Interventions to mitigate the impact of El Niño on 66 provinces will require P19.2 billion, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
Economic Planning Secretary and Neda Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan, who also chairs the El Niño task force, said the budget required for the remainder of this year is P7.5 billion and P11.7 billion next year.
“This is still very, very tentative, these are indicative amounts that we’ll discuss with the agencies, but it’s amounting already to something like P19.2 billion, covering both the remaining months of this year and [first half] next year,” Balisacan said.
He said the government has already identified seven provinces that are affected by the El Niño. These are Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Bohol, Siquijor, Camiguin and Misamis Oriental.
By the end of the month toward November 2015, Balisacan said the number of provinces affected by the drought will more than double to 16 provinces.
By the end of the first semester next year, some 66 provinces nationwide are expected to have been affected by the El Niño.
To address the needs of these provinces, Balisacan said the government will implement cash-for-work programs, which are estimated to cost P2.9 billion this year and P7.3 billion in the first semester of next year.
The cash-for-work programs will be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the Departments Public Works and Highways, Labor and Employment, Trade and Industry, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Apart from these programs, the government will also be allocating some P3.75 billion for water management, particularly for farm production.
Balisacan said P1.75 billion will be spent by the Department of Agriculture, NIA, and the Department Environment and Natural Resources in the remaining months of this year. The bulk or P2 billion is allocated for the first semester of 2016.
Further, Balisacan said the Department of Social Welfare and Development will also be introducing food stamps to farmers or those in allied industries that may also be affected by the drought. This intervention, he said, will require a budget of P1.3 billion for the remaining months of 2015 and P1.9 billion for the first semester of 2016.