Proposed NDRRMF up 14.68% from 2026; nearly all disaster funds released in 2023–2025 as government keeps resources ready for prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery
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.
This is the thrust of the proposed ₱45.67-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, as the Marcos Administration strengthens the country’s capacity not only to respond to calamities, but also to prepare for them and reduce their impact before they strike.
Under the proposed FY 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the NDRRMF will increase by nearly P5.85 billion, or 14.68 percent, from its ₱39.82-billion allocation under the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Government records also show the continuing need to maintain sufficient fiscal buffers for disasters. Of the NDRRMF appropriations from 2023 to 2025, 99 percent was released in 2023, 100 percent in 2024, and 98 percent in 2025.
For FY 2026, P17.30 billion, or 43 percent of the ₱39.82-billion NDRRMF, has been released as of September 25, leaving ₱22.52 billion available for requirements that may arise during the remainder of the year.
The remaining amount does not mean that the fund is idle or unnecessary. Unlike regular agency expenditures, releases from the NDRRMF are driven by actual eligible requirements arising from disasters and other covered events. Keeping resources available therefore allows the government to respond when the need arises, rather than exhaust the country’s disaster buffer prematurely.
“As one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, investing in resilience is no longer a choice, but a necessity,” Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said.
“The proposed FY 2027 budget therefore strengthens the government’s capacity not only to respond to disasters, but more importantly, to prepare for them and reduce their impact on Filipino communities,” the Budget Chief added.
The higher allocation comes as the government prepares for a wide range of disaster and climate risks, including the possible effects of El Niño on agriculture, water supply, food security, and vulnerable communities.
Contrary to the common perception that the NDRRMF is used only after a typhoon, earthquake, or other calamity has already caused damage, the fund may also support measures undertaken before disaster strikes.
Under Republic Act No. 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the fund may be used for disaster risk reduction, mitigation, prevention, and preparedness activities, including personnel training, procurement of equipment, and capital expenditures.
The proposed NDRRMF complements interventions already being undertaken by the government in anticipation of El Niño. The government has begun front-loading support for the agriculture sector under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Framework, including farm inputs and support related to fuel and irrigation, while the Department of Agriculture maximizes its existing appropriations and prioritizes beneficiaries.
The NDRRMF can serve as an additional fiscal buffer should regular agency funding prove insufficient for eligible requirements arising from El Niño and other disasters.
Of the proposed P45.67 billion for 2027, P30 billion will go to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program, up by P6.51 billion from P23.49 billion in 2026.
Another P14.67 billion is proposed for the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program (DRRAP) for Local Government Units, providing resources to help affected communities rebuild critical infrastructure and restore essential services. An additional P1 billion is proposed for the People’s Survival Fund.
Aside from the NDRRMF, concerned agencies also maintain their own Quick Response Funds (QRFs) for immediate disaster response. As of August 31, 2026, ₱14.93 billion of the P26.90-billion available QRF—including built-in agency QRFs and replenishments from the NDRRMF—had already been obligated. Unused QRF balances form part of agencies’ continuing appropriations into the succeeding budget year.
This layered funding mechanism allows agencies to respond immediately through their QRFs while preserving the NDRRMF as a national fiscal buffer for larger and emerging requirements. Should the NDRRMF itself be fully depleted, DBM may also tap other appropriate funding sources, subject to applicable budgeting laws and rules.
The NDRRMF is also designed to respond to a broader range of emergencies beyond typhoons and earthquakes. Subject to applicable laws and conditions, it may fund relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, recovery, and other eligible requirements arising from natural or human-induced disasters, epidemics declared by the Department of Health, armed conflicts, insurgency, terrorism, and other major catastrophes occurring in the current or two preceding years.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in his FY 2027 Budget Message, underscored the broader economic and human cost 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,” the President said.
The proposed increase in the NDRRMF therefore reflects a broader approach to disaster financing: prepare before disaster strikes, maintain sufficient resources when emergencies occur, and ensure that communities can recover and rebuild afterward.
For the government, disaster preparedness means acting while there is still time to protect communities—not only when lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure have already been lost.
The post Bago pa dumating ang sakuna: ₱45.67-B disaster fund proposed for 2027 as gov’t prepares for El Niño, other calamities first appeared on Pampanga News Now.