Cayetano renews call for permanent agency
24/7 NATIONAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
“WE need to make real change to make sure our government is ready when disaster strikes,” said Senator Cayetano.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Lando that hit the region last week, Cayetano urged lawmakers in Region 1 to push for the creation of a single, unified department that will spearhead the government’s disaster risk reduction and management efforts on 24/7 basis all-year round.
“We must learn from our past experiences and create real change now to ensure government does all that it can to help when Filipinos need help the most,” he said,
“We have not yet fully recovered from the impact of previous calamities that devastated the country in the past years. And now, another one threatened the lives and livelihood of our kababayans in the north,” Cayetano said.
The senator filed Senate Bill No. 1940 which, if enacted into law, would create an “Emergency Response Department” (ERD) to be headed by a Cabinet secretary, that will manage all disaster preparedness and response activities, and funds will be allocated for its operations all year round.
But Cayetano lamented that the administration has not given priority to the bill since it was filed in November 2013.
“In times of emergencies, we need to make a real change in how government responds, and that means better communication and accountability,” Cayetano explains. “This is not possible when the agency is part-time. Samantalang ang kalamidad sa ating bansa ay full-time,” he added. #
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