Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
Go urges Congress to expedite passage of bill creating Department of Disaster Resilience
Philippines
National
Go urges Congress to expedite passage of bill creating Department of Disaster Resilience
Go urges Congress to expedite passage of bill creating Department of Disaster Resilience
Published Jul 28, 2023 05:58 am
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Friday, July 28, renewed his call for the passage into law of the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) as the current disaster management framework, under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), headed only by an undersecretary.
Go stressed it is important to create a separate department for disaster management amid the frequent disasters affecting the country, including the recent Typhoon Egay that battered parts of Luzon, and the new tropical depression threatening the country.
“It’s high time we have such a that will be headed by a Cabinet secretary level,” Go said.
The senator said he sees the DDR playing a central role in the preposition of goods, coordination with local governments units (LGUs), and prompt evacuation of affected populations to safe locations even before a disaster strikes.
He also said he envisions the DDR secretary playing a pivotal role in coordinating recovery and reconstruction efforts with other departments after disasters, ensuring a return to normalcy and rehabilitation.
"After the typhoon has passed, he will be moving for the restoration of normalcy and also rehabilitation efforts. The DDR secretary will be the one to coordinate,” he said.
The proposed DDR will also bring together all vital functions and mandates currently scattered among various disaster-related agencies.
According to Go, the DDR's primary responsibility will be implementing programs, projects, and activities that ensure communities are disaster-resilient, adaptive, and safe.
“It’s hard whenever we just create a task force. If there is a new administration, another task force would be created. The rest of the rehabilitation efforts would be left to unfinished,” he pointed out.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has recently voiced its support for the establishment of the DDR, emphasizing the importance of such institution in improving operations in managing and responding to future crises.
"Things can be better if there will be an independent authority or department, but it’s not that simple – tanggap po namin iyon… We leave it to Congress and we leave it to the Palace, to Malacañang. Meanwhile, kami naman, we are doing our best given the limitations, makakaasa po kayo," OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said in a past interview.