Senate allocates P10 billion for Marawi rehab, approves P693m budget for CHR

October 12, 2017

The Senate allocated P10 billion for the rehabilitation of Marawi City next year in one of its amendments for the 2018 budget, a statement from the Upper House said Thursday.

Money for the Marawi rehabilitation will come from the 2018 budget of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund. The amount is on top of the P5 billion given this year for Marawi's rehabilitation, the Senate said.

Funding for Marawi’s rehabilitation will also come from the government’s Contingency Fund and the funds of other agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Armed Forces Engineering Brigade.

The Senate also approved the P693 million budget for the Commission on Human Rights to fund its various programs and activities in 2018, including continuing assistance to the victims of human rights violations during the Zamboanga siege of 2013.

When session resumes on November 13, the Senate will tackle Senate Bill No. 1592, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill being pushed by Malacañang, and the 2018 budget.

Both measures are pending on second reading. DMS