MANILA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 39.8 billion pesos (about 686.04 million U.S. dollars) in fresh funding has been allocated this year to strengthen the Philippines' disaster response and rehabilitation efforts, lawmaker Marcelino Libanan said Sunday.

Libanan, the House of Representatives' minority leader, said the 2026 calamity fund represents a 90-percent increase from the 21 billion pesos earmarked in 2025.

The disaster response funds cover natural and human-induced calamities, epidemics as declared by the Department of Health, crises from armed conflicts, insurgency, terrorism and other catastrophes, Libanan said.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Pacific typhoon belt. ■