House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Thursday, July 28, said they are looking at the “best practices” of the disaster management and preparedness agencies in the United States (US) and Turkey as models for the establishment of the country’s own agency.
The newly-installed speaker said the lower House supports the call of Senator Imee Marcos for a new government body that will respond to emergencies caused by disasters amid the aftermath of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Northern Philippines on Wednesday, July 27.
She likened it to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is tasked to coordinate the various agencies’ responses to disasters.
“On the part of the House, we shall support the good senator's proposal here owing to the fact we’ve always been looking for best practices, and FEMA or even the AFAD (Ministry of Interior - Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) in Turkey are great models, for best practices, for these protocols,” Romualdez said during a briefing about the Abra earthquake.
He also expressed support for Marcos’s call to increase the budgetary requirements for the restoration of the cultural heritages and various infrastructures destroyed by the earthquake.
“We shall also join the good senator from Ilocos Norte on her call to support the budgetary requirements. For the restoration of the heritage and cultural sites as well...as the various infrastructures in the situation report,” he said.
Romualdez joined his cousin, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Senator Marcos, and other top government officials in visiting earthquake victims and affected communities in Abra on Thursday.
READ: Marcos visits Abra, oversees post-earthquake response
The lady senator earlier reported that Bantay bell tower and Vigan Calle Real Houses, both in locos Sur, and Sarrat Church, Laoag bell tower, Sarrat heritage municipal hall, all located in Ilocos Norte, were severely damaged by the quake.
She also said that main roads and other infrastructures were also damaged.
“The DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) is hardly competent to assess the integrity of these centuries-old churches,” she said during the same briefing.
Senator Marcos added that approving the budget to restore the heritage churches is “necessary".
Romualdez had no worries regarding the coordination between the national government and the local governments as far as response to the earthquake is concerned.
He also turned over to Abra Rep. Ching Bernos his personal assistance to the earthquake victims.
Romualdez said the government and the private sector should join hands in helping the victims and rehabilitating damage-stricken communities.
“The government is here, we are here to help,” he said.