Push Admin

No housing funds for Taal evacuees under 2021 budget: Housing agency

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/01/15/2020115-taal-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Residents affected by the Taal Volcano eruption rest in Padre Pio Shrine, Santo Tomas, Batangas, Jan. 15, 2020. Eloisa Lopez, Reuters/file</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - The National Housing Authority on Wednesday said it has no funds for the rehabilitation of houses damaged during the Taal eruption earlier this year.Of the NHA&#x27;s proposed P63.70-billion budget for 2021, only P2 billion was allowed to be included in the national government&#x27;s P4.5-trillion spending bill, the agency said during budget deliberations in the Senate.&quot;In 2020 and in 2021 we have not received any allocation for Taal,&quot; NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada, Jr. told senators when asked about housing units for those displaced by the rumbling of the dormant volcano.&quot;We are on the dilemma as to the fund source,&quot; he said.There are at least 2,600 totally damaged houses near the Taal volcano, while 14,565 other were partially damaged, according to data from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/14/20/inside-taal-volcanos-danger-zone-unease-over-rebuilding">Inside Taal volcano&#x27;s &#x27;danger zone,&#x27; unease over rebuilding</a></li></ul>&quot;We were supposed to receive P1 billion from Department of Budget and Management (DBM), but as of now we have not received that yet,&quot; Escalada said.To remedy the funding problem, the NHA allowed Taal evacuees to be listed as beneficiaries of existing housing programs, he said.At least 600 evacuees have &quot;decided to relocate in Ibaan, Batangas,&quot; while 2,200 families will be resettled within the same municipalities, DHSUD Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario said.While the NHA operates on a P73-billion budget, most of the funds are already earmarked for other housing projects, Escalada said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/15/20/all-in-gods-hands-taal-volcano-evacuees-hunker-down">&#x27;All in God&#x27;s hands&#x27;: Taal Volcano evacuees hunker down</a></li></ul>The DHSUD has been asking Congress to increase its 2021 budget by P12 billion, saying only 5 percent of its proposed P76.19-B funding was included in the National Expenditure Program.&quot;You really need assistance because of the very meager budget that is being assigned to you,&quot; Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said, noting that the agency needs P30 billion a year to construct 6.57 million homes in the next few years.The government&#x27;s P9.5-billion intelligence and confidential funds is even higher than the DHSUD&#x27;s 2021 budget, Drilon said.&quot;Contrast that with a P4-billion budget assigned to the housing sector... These show the priorities that we are confronted with in this sector,&quot; he said.The Taal volcano&#x27;s eruption in January displaced 736,802 individuals, and incurred P3.40 billion worth of infrastructure and agriculture damage in Batangas, Cavite, and nearby areas.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/20/lost-and-damaged-taal-volcano-steals-livelihoods">Lost and damaged: Taal volcano steals livelihoods</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KTQHHtFHZxk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The National Housing Authority on Wednesday said it has no funds for the rehabilitation of houses damaged during the Taal eruption earlier this year.

The National Housing Authority on Wednesday said it has no funds for the rehabilitation of houses damaged during the Taal eruption earlier this year.

No housing funds for Taal evacuees under 2021 budget: Housing agency

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

No housing funds for Taal evacuees under 2021 budget: Housing agency

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 21, 2020 05:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Taal volcano

Taal evacuees

National Housing Authority

NHA

Taal eruption

2021 budget

Senate

Batangas

Cavite

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.