By Genalyn Kabiling The "fist-responder" government agencies have around P6.8 billion for disaster response in this year's national budget that can be tapped for the Taal Volcano relief efforts, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said on Tuesday. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers a speech during his visit to the families affected by the Taal Volcano eruption at the Batangas City Sports Coliseum on January 14, 2020. (VALERIE ESCALERA/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN) At the Taal situation briefing attended by President Duterte in Batangas City, Avisado said the national government has more than enough funds to cover the latest relief efforts for people affected by Taal Volcano's restiveness. "We are assured that the government has more than enough funds. I say more than enough because we are still beginning the 2020 national budget utilization," he said. Based on the 2020 budget, Avisado said Department of Education has an allocation of P2.1 billion; Department of Agriculture, P1.5 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development, P1.25 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways, P1 billion; Department of Health, P600 million; Department of National Defense, P250 million; and National Electrification Administration, P100 million. "We would like to assure the people that the government is doing its best and managing the funds necessary to respond to all these needs," he said. "We will be consulting and securing the approval of the President in all of this, particularly in the utilization of the NDRRM (National Disaster Risk Reduction) funds," he added. But for now, Avisado encouraged the local government of Batangas to utilize its calamity funds of around P409 million before the national government comes in. "We just want to assure you that you have funds that you can utilize. At the moment that the activity of Taal is ongoing, you just follow the guidelines in the utilization," he said. "Ito po kasi ang pamantayan din namin sa DBM na bago po pumasok ang national government ay kailangan na maipakita natin na ginamit niyo na nga ‘yung pera ninyo, talagang kukulangin (This is the policy of the DBM that before the national government enters, you must show us that you have used your funds and may face shortage)," he said. He said he has recommended to the President to approve any fund request that will be taken from the national disaster risk reduction and management fund or the contingency fund. "But at the moment, I would imagine that lahat ng mga departments natin, lalo na ‘yung mga first responders (all our departments especially the first responders) are getting their funds from the continuing appropriations that they have," he said. Batangas has been placed under state of calamity as Taal Volcano continued to show increased activity that displaced thousands of families. A possible hazardous explosive eruption is expected within days, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). An evacuation has been enforced within the 14-kilometer danger zone around the volcano. Phivolcs director Renato Solidum has appealed to the evacuees not to return to their homes yet, saying they should not be fooled by the volcano's apparent calm appearance. He said the strong earthquakes and fissures or cracks are signs of the volcano's increased unrest. "Puwedeng masabi n’yong mas mahina ang nangyayari at minsan nagiging false sense of security kaya pumupunta ‘yung ibang tao at bumabalik. Hindi ‘yan ‘yung basehan namin kung bakit namin itinaas ang Alert Level 4 (You may say it has weakened activity and sometimes this gives a false sense of security so some people return. That's not our basis why we raised Alert Level 4)," he said in a Place press briefing Tuesday. "Ang basehan talaga namin ay pagkakaroon ng mga lindol at ang lindol na po ‘yan ay malalakas (Our basis is the strong earthquakes)," he added.