Tag: disaster management law

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Ping Lacson Pushes Three Solutions to Boost Disaster Response in PH

BAGUIO CITY – Former Senator and 2025 senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson pushed late Tuesday for a streamlined disaster response mechanism, an updated Building Code, and a national hazard mapping program to help us cope with the effects of earthquakes, floods, cyclones and other disasters.

Lacson, who also served as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, proposed to transfer the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) directly under the Office of the President.

“We should transfer the OCD from the Department of National Defense to the Office of the President. This will eliminate the usual bureaucratic red tape,” he said in Filipino at the “Konsultahang Bayan: A Caucus for Good Governance Beyond Elections” held at the Citylight Hotel here.

The forum was attended by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong along with experts and representatives from various sectors seeking good governance.

Related: Ping Lacson, Isinulong ang Tatlong Pampalakas ng Disaster Response sa Pilipinas

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Senate Hearing on Disaster Management and Resilience

At the Senate hearing on disaster resilience and management, Sen. Lacson cited issues that should be addressed before the Senate can even consider coming up with a committee report creating an entirely new department to address disaster management. Lacson, who chaired the hearing, also stressed the need to shift disaster response and management from reactive to proactive.

During the hearing, Sen. Lacson also questioned where the unspent disaster funds in past years went, even as he stressed the need to allocate more government resources to research and development.

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On the Proposed P30-Billion Supplemental Budget for Taal-Affected Areas

Image courtesy: The Daily Tribune

We will have to find out how much is readily available in calamity funds of the national government (NDRRMF, or National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund) and the LGUs affected (LDRRMF, or Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund). As per the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 or RA 10121, LGUs are mandated to allocate at least 5% of their regular sources of income, including their IRA, for their LDRRMF. If unexpended since there are no calamities, the cumulative LDRRMF are kept in a special fund to be used in situations like the Taal eruption.

The same provision of RA 10121 applies to all the municipalities and barangays affected or not by calamities.

Batangas province in this instant case had allocated P183 million in their 2019 annual budget alone for their PDRRMF although it appears 70% has been allocated for overhead expenses like MOOE, and only P55 million was for calamity. The same is true for the different municipalities and barangays within the province.

Counting five years backwards from January 2020 when Taal erupted, as RA 10121 mandates that unexpended LDRRMF shall accrue to a special trust fund solely for the purpose of supporting disaster risk reduction and management activities of the LDRRMCs within the next five years, I can imagine they may still have sufficient funds. That, and to be augmented by the national government, should all be taken into account when we deliberate on the P30-billion supplemental budget being pushed by the President.

There is no saying that I am not supporting the expeditious passage of the budget measure. I’m only saying we have to find out if P30 billion is a bit more or even not sufficient to help the LGUs affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

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#PINGterview: Supplemental Budget, Other Options for Slashed 2020 Calamity Funds

In a phone patch interview on DZBB and GMA News TV, Sen. Lacson discusses a possible supplemental budget and other options to make up for the P4B cut in the 2020 calamity fund.

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#PINGterview: Saan Napunta ang P4B Kaltas sa 2020 Calamity Fund?

The Senate sought P20B in calamity funds in the 2020 budget, but the bicameral conference committee approved only P16B. Where did the P4B go? Sen. Lacson answers questions on the subject in a phone patch interview on DZBB and GMA News TV.

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