Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun on Monday pressed lawmakers to expedite the passage of a bill that seeks to institute a national land use and management policy to provide a rational design that will help local government units (LGUs) withstand the damaging effects of a natural calamity or disaster.

Fortun pointed out many towns, cities, buildings, and homes are not resilient against typhoons, floods, and earthquakes due to a hazy land use and management policy. 
 
“That is the reality out there because of old laws, poor compliance with good laws, and zero or lax law enforcement especially at the local government level and for public works projects. We need dikes, breakwaters, spillways, and huge aqueducts,” Fortun said in a statement.
 
For one, the lawmaker said the government should consider prioritizing the construction of underground cables for towns and cities along the Pacific side of the Philippines. 
 
“To protect from storm winds, we must gradually bury underground as many of our electricity and communications cable as possible as part of disaster adaptation and mitigation,” he said.
 
“Underground cables should be prioritized for towns and cities along the Pacific side of the country,” he pointed out.
 
“Sawang-sawa na ang milyung-milyong Pilipino sa epekto ng mga kalamidad, pero wala naman tayong ginagawang permanenteng solusyon, kaya paulit-ulit tayong nagpe-penitensiya tuwing may kalamidad. (Millions of Filipinos are fed up with calamities and yet we don’t have any permanent solution that’s why we end up regretting again every time there is a calamity),” he lamented. 
 
“We need new typhoon-resilient designs of houses and buildings. We must build back better. The first steps must begin now,” he stressed.
 
Fortun earlier filed House Bill No. 105 or the proposed National Land Use and Management Act of the Philippines which primarily seeks to provide for a rational, holistic and just allocation, utilization, management and development of the country’s land and water resources.”
 
Currently, Fortun said the government does not have a national land use policy framework with disaster resilience built-in. 
 
“Legislation on national land use reform has been languishing in the committee. Congress should set its priorities right especially on the areas of environmental protection and disaster resilience,” he pointed out.

“Now with the Senate are the bills on the Department of Disaster Resilience. Some important bills are stuck in the committee, including 14 bills on land use management policy, and two about updating the National Building Code,” Fortun noted.