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By: Leila B. Salaverria
Weather forecasters have warned that the current El Niño, characterized by the
unusual warming of the Pacific Ocean’s surface, was expected to be the same, if not
more severe than the one experienced 17 years ago.
But Pangilinan said one difference between then and now was that the
government was “better prepared” and would intervene to mitigate the impact of El
Niño, expected to peak from September this year to the first quarter of 2016.
Senate President Franklin Drilon initially said this appeared to be too minuscule
based on the previous production loss of P3.3 billion.
But Drilon, after noting that the DA still had P16.7 billion in unobligated funds
from its 2015 budget, said there may be no need for the agency to seek the
supplemental budget. It could accommodate the P1.9 billion from its unobligated funds.
Alcala had replied that the DA could not just realign funds because its budget had line
items.
But Drilon said the DA had been “ultraconservative” and was implementing a
“very, very conservative” reading of the Supreme Court decision on the Disbursement
Acceleration Program and the realignment of savings.
He believed the DA could realign items within its own department with the
approval of the President. Congress could pass a resolution authorizing the DA to use
its savings to address the El Niño phenomenon. This could be done easily because
there would be no need for additional funds, he added.
“My reading of your budget is you have enough to respond to the P1.9-billion
budget you’re looking for as an El Niño fund by realigning,” he said.
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/719452/govt-braces-for-el-ninos-
worst#ixzz4udgyhvpo