Dinagat Islands Rep. Alan Ecleo on Sunday, Sept. 25, called on his fellow lawmakers to “institutionalize” learnings from past disasters and streamline the government’s response to disasters as Typhoon “Karding” (international name Noru) threatens much of Luzon, including Metro Manila.
Dinagat Islands was swept by Super Typhoon “Odette” last year, losing millions worth of private and public infrastructure.
In a statement, the lawmaker called for the necessary reforms that will “minimize the damage of climate-related disasters.”
Remembering the devastations brought by Typhoon “Ondoy” in 2009, Typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013, and Super Typhoon “Odette” last year “is not enough,” he said.
“We need to institutionalize our learnings so that we can minimize the damage future typhoons will bring. We have paid dearly for these lessons,” Ecleo, the chairman of the House Committee on Disaster Resilience, added.
Karding has strengthened into a super typhoon and is expected to make landfall late Sunday afternoon equivalent to a Category 5 typhoon.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said the storm intensified early Sunday, strengthening from a 140 kph typhoon to a 250 kph super typhoon in just six hours.
During its first organizational hearing, Ecleo and the disaster resilience committee questioned where post-Odette funds went given the lack of a clear process of funding destroyed infrastructure, including seawalls and buildings.
“Clearly, there is a need to streamline response and rehabilitation efforts so that affected LGUs will know which resources can be accessed before and after every disaster,” he noted.
The lawmaker also stressed that provinces have different capacities in responding to disasters and rebuilding afterward.
“Disparity in development is disparity in disaster resilience. Small, poor provinces like Dinagat Islands must be equipped in terms of infrastructure, agriculture, as they are more vulnerable to climate-related disasters,” he said.
Last week, Ecleo met with representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center to develop a “pro-poor, disaster resilient” Food Security Masterplan for Dinagat Islands.
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However, the lawmaker bemoaned that rebuilding the same projects “over and over” is not sustainable.
“The design and architecture of buildings, especially public ones, must be updated to account for the increased frequency and intensity of typhoons,” he said.
Ecleo filed House Resolution No. 289 to direct agencies to enter into an interdepartmental Memorandum of Agreement for the establishment and implementation of disaster resilient master design and architectural plans for all primary and secondary schools in coastal areas.
READ: House panel adopts resolution seeking to make schools disaster-resilient
He also highlighted the roles of “rich, industrialized countries” in funding disaster resilience and rehabilitation efforts, and expressed support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Sept. 21.
"The Philippines cannot continue to foot the bill on its own with every climate-induced super typhoon, especially as climate change is a global phenomenon caused by centuries of pollution from which rich, industrialized countries have profited the most,” said Ecleo.
“Developed countries must be accountable and pay their fair share to vulnerable countries by sharing the cost of adaptation, mitigation, and rehabilitation efforts,” he added.