JUNE 12, 2012 DATE

NR # 2768B
REF. NO.

House approves Peoples Survival Fund

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill establishing the Peoples Survival Fund (PSF) that will enable the government to effectively address the problem of climate change. Rep. Dan Fernandez (1st District, Laguna), principal author of House Bill 6235, said the PSF shall be used for activities directly and exclusively supporting priority adaptation projects and programs adopted pursuant to climate change action plans of the local governments. The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 9729 otherwise known as the Climate Change Act of 2009. Fernandez said the PSF shall be used to support, grant, finance or otherwise assist adaptation activities where sufficient information is available to warrant such activities, in the areas of water resources management, land management, agriculture and fisheries, health, infrastructure development, fragile ecosystems including mountainous ecosystems, and integrated coastal zone management. The fund can support the improvement of the monitoring of vector-borne diseases triggered by climate change, and in this context improving disease control and prevention. The fund can also finance the forecasting and early warning systems as part of preparedness for climate related hazards, Fernandez said. Rep. Isidro Ungab (3rd District, Davao City), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said the fund may also serve as a guarantee for risk insurance needs for farmers, agricultural workers and other stakeholders; establish and strengthen existing national and regional centers as well as information networks for rapid response to extreme weather events where needed. Ungab said the balance of the PSF from all sources including the General Appropriation Act for the current year may not be less than P500 Million and may be increased as the need arises subject to review and evaluation by the Office of the President and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The PSF may be augmented by donations, endowments, grants and contributions which are exempted from donors tax and considered as allowable deduction from the gross income of the donor, Ungab said. Under the bill, the advisory board of the Climate Change Commission shall be headed by the Secretary of Department of Finance to include the Secretary of the

JUNE 12, 2012 DATE

NR # 2768B
REF. NO.

Department of Budget and Management, and the Chairperson of the National Youth Commission. The Climate Change Commission shall set the strategic direction on climate adaptation, utilizing the expertise of the Advisory Board, evaluate, review and approve the proposals to be submitted to the PSF Board for funding. The co-authors of the bill are Reps Joseph Emilio Abaya (1 st District, Cavite), Lorenzo Taada III (4th District, Quezon), Mel Senen Sarmiento (1st District, Western Samar), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) and Maria Isabelle Climaco (1st District, Zamboanga City). (30) jsc