The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) lauded on Friday, Nov. 17, the approval in principle of the Magna Carta for Public DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) Workers by the House of Representatives.
"This marks a significant milestone in enhancing the well-being and working conditions of our colleagues engaged in the field of disaster risk reduction and management, particularly our dedicated frontliners at the local level," OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said.
According to the OCD, the House bill on the Magna Carta for Public DRRM Workers was approved in principle by the Sub-Committee on Disaster Response last Nov. 13.
A legislative measure prioritized by the OCD in the 19th Congress, the bill aims to "enhance and fortify the socioeconomic well-being, living and working conditions, terms of employment, as well as the skills and capabilities of individuals engaged in the DRRM profession."
Nepomuceno thanked Malasakit at Bayanihan partylist Representative Anthony "Tony" Golez Jr., the chairman of the House Committee on Disaster Resilience - Sub-Committee on Disaster Response, for facilitating the committee's meticulous scrutiny of the bill.
"[The] OCD remains committed to maintaining close collaboration with our legislators to ensure that the bill undergoes continuous deliberations and results in the most favorable version. We urge all DRR workers, their families, and fellow citizens to rally behind this initiative, acknowledging the invaluable contributions of those in the DRRM profession," Nepomuceno noted.
The OCD has been at the forefront of the legislative push for the passage of the bill since 2020.
It presented a comprehensive draft bill to the House Committee on Disaster Resilience in 2021, marking a significant step for legislators in the Lower House to deliberate on the proposed provisions of the Magna Carta.
The OCD said that the provisions of the proposed Magna Carta for DRRM Workers are currently undergoing refinement before they can be fully approved by the committee and presented in the plenary.
While the proposal has received initial approval in principle, there are still revisions that need to be made in order to finalize it, it admitted.
"Once the necessary changes have been incorporated, the committee will give its approval and the proposal will proceed to the plenary for the second and third readings," the OCD explained.