As youth groups intensified relief efforts with schools to aid typhoon victims, the P21.7 billion calamity budget for 2012 was questioned in the absence of a proper disaster plan that should be created and installed by the national government to mitigate disasters.

In the 2012 General Appropriations Act (GAA) recently approved by President Benigno Aquino III, P7.5 billion was allocated for the calamity fund while P14.2 billion was set for disaster risk reduction and management activities under the unprogrammed funds.

Despite the huge amount, however, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino said that the funding is questionable given that there is no clear and proper disaster plan implemented by the government that will mitigate the impact of typhoons and other natural disasters.

Read the full statement on Kabataan Partylist.