'WALANG KAPALIT ANG BUHAY'
POE: DON'T SHELVE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RIGHTSIZE BUREAUCRACY

Sen. Grace Poe pitched for the "rightsizing" of the government bureaucracy to give way to much-needed disaster preparedness and heightened resilience that will accord utmost protection to the most vulnerable in the face of worsening calamities.

"Hindi na dapat pang malubog at malugmok ang ating mga kababayan sa pilay na istruktura ng burukrasiyang ang pundasyon ay hindi makapagbuhos ng malawakang paghahanda laban sa sunud-sunod na kalamidad," said Poe, who earlier filed Senate Bill 124 seeking the creation of a disaster risk reduction and management department with full powers and mandate to strategize and carry out a comprehensive plan against the shattering impact of disasters in the country.

"Ang malaking problema natin ay hindi lamang sa pagtugon ngunit lalong-lalo na sa pag-agap," the senator stressed in an interview.

With the "rightsizing" of the government wherein other sections with mandates that have been fulfilled or are no longer relevant shall be absorbed by the more crucial offices or departments, Poe cited.

"No typhoon is too strong for communities that have been braced for the worst kind of disasters," the senator explained.

Poe has dispatched a team of staff and volunteers to distribute relief goods to victims of Typhoon Ulysses in Bicol that was battered by three consecutive typhoons that displaced at least 170,000 residents.

Packs filled with rice, corned beef, meatloaf, coffee and noodles were handed to affected residents in Legazpi City, San Fernando in Camarines Sur, and Baras, Catanduanes through Panday Bayanihan led by chairman and chief executive officer Brian Poe Llamanzares.

The organization also recently conducted relief efforts in Cagayan Valley, Marikina, Quezon, and other typhoon-battered areas.

Typhoon Ulysses is the 21st storm to hit the country this year and PAG-ASA foresees at least three more typhoons that could enter the Philippine area of responsibility by the end of the year.

We must move beyond mere post-calamity coordination and buckle down to comprehensive and inclusive whole-of government and society planning to mitigate the impact of disasters and build resilient communities, Poe said.

"With the creation of the new department, disaster risk planning will have a voice at the table that will oblige government agencies to take into account the effects of climate change in all their undertakings," she added.