P5.1-M set for Sagada projects

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Trainings  in  addressing  disaster risk and reduction  management  along with  equipment top big budget items  in  this year’s P5.1 million local disaster funds.
    This following an earlier meeting among members of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council for the LDRRM Funds  investment plan for 2023.
    Disaster funds or local disaster risk reduction and management (LDRRM) funds are sourced from 5% of the total national tax allotment  with 70% of the  amount allotted for  disaster preparedness and mitigation  and 30% for quick response.
    Sagada usually experiences landslides brought about by typhoons usually resulting to blocked roads along with drainage and farming issues.
    Construction and rehabilitation of drainage systems was pushed by barangay officials during MDRRMC planning and budget meetings.
    Among other items budgeted on disaster concerns for this year 2023  includes the rehabilitation of Bowoe reinforced  concrete  drainage canal at barangay Kilongand three other drainage systems in the eastern zone considered as automatic budget items for 2024 considering lack of funding for 2023.
    Management of evacuation centers, acquisition of basic farm inputs  due to calamity affected  farmers and  fisherfolks were among priority budget items for  2023.
    Other identified projects for this year are information and education materials on health, vaccination and barangay based information drives and  provision of fuel for transport.
    Assistance to  Habagat  affected farmers and  purchase of  two units of motorized  water pumps for emergency  response are  identified in the 2023 budget.
    Too, installation of warning signs have long been an identified need.
    Sagada is a home to a number of sink holes and it’s an urgent and persistent call among households to build their houses and even pigpens in sites away from sink holes.
    The Mines and GeoSciences Bureau has identified 33 sink holes in town from the northern to the southern part of town.
    A vehicle costing nearly two million pesos remains unpurchased  due to  lack of funds.
    Said vehicle is hoped to be included in the 2024 budget by the MDRRMC in their next quarterly meeting.
    Drainage projects set aside in the 2023 disaster funds were considered in the 2024 budget, recent MDRRC meeting notes.
    This included rehabilitation of  the collapsed portion of Boos farm, Wanga-Pegeo farm to market road  at Tetep-an Sur,  Amba irrigation system and Ampanga-Kilong drainage system.
    Meantime, P1.5 million from unused P2.6 million disaster funds in 2022 shall be used to rehabilitate the Rural Health Unit building damaged during the July 27 earthquake.
    This, among other items budgeted from the unused P2.6 million LDRRM funds   during the recent municipal disaster risk reduction council first quarterly meeting this year held March 6.
    MDRRMC Officer Aida Abeya in an interview said P1.5 million from the unused P2.6 million in 2022 come from 70 percent of the LDRRM funds for disaster preparedness and 30 percent for quick response much as there was no state of calamity in 2022.
    The LGU’s  LDRRM funds  for 2022 comes from 5% of the total national tax allotment  amounting to  P5.7 million with 70% for  preparedness and mitigation  equivalent of  P3.9 million and 30% for quick response equivalent to  P1.7 million.
    Said unexpended P2.6 million  was forwarded to the Sangguniang Bayan for their endorsement on the utilization plan  of the unexpended  LDRRM funds  for implementation plan for year 2023. 
    Other items budgeted for the unused P2.6 million is forest fire prevention on the making of  fire lines  in prone areas implemented by the  Bureau of  Fire Protection (BFP), concerned barangays officials and the MDRRMC.
    Logistical support is also given for the removal of traffic obstruction along the road going to Ambasing at sitio Makingking and other road obstructions.