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WALANG kahirap-hirap na pinagtibay sa Senado sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang panukalang batas na naglalayong punan ang pagkukulang sa disaster preparedness at disaster response.
Sa ilalim ng Senate Bill 2999 (An Act Establishing a Mechanism on the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster), binigyang halaga ng mga may-akda ang bentahe ng kahandaan lalo pa’t ikatlo ang Pilipinas sa talaan ng mga bansang may pinakamaraming kalamidad.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Senador Jinggoy Estrada na tumatayong pangunahing may-akda ng SB 2999, ang ulat ng World Risk Index 2024.
Para kay Estrada, napapanahon nang pagtuunan ng pamahalaan ang isang pambansang panuntunan para ibaba ang antas ng “vulnerability” ng Pilipinas sa larangan ng disaster management, response at resiliency.
“The measure seeks to strengthen our disaster resilience amid the expected harsher impacts of climate change, and plugs a crucial gap between disaster preparedness and response,” wika ni Estrada.
Aniya, “the proposed legislation is an innovative policy that would empower government agencies to act before a disaster strikes rather than take action after its aftermath.
“Under the Act, the President, upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), may declare a state of imminent disaster over a cluster of barangays, municipalities, cities, provinces and regions.”
Bahagi rin ng panukala ang pagbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa mga local chief executives na magdeklara ng state of imminent disaster alinsunod sa rekomendasyon ng Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) councils, sa bisa ng isang executive order sa sandaling makasipat ng peligro sa nasasakupang lokalidad.
“The NDRRMC and the DRRM councils shall conduct a pre-disaster risk assessment in anticipation of a highly probable disaster with projected catastrophic impacts, which shall serve as the basis for the declaration of a state of imminent disaster,” anang panukala. (ESTONG REYES)
