FORMER Speaker Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano renewed his call for the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).

In the same call made by House Committee on Disaster Resilience chairperson Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, Cayetano said the country needs a department that will focus on rehabilitation efforts and boost the national government’s rehabilitation capacity.

According to Cayetano, agencies like Department of Health (DoH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) are only good in responding to disasters.

However, he said there is no rehabilitation efforts after the relief.

Cayetano made the statement as the country marks National Disaster Resilience Month this July.

He was in Baguio City for the latest edition of the Sampung Libong Pag-asa live virtual program where he and his allies were set to distribute 10K Ayuda to a total of 500 beneficiaries.

“If you go to Agoncillo, Laurel, and San Nicolas, Batangas, maraming ipinangako sa kanila January last year na hindi pa nabibigay hanggang ngayon. Hindi mo rin masasabing kasalanan ng DSWD, kasi buong Pilipinas inaalagaan plus a certain sector na vulnerable, tapos tuwing may bagyo, sila pa rin,” he added.

Cayetano noted that while the country has improved its relief efforts, much can be done on the rehabilitation side.

“Magaling na tayo sa relief. Halimbawa, sabihin mong may nasunugan. Lahat ‘yan – LGUs, ang congressman, ang mayor, at ang barangay captain – ay mabilis. Kung tatlo hanggang apat na bahay, I’m sure mabibigyan na ng pang-rehabilitation. But let’s say isang-daang bahay o pamilya ang tinamaan, napakahirap pa rin hanapin kung saan mo kukunin ang pondo – sa DSWD ba? Sa DOLE? O sa NHA? So ‘yung rehabilitation natin napakahina, eh ‘yun ang kailangan ng pinoy,” Cayetano said.

The DDR bill seeks to establish a focused and specialized single government agency that functions not only after the occurrence of disasters but works all-year-round to ensure that effective mechanisms for disaster risk reduction are in place even before a disaster occurs.

The bill was passed on third and final reading in the House of Representatives on September 21, 2020.

It is still pending in the Senate, however. It was read on first reading on September 28 and referred to the Senate Committees on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation; Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation; Ways and Means; and Finance.

For her part, Torres-Gomez has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent the House Bill 5989 or An Act Creating the Department of Disaster Resilience.

The House leader underscored the need to have a single agency and a clear system of responsibility for disaster preparedness and response in all levels of the government.

As one of the authors, Torres-Gomez stressed that a disaster department is important as the country will always be on the losing end in the face of persistent extreme weather occurrences and destructive geological events.

“The rainy season has started. Many of our people who live in disaster-prone areas will again spend long days and nights worrying about the safety of their families oncet he typhoons start coming. Let us all act fast to finish legislative deliberations on the proposal. President Duterte can sign it into law before his term ends,” Torres-Gomez said.