Recognizing that calamities like the 7-magnitude earthquake will likely happen again, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is pushing for the passage of a measure that will create the Department of Disaster Resilience.
Hours after the strong quake jolted Luzon, the President expressed his support for the passage of the measure that aims to better manage the country's disaster risk reduction and response efforts.
"Yes," he said when asked if he will push for the passage of the bill.
"Mukhang (It looks like)... I don’t like to say it pero mukhang mapapadalas ito, e (it might happen more frequently). Not the earthquake pero yung (but the) weather, lalo na yung (especially the) extreme weather," added Marcos.
He cited the extreme weather and other natural disasters experienced in various parts of the world, saying these were the occurrences that the Philippines must be careful about given the vulnerability it already has in terms of disasters and climate change.
The President said the country needs more capability to withstand calamities more than it has how.
"So these are the things that we have to be careful (of). We need more capability than we have now," Marcos said.
"Magaling na tayo sa bagyo. Marunong na tayo sa lindol. Pero ang mga dangers na (We are already knowledgeable with typhoons and earthquakes. But) — the dangers that the effects of climate change present are different, that’s why we need a specialist agency," Marcos added.
Under the proposed measure, the Department of Disaster Resilience "shall be the primary government agency responsible for leading, organizing, and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward better after the occurrence of disasters.”
READ MORE: Bill establishing Department of Disaster Resilience refiled by Romualdez, Tingog solons