Press Release
July 28, 2022

Cayetano: Now is the best time to prioritize disaster department bills

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said now is the best time to prioritize the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience, saying this is "an idea whose time has come."

"I think it is a good idea, an idea whose time has come, and I think it will really save lives," Cayetano said in a media interview on July 27, 2022 after giving a manifestation on the Senate floor about the need for an emergency response department.

The senator pointed out that even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has voiced his interest in establishing a Department of Disaster Resilience.

He added that his colleagues in the Senate must seize this momentum by recommending that all related legislation on the matter be certified by the President as urgent.

"Since nabanggit na ng pangulo kanina na siya ay pabor, dapat siguro bilisan at unahin natin ito," Cayetano said.

"Ang problema, after (Supertyphoon) Yolanda, lahat tayo gustong matupad na ito, every time that there's a big disaster, gusto natin, and then eventually nakakalimutan," he said.

In his manifestation on the Senate floor, Cayetano urged his colleagues to ask President Marcos to certify as urgent all proposed bills related to the establishment of an emergency response department, the same day a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit northern Luzon, leaving at least five people dead.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Majority Leader Senator Joel Villanueva expressed support for Cayetano's request for certification from Malacañang.

Cayetano told reporters he will send a letter to the president making the request for certification, adding that the sooner the bills are taken up, the more time lawmakers will have to streamline and unite all proposals for an emergency response department.

"Bale ang hihilingin ko sa Pangulo na i-urgent ay lahat ng bills na similar, para ma-consider sila together," he said.

*Simple is key* Cayetano maintained that his main objective for filing Senate Bill No. 66, or the Emergency Response Department Act, is to simplify the country's approach to disaster response.

"Personally, yung bill ko sinimplify namin, Emergency Response Department, pero ang consensus ay more on a Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Department. So sa akin, kung ano man ang mga compromise, basta matuloy, basta meron tayong single department na accountable," he said.

There are currently four separate proposed bills in the Senate seeking to form an emergency response department: one each from Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano, one from Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, and one from Senate President Zubiri.

Cayetano pointed out that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) although "filled with very committed, dedicated people," coordinates more than 40 government agencies on an ad hoc or per-disaster basis; this, he said, severely hampers the coordinating body's ability to plan ahead for future disasters, or sustain rehabilitation efforts after each calamity.

"Why don't we make it simple for people, and how do we make it simple? Instead of 44 separate agencies that coordinate ad hoc, let's have a single department that is in charge of disaster response. So i-simplify talaga," he said.


TAGALOG VERSION:

Cayetano: I-prioritize na ang mga panukala para sa disaster department

Iginiit ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano noong Miyerkules na ngayon ang pinakaangkop na panahon upang i-prioritize ang pagtatatag ng Department of Disaster Resilience.

"I think it is a good idea, an idea whose time has come, and I think it will really save lives," ani Cayetano sa isang panayam sa media noong July 27, 2022 matapos magbigay ng manifestation sa Senado tungkol sa pangangailangan para sa isang emergency response department.

Binigyang-diin ng senador na maging si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay nagpahayag na ng interes sa pagtatatag ng isang Department of Disaster Resilience.

Dagdag pa niya, dapat kunin ng Senado ang pagkakataong ito para irekomenda sa Pangulo na i-certify as urgent ang lahat ng panukalang batas tungkol sa Department of Disaster Resilience.

"Since nabanggit na ng Pangulo kanina na siya ay pabor, dapat siguro bilisan at unahin natin ito," ani Cayetano.

"Ang problema, after (Supertyphoon) Yolanda, lahat tayo gustong matupad na ito, every time that there's a big disaster, gusto natin, and then eventually nakakalimutan," ayon sa senador.

Sa kanyang manifestation sa Senado, hinimok ni Cayetano ang kanyang mga kasama na hilingin kay President Marcos na i-certify as urgent ang lahat ng mga panukalang batas na may kinalaman sa pagtatatag ng isang emergency response department.

Ito ay matapos yanigin ng isang magnitude 7.0 lindol ang hilagang bahagi ng Luzon, na nag-iwan ng di-bababa sa limang taong nasawi at malawak na pinsala sa Norte.

Nagpahayag ng suporta sina Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri at Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva sa panukala ni Cayetano.

Nabanggit ni Cayetano sa mga reporter na magpapadala siya ng sulat sa Pangulo upang humingi ng sertipikasyon. Ayon sa senador, kapag mas maagang mapagdebatehan ang mga panukalang batas ukol sa emergency response department, magkakaroon ng mas maraming oras ang mga mambabatas upang plantsahin at pag-isahin ang naturang mga panukala.

"Bale ang hihilingin ko sa Pangulo na i-urgent ay lahat ng bills na similar, para ma-consider sila together," aniya.

*Dapat gawing simple* Sinabi din ni Cayetano na ang kanyang pangunahing layunin sa paghain ng Senate Bill No. 66, o ang Emergency Response Department Act, ay para pasimplehin ang sistema ng gobyerno tungkol sa pagtugon sa kalamidad.

"Personally, yung bill ko sinimplify namin, Emergency Response Department, pero ang consensus ay more on a Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Department. So sa akin, kung ano man ang mga compromise, basta matuloy, basta meron tayong single department na accountable," ani Cayetano.

Sa kasalukuyan, may apat na magkakahiwalay na panukala sa Senado na naglalayong maitatag ang isang emergency response department: tig-isa mula kanila Senador Alan and Senador Pia Cayetano, isa mula kay Senador Christopher Lawrence Go, at isa mula kay Senate President Zubiri.

Ipinaliwanag ni Cayetano na ang National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) ay nagko-coordinate sa mahigit 40 ahensya ng gobyerno batay sa ad hoc na sistema, o pagpapagana lang tuwing may malawakang kalamidad.

Ayon sa senador, pinapahina ng ganitong klaseng sistema ang abilidad ng NDRRMC na magplano para sa mga kalamidad sa hinaharap, o ipagpatuloy ang gawaing rehabilitation matapos ang bawat sakuna.

"Why don't we make it simple for people, and how do we make it simple? Instead of 44 separate agencies that coordinate ad hoc, let's have a single department that is in charge of disaster response. So i-simplify talaga," ani Cayetano.

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