House panel approval of disaster resiliency dep’t welcomed

“We welcome this development made possible through the efforts of our legislators. We look forward to the next pace of this legislative process as we continue to fulfill our current functions,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal said on Thursday. (File photo by Jonathan Ford/Unsplash)

MANILA – The approval on third and final reading at the House of Representatives of the measure calling for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resiliency (DDR) is another step that would enhance the country’s disaster risk reduction and management.

“We welcome this development made possible through the efforts of our legislators. We look forward to the next pace of this legislative process as we continue to fulfill our current functions,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal said on Thursday.

Early this week, the House, with 241 affirmative votes, seven negatives, and one abstention, passed on third and final reading House Bill 5989, otherwise known as the proposed “Disaster Resilience Act”.

“We thank both the leadership and members of the House of Representatives for their support and commitment to our goal to build national resilience,” Timbal said, adding that the agency is preparing for the changes that would be ushered in once a new law on DRRM is ratified.

The bill has been certified as a priority measure by President Rodrigo Duterte during his 5th State of the Nation Address last July.

Under the bill, the DDR shall be the primary government agency responsible for “leading, managing, and organizing national efforts to prevent and reduce disaster risks; prepare for and respond to disasters; and recover, rehabilitate, and build forward better after the destruction.”

The country’s geographical location makes it exposed to recurring typhoons and earthquakes.

According to a 2019 status report from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, in terms of disaster risk, the Philippines ranked third among all countries with the highest risks worldwide, citing the World Risk Report 2018, with an index value of 25.14 percent.