'Dapat one-step ahead tayo': Go renews call for passage of Department of Disaster Resilience bill in the wake of 'Agaton'

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday renewed his call for Congress to prioritize the passage of the bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience after tropical storm ‘Agaton’ brought about massive flooding and landslides and left hundreds of thousands in Visayas and Mindanao homeless.

Go had earlier filed Senate Bill No. 205, or the propsoed “Disaster Resilience Act” which seeks to streamline the country’s disaster response preparedness mechanisms by establishing a Department of Disaster Resilience.

Should it pass into law, the DDR will provide a clear chain of command and more proactive and holistic approach in managing disasters and other emergency situations.

"I will not lose hope. Patuloy akong mananawagan (I will continue to push for it). Maybe, at the proper time, ay maipapasa na rin ito dahil kailangan talaga natin ng cabinet-level na secretary para mas mabilis 'yung koordinasyon between the national government agencies and local government offices... (we need to pass this, because we need a Cabinet-level secretary to oversee this so that coordination between the national government agencies and local government offices would be faster),” Go stressed.

“Dapat one-step ahead tayo kung mayroong paparating na mga kalamidad at sakuna (We need ot be one-step ahead whenever a calamity or disaster will take place),” Go added.

The measure also seeks to consolidate all essential functions and mandates currently scattered among various disaster-related agencies.

Go also renewed his call for the passage of SBN 1228, which will mandate the establishment of safe and properly equipped evacuation centers in every municipality, city and province across the Philippines.

The senator lamented that disaster victims are usually housed in barangay centers, schools, or basketball courts, which are not suitable as temporary shelters.

Both bills are currently pending in the Senate Committees on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation.