Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan will speak with the House of Representatives' top brass in an attempt to heighten legislative priority for the proposed Magna Carta for Public Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Workers.

Yamsuan said he will discuss the measure with Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III (Isabela 6th district) and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos (Ilocos Norte 1st district) to explore the possibility of adopting the measure as part of the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). 

The proposed magna carta, which Yamsuan has introduced through House Bill (HB) No.5239, aims to improve the working conditions of, and grant benefits to, public DRRM personnel. 

That the former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) assistant secretary is ready to make his case before Dy and Marcos speaks to his belief of the great importance of the bill.

“DRRM workers often risk their lives to save others. They are indispensable, not only to our disaster preparedness, response and recovery operations, but also to our efforts to build more  resilient communities. We will discuss the proposed magna carta with the Speaker and our Majority Leader, possibly before Congress resumes session on Jan. 26,’ said Yamsuan in a recent radio interview.

“We will also meet with key representatives of the public DRRM sector to find out what still needs to be done to make the magna carta more responsive to their needs,” he added. 

This was in response to appeals from public DRRM workers led by Bryant Wong, the chief of the Pasig City DRRM Office, for Congress to swiftly pass the magna carta.

Yamsuan has also expressed his support for the long-overdue sunset review of Republic Act (RA) No.10121, or the Philippine DRRM Act enacted 15 years ago, to evaluate the law’s effectiveness and determine how it could further be improved  to strengthen disaster response down to the community level given present-day realities. 

HB No.5239 and other similar measures in the House of Representatives have been referred to the Committee on Disaster Resilience. In the Senate, similar bills have been filed by, among others, Senators Loren Legarda and Jinggoy Estrada.  

“DRRM workers, while exposing themselves to significant risks, including physical danger, psychological stress, and occupational health gaps, especially during disaster response operations, face the challenge of insufficient benefits. Our proposed measure seeks to address these inadequacies by institutionalizing measures that will promote their welfare,” Yamsuan said.

Under the measure, a “public DRRM worker” is defined as a person employed by the government who is engaged in the performance of duties covering any or all thematic pillars of DRRM. These are prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery. 

Among the benefits listed in HB No.5239 are the grant of hazard allowance; access to protective equipment, free vaccinations and other prophylactic medicines; and compensation for work-related injuries and sicknesses for public DRRM workers. 

A key feature of the bill is the creation of the Public DRRM Workers' Education Trust Fund that will grant education assistance to children and dependents of DRRM workers who died in the line of duty.

The benefit will cover primary, secondary, and tertiary education for a period of up to four years of undergraduate studies in accredited institutions.

Wong also pointed out that a provision on psychosocial support for DRRM workers, who often experience work-related stress, should be included in the Magna Carta. 

Yamsuan’s bill already includes this provision, along with  mandating the  continuing  training of,  and providing  scholarship opportunities and other capacity building activities to, public DRRM workers. 

The bill also provides mandatory insurance coverage, medical support, and retirement benefits for qualified DRRM workers. 

Public DRRM workers are also to entitled to overtime pay, night-shift differential and leave benefits; transportation, communication and subsistence allowances; laundry allowance if required to wear uniforms; and legal assistance in connection with the performance of their duties, as provided under the bill. 

HB No.5239 also grants public DRRM workers who have rendered five years of continuous, efficient, and meritorious service a monthly longevity pay equivalent to five percent of their monthly basic pay.