ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Dapat advance mag-isip!' OCD backs bill on 'state of imminent disaster'

'Dapat advance mag-isip!' OCD backs bill on 'state of imminent disaster'

Published Jun 3, 2025 02:33 pm
Photo shows extensive flooding during the aftermath of Typhoon Lando in Lingayen, Pangasinan on Oct. 21, 2025. (File photo: Philippine Air Force)
Photo shows extensive flooding during the aftermath of Typhoon Lando in Lingayen, Pangasinan on Oct. 21, 2025. (File photo: Philippine Air Force)

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) expressed support for a proposed legislation at the Senate that aims to establish a legal framework for declaring disasters before they occur.

Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, administrator of OCD, said Senate Bill No. 2999 now known as the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Bill is “a much-needed step forward” as it would revolutionize how the country prepares for disasters.

“Moving from a reactive stance—responding only after disasters happen—to a proactive approach is essential. Acting early can help prevent or significantly lessen the impact of calamities,” he said.

Sponsored by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, SB 2999 seeks to create a legal structure for declaring disasters ahead of time by relying on scientific predictions and evaluations so that authorities can implement early preventive measures to reduce potential damage.

Estrada highlighted the Philippines’ vulnerability to disasters, noting that the country faces around twenty typhoons each year along with floods, landslides, and storm surges.

According to the OCD, last year’s storms caused damages estimated at around P20 billion which affected millions of Filipinos.

The bill aims to fill a gap in the country’s disaster protocols by allowing authorities to declare a “state of imminent disaster”—a proactive move based on scientific forecasts that can trigger early action. 

Estrada suggested that 70 percent of local governments’ disaster funds should be designated for preventive measures, citing the need to provide them with greater flexibility as local officials would be able to respond swiftly to early warnings instead of waiting for the disaster to occur.

He added that the legislation is also designed to improve coordination among national agencies, local governments, and international partners, making disaster response more efficient and effective. 

The lawmaker stressed that the country needs to move from being reactive to proactive as the threat of climate change accelerates. “This bill is about turning disaster risk into an opportunity for leadership and innovation,” he said.

The approach was supported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), saying that it aligns with regional practices, including countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

As such, Nepomuceno said that the OCD, along with other stakeholders, is calling on the Senate to prioritize the bill.

“It’s time to prioritize anticipatory action—preventive steps that can stop disasters from escalating. We need laws that empower communities and make our disaster response more proactive rather than just reactive,” the OCD chief added.

Related Tags

OCD imminent disaster Jinggoy Estrada Senate Ariel Nepomuceno
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.