By Mario Casayuran  Sen. Christopher “Bong" Go said Saturday local government units (LGUs) affected by the Jan. 12 Taal volcano eruption have full government support. Senator Christopher "Bong" Go
(PRIB Photo by Cesar Tomambo /29 July 2019) Go said President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed concerned government agencies to fully support the recovery efforts of the LGUs hit by volcanic ash falls and earthquakes caused by the volcano's eruption. "Last Tuesday, I was with the President when he had a situation briefing with the different government agencies where he ordered his department secretaries to support the local government units,” Go said, referring to the situation briefing conducted by government agencies with the President at the Batangas Sports Complex, Batangas City on Tuesday (Jan. 14). The President, according to Go, has told the Department of Health (DOH) that they know already their job -- to ensure the health of every Filipino. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), on the other hand, was reminded to immediately clear roads of all barriers and debris, and restore damaged infrastructure. The order to the Department of Energy (DOE) was to restore electric power and communication lines immediately. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) headed by for Secretary Eduardo Año and the Department of National Defense (DND) headed by Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were given lead roles in disaster relief efforts "because the Office of the Civil Defense is under them,” Go said. Citing the health hazards of ash fall, the senator also called on the Department of Health (DOH) to prioritize the cleaning of health centers and evacuation centers in affected areas to ensure the safety of residents and evacuees. According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, he has already informed the Regional Director of DOH-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) to coordinate with the LGUs concerned regarding the cleaning and disinfecting of barangay healths stations and rural health units in the area. DOH will be providing technical and logistical assistance to them to ensure that people will have unhampered access to primary health care and assistance. Go also mentioned that some private individuals have committed to donate horses as a form of livelihood assistance, particularly to residents in Tagaytay City who lost the horses they used to earn a living in the eruption. He encouraged those who would also like to donate horses to reach out and help. In view of the consecutive natural disasters that have ravaged the country the past few months, Go said that it is high time that the government establishes evacuation centers in all cities, provinces, and municipalities to provide the basic needs of victims. Go filed recently a bill providing for mandatory evacuation centers in all cities, provinces, and municipalities nationwide. Senate Bill (SB) No. 1228 , or An Act Establishing a Mandatory Evacuation Center in all Cities, Provinces, and Municipalities, Appropriating Funds Therefor, provides for the establishment of an evacuation center in every city, province, and municipality throughout the country. The bill also sets the minimum requirements for every evacuation center, such as its location, amenities, accessibility, and operation and management, among others. As for his calls for the establishment of a Department of Disaster Resilience, Go said his SB 205 or the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) Act is now being deliberated at the Senate committee level. He also mentioned that they will study various proposals on the best approach to creating an authority solely in charge of disaster resilience. Go acknowledged the fact that the government as a whole can do more to educate and inform the public when it comes to disaster preparedness. This, he said, is also one of the reasons he is pushing for the creation of a DDR. The proposed DDR will institutionalize the presence of an empowered government entity with full authority to handle disaster preparedness, mitigation, recovery, and resiliency efforts. Go said although natural occurrences cannot be predicted, Filipinos should be more prepared to handle these situations because the country is geographically and historically prone to calamities and disasters. "As an example, as early as March last year, the situation of Taal volcano was already declared under Alert 1. This was last year, and now Taal suddenly erupted, and only now that we struggle to move," he said. "Do we need the volcano to explode before we meet and fix what should be fixed? So, we have be prepared, the whole government, we have to be proactive during the occurrence of such a situation.”