MANILA - The United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP) has so far received US$10 million worth of funding pledges for the victims of heavy flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana).

Stephen Anderson, WFP country director, said they need to have the funding placed immediately in order to purchase the necessary equipment and deploy people on the ground.

He added, however, the UN may not be able to allocate the funding from victims of Ondoy to victims of Pepeng (Parma).

Anderson said the UN and its partners will conduct a joint assessment on the areas affected by Pepeng on Sunday to check if these areas would warrant a similar response from the WFP.

"We stated before that this response was primarily for Ondoy. However, even as the press appeals, the UN resident coordinator indicated that the UN and their partners will be doing their best on the emerging priorities of the Philippine government, that is certainly going on,” said Anderson.

“I believe a joint assessment is going out tomorrow to actually visit some of the worst affected areas in Pangasinan and these places. That could be the basis of further action from the WFP,” he added.

‘Japan gives $4.5M’

The Japanese government also has given the WFP $4.5 million to assist in the relief efforts for flood efforts in the Philippines.

The money will be used to feed hundreds of thousands of families who were forced to evacuate their inundated homes. 

The WFP said it will buy some 6,700 metric tons of rice which will feed about 670,000 people for a month. 

The money will also be used to keep the WFP's helicopters airborne over the course of the month to facilitate a swift and a coordinated response by the Philippine government and humanitarian agencies. 

So far two helicopters have arrived in Manila yesterday from Turkey and another will be coming over from Laos.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro thanked the Japanese government and the WFP for their assistance.  

"Let me extend in behalf of her excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the sincere thanks of the government and people of the Philippines to the Japanese government, the Japanese people for their substantial donation and at this time that the Republic of the Philippines is in need of help though the WFP," he said.

‘Gov’t can still raise calamity fund’ 

The Philippine government, meanwhile, said it is confident that it can raise the money needed to help flood victims despite reports that the calamity fund is already running out.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said the P10 billion supplemental budget proposed by Congress is not the only source of funding for calamity assistance.

Andaya also assured that with or without the supplemental budget, the government will still spend for rehabilitation funds authorized under the 2009 budget.

He explained there is an “unprogrammed fund” in the 2009 budget which the government can tap if new loans come in.

Andaya is hopeful that aid and loans by international communities will trigger the tapping of this “unprogrammed fund”.  -- ABS-CBN News Channel