‘Disaster development for better coordination during calamity

MANILA, Philippines — The proposed Department of Disaster Resilience could address current issues on coordination between national agencies during calamities, according to the head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Ricardo Jalad, NDRRMC executive director, said if the proposed department pushes through, this could have an advantage in ensuring better coordination in times of disaster.

Under the current structure, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), to which the NDRRMC is attached, is only headed by an undersecretary of the Department of National Defense, a setup that would be changed if the bill pushes through.

“The Department of Resilience is more powerful and has more advantage. It will be ranked among the departments it will mobilize. In other words, a Cabinet secretary will order other Cabinet secretaries,” Jalad said yesterday at a Laging Handa press briefing.

Still, Jalad said the NDRRMC itself should not be abolished since the department would be separate from the current OCD.

He supported the measure for the establishment of the new department, saying that it will have the power of functions integrated into it from other departments, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The bill, which recently passed the House of Representatives, intends to create a department that would primarily be responsible for national effort to reduce risk in disasters.

President Duterte has been pushing for the creation of the new department and has asked Congress to support the passage of this bill.

However, some senators have expressed apprehension over the proposal, saying this will bloat the bureaucracy. They also raised questions on feasibility and funding.