Miriam wants a department of disaster

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said that there is a need to create an independent disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) agency headed by a Cabinet-rank official.

Santiago, who is running for president in next year’s elections, noted that there are too many agencies performing different functions related to DRRM, which has caused confusion in determining and assigning responsibility.

The disaster management secretary’s only task will be to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of natural disasters and climate change.

Under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, of which Santiago was among the co-authors, she said that there is an absence of a single focal DRRM authority.

“As president, I will lead the creation of an independent DRRM agency to enhance the capacity of government and communities to cope from the negative impacts of an extreme event or natural hazard,” she said.

While the Office of Civil Defense is tasked to be the main coordinator of DRRM under RA 10121, Santiago said that the agency’s structure and resources are insufficient to properly carry out its functions.

According to Santiago, the new agency she is proposing will have an organizational structure that will combine climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction functions, as well as the ability to coordinate and augment DRRM program implementation.