMF, had been obligated. Unused QRF balances form part of agencies’ continuing appropriations for the succeeding budget year.

The NDRRMF may also cover a broader range of emergencies beyond typhoons and earthquakes, subject to applicable laws and conditions, including natural or human-induced disasters, epidemics declared by the Department of Health, armed conflicts, insurgency, terrorism and other major catastrophes.

The layered funding mechanism allows agencies to respond immediately through their QRFs while keeping the NDRRMF available as a national fiscal buffer for larger or emerging requirements.

In his FY 2027 budget message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the economic and human costs of increasingly severe climate risks.

“Climate action is no longer simply an environmental concern—it is an economic and development imperative that protects lives, livelihoods, and future generations,” Marcos said.

The proposed increase in the NDRRMF is part of the government’s broader disaster financing approach, which emphasizes preparedness before calamities occur, sufficient resources during emergencies, and funding for recovery and rebuilding.