A declaration of a “state of calamity” allows local government units (LGUs)to start drawing on their “special” funds allocated for emergencies. Without such a declaration, based on an appropriate assessment, these emergency funds cannot be disbursed. Moreover, such funds are earmarked specially for emergency relief and recovery, and cannot be used for other purposes.
In recent days we have had many Luzon towns and cities, including provinces such as Bulacan and Pampanga, all having local councils declaring a “state of calamity.” All because of strong rains, flooding, and the damage these caused. In Bulacan and Pampanga, the rains were due to the southwest monsoon, as enhanced by typhoons.
Simply put, the rains and flooding, and resulting damage, were not caused by the typhoons directly but by monsoon rains. And not all LGUs, particularly the smaller ones, can afford to budget yearly for disaster relief and recovery. So, they make annual contributions to a “calamity” fund that can be disbursed for the purpose, but only after the official declaration of a state of calamity.
In short, the process of declaration, and the release of funds for disasters, is not an easy process. In the case of Bulacan, the Provincial Council needed to first assess the damage, after the first hit, and then pass Panlalawigang Kapasiyahan Blg. 579-T’2023 for the calamity declaration. And this was after 228,648 residents from 171 barangays were already affected by the rains.
And then there was the Bulacan governor’s call for Congress to prioritize legislation on mitigating the flooding problem in the province, where a new airport is also being erected. News reports indicated that as of Tuesday morning, 16 towns and three cities in Bulacan were still dealing with floods six inches to seven feet deep.
As for Pampanga, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved Resolution No. 8058 on Monday declaring a state of calamity. Without that, the province could not disburse money from its Quick Response Fund for relief efforts. Abra and Apayao made similar moves ahead of Bulacan and Pampanga. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) reports that 113 cities and towns have been placed under a state of calamity in at least six regions.
And here lay several problems. I am sure not all LGUs have managed to set aside funds for disaster relief. In some areas, as I had observed when reviewing past audit reports of smaller towns, some LGUs have deficits as far as relief funds are concerned, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In this line, their getting financial assistance from the National Government will also be like moving a mountain with bare hands.
I suspect that after the pandemic hit in 2020, in succeeding years some LGUs may have stopped contributing to disaster funds because of budget deficits. I am sure local business tax collection went down in 2020 to 2022 after many small businesses closed or suspended operations due to the pandemic. And now that we are grappling with disasters, their treasuries are just as ravaged as well. In this line, the National Government will need to find a way to extend assistance.
The other concern is food supply.
The President already raised the need to import particularly rice, to boost the buffer stock, also because of the El Niño phenomenon. Typhoons tend to impact harvest and supply, resulting in higher prices. In the case of rice, usual rice exporters Vietnam and India have said they are temporarily staying out of the market.
In a press briefing, the President noted that Indonesia was importing, but Vietnam already said it has exported all it could, while India has stopped exports meantime. This leaves Thailand as a possible supplier, but the whole of Southeast Asia is preparing for El Niño’s long droughts. So, all countries are buying at the same time. And this is going to drive up prices.
When rice prices go up again, that is when the real state of calamity begins. And no national declaration or release of “emergency” funds can remedy that situation. Our rice sources like Bulacan and Pampanga are among those hit hard by torrential rains and flooding. The adverse impact on planting and harvest is inevitable.
The present situation, including the negative effects of El Niño, all require urgent but comprehensive and meticulous study and planning, particularly by the Agriculture department. More important, the National Government should be prepared to allocate the necessary resources needed to mitigate higher food prices and its overall impact on inflation.
In this line, there should be clearer lines on responsibility and accountability as far as addressing the rice situation — and food inflation — are concerned. This will entail making somebody else responsible for the problem. Otherwise, in case of failures, the President cannot fire himself as Agriculture chief.
I agree with Senator Grace Poe’s call for a full-time Agriculture Secretary to address the issues hounding the agriculture sector, instead of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. who is concurrently heading the Department of Agriculture. It was only recently that the President, after over a year in office, finally appointed a permanent Health Secretary.
The present situation requires focus by the Agriculture department, and this necessitates the appointment of a permanent Agriculture secretary. The President already has a full plate, and finding an expert to focus on the rice and food situation and to implement long-term solutions can be the difference between declaring a state of calamity and the Philippines becoming a calamity state.
Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippine Press Council