What about infrastructure rehab? House bill adds DPWH chief to composition of NDRRMC
Tacloban City, Leyte after being pummeled by Super Typhoon "Yolanda" in November 2013. (MANILA BULLETIN)
House leaders have filed a measure that seeks to strengthen the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) by adding a vice chairman to the composition of the body. House Speaker and Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez and Committee on Appropriations Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co led the filing of House Bill (HB) No.8350, which taps the secretary of the Department of the Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the new position. Specifically, the DPWH chief will become NDRRMC's vice chairperson for infrastructure rehabilitation and repair under the proposal. The current composition of the NDRRMC has the Department of National Defense (DND) secretary at the top. Other department chiefs have a seat in the council as vice chairman for a certain sector; however, there's consciously no vice chairman for the sector of infrastructure. The council currently has a vice chairman for disaster preparedness in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), for disaster response in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), for disaster prevention and mitigation in the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and for economic relief and recovery in the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “It has been observed, however, that because of the immense destructiion sustained by various government infrastructures during these disasters, many of which damages suffer from state of disrepair, it becomes paramount that another vice chairpersonship is created for the infrastructure rehabilitation and repair be headed by the Secretary of the Department of Public Workd and Highways," read HB No.8350. The authors claimed that the DPWH's absence from the council slows down the response to such damage to infrastructure during calamities. The measure intends to amend certain provisions of Republic Act (RA) No.10121, also known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010”. It is pending before the House Committee on Disaster Resilience.