The Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation Inc. (CDRC) has rejected neophyte Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go’s proposal to create a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) that will implement the government’s response to natural disasters.
Kim Leduna, executive director of CDRC said Go’s proposed measure which will in effect repeal Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 is premature and have many loopholes.
RA 10121 created the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council which replaced the National Disaster Coordinating Council or NDCC. The NDRRMC is composed of various national government agencies headed by the secretary of the Department of National Defense as chairman with the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government as vice chairman for disaster preparedness, including representatives from civil-society organizations.
Interviewed at the sideline of the CDRC’s 35th Founding Anniversary at the Institute of Biology Auditorium, University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City on Wednesday, Leduna said the DDR Act has not yet been fully implemented, hence, the lack of appreciation is only understandable.
However, she said, instead of prematurely repealing a law that saw greater participation of communities in disaster response, it is best for the government to implement the law and strengthen programs that will make the country more disaster-ready and resilient to both natural and man-made calamities.
“It is premature to say that RA 10121 is ineffective considering that it is less than 10 years since it was enacted,” she said.
Moreover, she said Go’s proposed DDR bill goes against the main strengths of the DRR system which are articulated in RA 10121, particularly the community-based disaster management anchored on the greater involvement of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs).
“There’s a gray area in the proposed DDR bill. The participation of the NGOs, POs and the communities are not well defined in the proposed law. The participation of NGOs and POs ensure check and balances in implementing DDR programs and projects,” she said.
According to Leduna, there’s a need to do a sunset review of RA 10121 first.
“Without a sunset review, there is no factual and legal basis to claim that RA 10121 is an ineffective law. They did not even consider the findings of the review made by civil-society organizations,” Leduna said.
Also, Leduna chided the explanatory note of Go’s bill which states that it is only through the creation of a highly specialized government agency that the events of past disasters can be avoided. She said such a statement is not based on evidence, again, insisting that Congress failed to do a sunset review of RA 10121.
Moreover, she noted that Go’s bill focuses all resources toward achieving the goal of ensuring the safety and security of communities from natural hazards.
“By focusing on natural hazards alone, the bill takes for granted man-made and complex disasters,” she said, citing for example armed conflict which causes loss of lives and livelihood, and displacement of thousands of families for long periods of time.