Senator Christopher Go has been pushing for the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience but some senators have rejected it, saying there is already an established national disaster council and the Office of the Civil Defense.
Go says he respects the stand of his fellow lawmakers on the proposed DDR. He says he will be open and ready to listen to the recommendations of his colleagues to better improve the measure they have been fighting.
“This is why I am urging my colleagues in the Senate to act on this proposed measure. Let us deliberate on it and let the legislative process take its course,” he said.
“I am sure other senators, subject matter experts and executive officials can also contribute to the discussions on how to improve further the mechanisms in making our country more prepared, responsive and disaster-resilient.”
Go made his statement even as Senator Win Gatchalian said the government should seriously consider building permanent disaster-resilient and fully-equipped shelters for evacuees during natural calamities.
“Experience has taught us, like the harrowing super typhoon Yolanda, to rethink our strategies in emergency preparedness and invest in sophisticated early warning systems to mitigate the number of casualties,” Gatchalian said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Carlos Zarate on Monday renewed his call for the earlier passage of the bill governing evacuation centers in the wake of Typhoon “Rolly” and the continuing Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic that saw the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
“With quarantine facilities for COVID patients occupying the normal evacuation centers in cities and provinces, and the successive battering of typhoons we are now experiencing, the need to fast-track House Bill 5259 or the Evacuation Centers bill becomes more apparent,” Zarate said.
Since normal evacuation centers are being used to isolate COVID-19 patients, the residents of areas hit by typhoons “Quinta” and “Rolly” had difficulty finding other safe places to seek shelter, Zarate said.
In renewing his call for the creation of a DDR, Go said this would ensure quick response and a proactive and holistic approach in preparing for calamities and other natural disasters.
“During the past days, many Filipinos have been hit by typhoons, flash floods and other calamities,” said Go.
Given the frequency of natural disasters and calamities in the country, Go said, it was time his proposed Senate Bill 205 was passed that seeks to create the DDR.
He says the new department will provide faster government response to natural disasters and calamities, such as typhoons and earthquakes, by putting together all related agencies under a single department.
Senator Grace Poe also said there was a need for a dedicated office on calamities to immediately respond to the needs of victims. She cited the need for a dedicated agency that would focus on disaster resilience and management.
“We also call on Congress anew to pass the bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience and Emergency Assistance and Management that we have earlier proposed,” Poe said.
But Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon objected to the proposal to create a new department that would focus solely on disaster management, calling it a “knee-jerk reaction” that will further bloat the already bloated bureaucracy.
“I do not see the need for a full department only for disaster resilience. I believe that an overall plan on the number of departments should be in place instead of a ‘knee-jerk’ push for the creation of certain departments,” Drilon said in a text message to reporters on Monday.
“If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”
Senator Panfilo Lacson said a dedicated office under the Office of the President with a Cabinet rank and full authority to mobilize the concerned government agencies before, during and after calamities both natural and man-made—from policy-making and planning all the way to implementation—would do the job with much less funding and a minimum number of staff and personnel.
In contrast, a council-type organization like the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had a very limited capability mainly because it was merely coordinative.
“It is relatively easy to pass a law creating new departments. But would it be feasible, and will there be proper funding for it?” Lacson said.
He said the Department of Budget and Management had said at least P1.5 billion was needed to set up the department.
During the first public hearing in January, no less than the stakeholders who served as resource persons also cited concerns about creating a new department for disaster and risk reduction.