Thread by @znsuzara

You know why this remains unreleased? It’s most likely because no national government agency or LGU is requesting for it.

DBM cannot release this without a special budget request.

newsinfo.inquirer.net/1426367/p25b-i…

Nonetheless, I still think the 2021 NDRRM Fund should be used for pandemic response/ayuda but definitely, some of it should be saved for disaster season this year. I believe I mentioned this in my Rappler interview @reyaika and @RalfRivas a couple of weeks back.

Aside from the NDRRM Fund, there’s also the Contingent Fund that is subject. That’s 13 billion this year. That should also be tapped to fund the many unforeseen needs due to this pandemic.

Both the NDRRM Fund and the Contingent Fund are subject to the approval of the President. They have appropriations in 2021 General Appropriations Act.

Why then are IATF officials saying there are no funds for ayuda and pandemic response? Do they even coordinate with DBM?

Now, assuming there’s a special budget request from an agency, a major reason that DBM will not recommend additional fund release from these two funds is the absorptive capacity of agencies. But that is technical. Malacañang can certainly override that recommendation.

Baka naman ayaw lang talaga ipagamit ang mga ito. Baka naman nagkukuripot lang because in their minds Build, Build, Build is the solution to everything. Goodness.

This kind of austerity and this faith in trickle down econics in the middle of a crisis will be the death of us🤦🏻‍♀️

P.S. Fund release from NDRRM and CF is ultimately based on presidential approval not just the submission of a budget request.

No approval, no release. But then again, if there’s no budget request to begin with, what will Malacañang approve, di ba?

EDIT: economics not econics hehehe