Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has underscored the need for a quick, holistic and unified whole-of-government approach during crisis situations given the worsening scale of destruction caused by various natural and human-induced disasters on top of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
(OFFICE OF SEN. BONG GO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Iba’t ibang krisis at sakuna ang hinaharap ng mga Pilipino kada taon. Nadagdagan pa ito ng isang pandemya ngayon. Kung gaano kabilis makasira ng pamumuhay ang mga di inaasahang pangyayaring ito, mas mabilis dapat ang aksyon ng gobyerno upang mapaghandaan at maprotektahan ang buhay at kapakanan ng mga Pilipino,’’ her said. (With the different crises and disasters that the Filipinos face every year. Added to this is the ongoing pandemic. These occurences have severely impacted on our lives, hence government action has to be fast in order to be prepared and to protect the lives and welfare of the Filipinos.)
On Tuesday (Dec. 1), Go was invited to join a virtual meeting with DOLE Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III ---the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security for Region II---and local chief executives of Region II constituting the Regional Development Council and Regional Peace and Order Council.
Task Force Build Back Better Chairman Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, and co-chairman, Department and Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar, together with Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel E. Avisado, Department and Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea also attended the virtual meeting to lend support to the efforts of the regional councils.
In his speech, Go emphasized the need for the national agencies and local government units to be well-coordinated in their efforts in mitigating and managing the effects of disasters.
“Since tuloy tuloy po ang baha, dapat planuhing mabuti dahil di natin kontrolado kelan lalakas ang ulan, so dapat maging balanse po ang pag-release ng tubig ng dams at expected rains na bubuhos sa isang lugar. Well coordinated dapat ang national government at affected LGUs,’’he said. (Since flooding is a continuing occurrences, better planning should be made because we are not in control as to when a heavy rain comes. We have to balance the release of the water from the dams and the expected rains in a place. The national government and the affected LGUs (local government units) should be well-coordinated.)
Go, chairman of the Senate health committee, stressed that if surrounding areas would still experience flooding despite the mitigating solutions, evacuation and relocation measures must be in place.
“Importante po sa akin ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino more than anything else. At kung mayroon man akong maitutulong po sa inyo, mga governors, diyan po sa inyong lugar, tawagan niyo lang ako … patuloy akong magiging tulay kay Pangulo,’’ he said. (The life of every Filipino is important to me more than anything else. And if I can be of help to you, the governors, in your areas, just call me … I will continue to be your bridge to the President.)
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the senator from Davao continues to reach out and extend much needed relief to Filipinos in crisis situations.
“Gagawin ko po ang lahat ng aking makakaya. Dapat po sa panahong ito walang tulog ang serbisyo para sa taumbayan,’’ he added. (I will do everything within my ability. At this time, the service to the people must go on.)
Immediately after typhoon ‘’Ulysses’’ made landfall, Go joined President Duterte in an aerial inspection which was followed by a visit to Barangay Iraga in Solana, Cagayan and a situational briefing in Tuguegarao city. In the weeks since that visit, his office has distributed assistance to various affected communities.
“Nakapagbigay tulong kami sa 1,354 families sa Solana at Enrile sa Cagayan; 659 families naman sa Baggao at Alcala at 1,358 families sa Amulung, Tumauini at Delfin Albano; mayroon ring 4,456 families mula sa iba’t ibang barangay sa Tuguegarao City,’’ he stated. (We have aided 1,354 families in Solana and Enrile in Cagayan; 659 families naman in Baggao and Alcala and 1,358 families in Amulung, Tumauini and Delfin Albano; about 4,456 families from the different barangay in Tuguegarao City.)
“Matapos sa Cagayan, nagpunta naman ang aking (mga staff) sa Isabela upang makapagbigay tulong sa ating kababayan doon, 950 families sa Cabagan at Sto. Tomas; at sa Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Santiago at Ilagan, naman nakatulong po tayo sa 2,000 families,’’ he added. (After Cagayan, my staff proceded to Isabela to deliver assistance to our countrymen there, 950 families in Cabagan and Sto Tomas; and in Sta. Maria, San Pablo, Santiago and Ilagan. We have helped 2,000 families.)
Go’s team so far has been able to assist over 10,000 families in these areas but still he reiterated that more work needs to be done.
“Hindi pa sila tuluyang makabangon muli … Ito po ang dahilan kaya hinimok ko ang gobyerno na buuin ang isang Task Force for post-disaster rehabilitation … Hindi ito titigil hanggang matapos ang trabahong kinakailangan,’’ he said. (They still cannot fully recover…This is the reason while I am urging the government to create aTask Force for post-disaster rehabilitation…This will not stop until the needed job is done.)
“Kilala natin si Pangulong Duterte, ayaw niya po na mayroong nakatiwangwang o may naiiwan na proyekto na hindi po natatapos,’’ he added. (We President Duterte, he does not want to see unfinished projects.)
Last November 18, the President signed Executive Order (EO) 120 creating an inter-agency task force to streamline and focus on post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery efforts in typhoon-hit areas. Task Force Build Back Better will also implement long-term strategies to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities.
“More than simply rebuilding, we should build back better. Kasi kung ibabalik lang natin ang dating nakagawian, mauulit rin lang ang problema kapag may panibagong kalamidad na darating. At balita ko … ‘di pa nga bumababa talaga ang baha diyan sa Isabela at Cagayan, panibangong typhoon na naman ang darating,’’ he added. (If we just go back to our old ways, the problem will reoccur everytime a calamity hits us. I was told … the flood there in Isabela and Cagayan has not subside and a new typhoon is coming.)
“I cannot stress this enough: Government must move and act as one to ensure that the delivery of assistance is timely, effective and responsive,” he continued.
Go also commended President Duterte for approving the augmentation of calamity funds in affected areas in order to boost the capacity of LGUs in carrying out disaster response, relief, rehabilitation and recovery operations.
Meanwhile, Go renewed his call for the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1228, known as the Mandatory Evacuation Center Act of 2019, which he filed last December 2019.
He likewise urged support for SB 205 which seeks to consolidate the essential functions of every disaster-related agency into a Department of Disaster Resilience.
“I am not losing hope dito, na sana po ay magkaroon tayo ng isang cabinet-level na departamento na nakatutok po sa mga kalamidad at ... makikipag-coordinate po sa ibat ibang ahensya ng gobyerno (I am not losing hope on this, hopefully, we are going to have a cabinet-level department that focuses ofn the calamities and…will coordinate with the different agencies of the government),” Go said.
Go vowed to ensure that sufficient budget allocations are made to help affected communities build back better.
He cited that his appeals for an additional budget for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund and additional support for calamity-stricken LGUs were included in the 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which is at present being finalized by the Senate and House of Representatives bicameral conference committee panels.