Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has thumbed down proposals to create a Department of Disaster Resilience, saying such calls is a knee-jerk response that would further bloat the country’s already bloated bureaucracy.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Drilon said. “I do not see the need for a full department only for disaster resilience. I believe that an overall plan on the number of department should be in place, instead of a knee-jerk push for a creation of certain departments,” he added.
Drilon said what must be strengthened right now is the coordination and planning between and among agencies involved in government disaster response, including a timely access to disaster funds by local government units which are at the forefront of disaster management.
He said there is already an established system with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Office of Civil Defense at the forefront.
“We do not see an urgent need to change it through the creation of a new department and by appointing a new secretary, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries,” he said. “The challenge remains on the planning and better coordination,” he added.
A new state department, he said, would mean new offices for undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, bureaus, and regional offices, with corresponding support staff and additional maintenance and other operating expenses.
“The Personnel Services (PS) budget today already constitutes at least one third of the national budget,” Drilon said.
“I believe that numerous national agencies and GOCCs (government-owned and controlled corporations) now have duplicating functions and should be rationalized before we start creating new offices or departments,” he said.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had earlier expressed doubt on the need to create a separate agency to mitigate the effects of the natural calamities and disasters.
“It is relatively easy to pass a law creating new departments. But would it be feasible, and will there be proper funding for it?” Lacson said.
Lacson said he believes “a dedicated office” under the Office of the President, with a Cabinet rank and full authority to mobilize concerned government agencies before, during, and after calamities both natural and man-made, “would do the job with much less funding and minimum number of staff and personnel.”