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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Frontline disaster workers to benefit from QC solon's bill

Frontline disaster workers to benefit from QC solon's bill

Published Aug 3, 2025 02:33 pm

At A Glance

  • Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas has reintroduced in the current 20th Congress a bill seeking to institutionalize support for those most at risk during disasters.
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)


The needs of the country’s frontline disaster workers deserve to be prioritized, too.
With this in mind, Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas has reintroduced in the current 20th Congress a bill seeking to institutionalize support for those most at risk during disasters.
His measure, House Bill (HB) No.2268, also known as the proposed “Magna Carta of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Workers Act”, seeks to formally recognize and protect the essential role that Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) workers play in disaster response and national resilience.
“Buhay nila ang pinaka-nanganganib tuwing may sakuna. Sila ang unang rumeresponde , kaya dapat lang na unahin din natin sila (Their lives are placed on utmost danger whenever there's a disaster. They are the first responders, so it's only right that we prioritize them),” Vargas said.
The Quezon City solon filed the bill in the aftermath of disastrous rains and floods these past few weeks that affected not just Metro Manila but the countryside as well.
The Vargas bill provides a comprehensive policy framework to ensure:
•Job security and protection from unjust dismissal and discrimination;
•Hazard pay, night shift differential, and overtime compensation;
•Access to medical, mental health and psychosocial support;
•Protective equipment, capacity building, and training opportunities; and
•Fair working conditions for both regular and contractual DRRM personnel.
“DRRM workers are often first to respond and last to leave when calamities strike. They operate under operate under extreme and hazardous conditions yet continue to be among the most undervalued in public service,” noted Vargas.
“The Magna Carta is long overdue—it is our obligation to protect those who protect us."
First introduced by his predecessor and brother, former Rep. Alfred Vargas, during his term in Congress, the measure builds upon his legislative legacy of advancing disaster preparedness and worker protection.
Vargas is also credited as one of the principal authors of Republic Act (RA) No. 12076 or the “Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act”. It was enacted in the 19th Congress to establish permanent evacuation centers across all municipalities nationwide.
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