Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience finally approved at the committee level

After lengthy discussions on several measures creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles approved the substitute bill without amendments upon recommendation by Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, Jr.

The measure principally authored by Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda substituted 40 bills. It was considered urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte in his recent State of the Nation Address.

The approval of the measure was in support of the desired accelerated implementation of the triangle of survival, the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for 2030; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals; the 2015 APEC framework for the RRI; the Philippine Development Plan for 2017 to 2022 and AmBisyon Natin 2040.

The bill seeks to create the DDR which shall be the primary government agency responsible for leading, organizing, and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward the country after the occurrence of disasters.

Likewise, the DDR shall perform the following functions: (a) oversee and coordinate the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of disaster and climate resilience plans, programs, projects, and activities; (b) provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches to disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation to anticipatory adaptation strategies, measures, techniques and options; and (c) augment the capacity of local government units in the implementation of disaster risk reduction and management and climate change action plans, programs, projects, and activities, in collaboration with relevant national government agencies and stakeholders.

During the hearing, South Cotobato Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. expressed concern about the negative connotation that may be created if the head of the department will be addressed as “Secretary of Disaster”, in spite of the noble objectives of the measure. He said it might give an adverse impression so it may as well be replaced with another title.

Rep. Salceda clarified that “disaster resilience” was a better option and more appropriate title of the measure because it is very different from climate change. Moreover, disaster resilience subsumes the entire concept and legal framework of what the measure is all about.

The committee proposed a P20.2 billion funding for the DDR and P6.5 billion as Quick Response Fund or a total of P26.7 billion. This amount will be integrated in the 2019 national budget./ Jojo Menorca

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