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Friday, March 29, 2024

Salceda: Threat of climate disaster scarier than DoST boss threat to quit

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Climate and disaster threats should scare Congress more than the resignation threat and “bullying tactics” of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña in opposing the transfer of two key agencies from his department to the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, principal author of the House of Representatives’ DDR measure, voiced this candid observation in reaction to Dela Peña’s reported threat to resign should the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology be transferred to the proposed DDR.

Salceda’s bill envisions the DDR to be the primary government agency to lead and manage national efforts to mitigate and address disaster risks, and take under its wings the Pagasa and Phivolcs from the DoST.

Salceda noted that Dela Peña’s opposition was “very disappointing” since the proposal was already unanimously voted by the House committees on Government Reorganization, Defense, and Appropriations, which has also proposed an initial P21-billion budget for the new department.

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“We value his opinion but climate and disaster threats scare Congress more than his personal threat,” said Salceda. “Climate and disaster threats have more force than Dela Peña’s personal threat.”

Pagasa is mandated to “provide protection against natural calamities and utilize scientific knowledge as an effective instrument to ensure the safety, well-being, and economic security of all the people, and for the promotion of national progress.” Phivolcs is mandated to mitigate hazards of volcanic activities through appropriate detection, forecast and warning systems, and to formulate appropriate disaster preparedness plans by predicting volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and their related geotectonic phenomena; determining how eruptions and earthquakes shall occur and also areas likely to be affected; and generating sufficient data for forecasting volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Salceda pointed out that in the US, the National Weather Service, Pagasa’s counterpart, is under the Department of Trade, while the USGS, Phivolcs’ counterpart, is under the Department of Interior. In short, the organization design puts them closer to their users rather than the science context. Pagasa, in fact, was originally created under the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The Albay lawmaker said the DDR bill fits the directive of President Duterte for the new agency to have “unity of command, science-based approach and full-time focus on natural hazards and even human-induced disasters, with a ‘Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Nation’ approach.”

Both government and private sectors publicly acclaimed and widely supported the proposed DDR. Among others who voiced support to the measure are Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and former Metro Manila Development Authority chief Francis Tolentino.

Tolentino, a veteran of disaster control operations in Metro Manila, noted that “PAGASA’s mandate is more aligned with the mandate of the DDR,” which is to ensure protection of lives and properties in times of disasters.

In a recent newspaper column, Tolentino said “the information and data analysis PAGASA provides will be crucial in the formulation of disaster management and climate change mitigation plans” of the new department.

Salceda said the DRR substitute measure, HB 6075, is distilled from 34 other proposals, four house resolutions, six technical working group meetings with stakeholders. It also went through three committee hearings, two write-shops, and 11 regional consultations with 1,600 local government units and their local risk reduction management offices.

“Ultimately, it is wisdom of the majority of Congress in the plenary that will decide this policy issue as to what structure promotes the general welfare through the ability of the state to reduce risks, protect the vulnerable, save lives and livelihood, confront climate threats, and make the economy more sustainable,” he stressed.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo immediately pushed the three House panels to work on the Salceda measure upon assuming chamber’s leadership. The committees delivered within three days the bill’s approved version, which now awaits plenary deliberation when Congress resumes session this week.

President Duterte called Congress for a law to create a disaster management department both in his 2017 and 2018 State of the Nation Addresses. HB 6075 seeks to amend RA 10121 which created the NDRRMC and recognized the primacy of LGUS and local efforts in disaster risk reduction.

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