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Disa St e r resilience
is to p C ongress priority
BY BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO the Philippine High School for ted to fast-track the passage of
AND DIVINA NOVA JOY DEIA CRUZ Sports Act Upgrading the Salary the creation of [the] Department
Grade kvel of Teachers Act, the Resilience to bett€r equip our
flTlE creation of the Department of Disaster Teaching Supplies Allowance Act, country to respond to natural
I Resilience (DDR) is high on the list of Solo Parents Welfare Act" Security and man-made calamities as well .

I priority bills in the Senate and the House of
Representatives when the two chambers return to
work today, Ianrlr ary 20, after a month-long break.
"Coming from a long break
when devastating typhoons, earth-
quakes and the Taal eruption
struck the country successively, we
will do our best to pass vital leg-
islalion, foremost of which is the
Department of Disaster Resilience
Act of2019 filed by ar least 10 sena-
ton, " Senate Majority Leader Iuan
Miguel Zubiri said on Sunday.
Zubiri raised the need to cre-
ate an agency that "is quick-
footed, scientific, focused and
well-equipped."
The Senate is also set to take up
three bills establishing "decent
and secure" evacuation centers.
"The legislative table is full
at any time, but, more so when
natural and man-made calamities
strike the whole country and our
fellow Filipinos suffer the wrath
of nature to no one's liking,"
Zubiri said.
I{e added that a diaster r€-
silience agency would ensure a
more efficient, coordinated and
complete E/stem of disaster man-
agement from risk assessment
-
to emergency response dght do6n
to reintegration assistance and
rehabilitation.
'The Office of Civil Defense
is stretched to the limit. We now
realize that to fully utilize their
skills, capacities and leadership,
the creation of an appropriate
Sovemment agency is at hand,'
Zubiri said.
He also called for the passage
of the National Hazard Mapping
Act of 2019.
A.lso on tap are two bills, which
mandate local govemment units to
implement multi-hazard and flood
hazard mapping and use lhem well
in their planning disaster manage-
ment and emergency response
The Senate is also set to pass the
fgllowing priority measdresi Sepa.-.
rate Facility for Heinous "Crimei
Inmites Act, Anti-Tenorism Act,
$
FAq{'--Aqd
of Tenure Act, Coconut Farmers
and Industry Development Act,
Philippine Water Commission
Act Potable Water Supply for every
Balangay Act and the Anri-Single
Use Plastic Act.
Aside fiom a DD& the House
will focus on the creation of the
Department of Overseas Filipi-
nos and Foreign Employment
(DOFFE) and Department of
Water Resources (DWR)," House
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said.
'We aim to hit the ground
running when session resumes
on Monday. Time to roll up our
sleeves once again and work
double time on vital legislative
measures," he added.
House Majodty Leader Manin
Romualdez said President Rodrigo
Dutene himself called on Con-
to work on these measures
gress
during his fourth State of the Na-
tion Address last July.
Cayetano has directed the Com-
mittee on Disaster Management
to prcpare a comprehensive reha-
'filiation plan for the provinces
affected by Taal Volcano's activity.
"Our colleagues have commit-
as improve our rehabilitation ef.
forts, " cayetano said.
A consolidation of 30 bills
creating the DDR was approved
by the House Committees on
Govemment Reorganization and
Disaster Management in Novem-
ber last year The House Commit-
tee on A?prcpriations headed by
Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab is
scheduled to approve the budger
component ofDDR on January22,
Romualdez said.
The DOFFE is scheduled for
second-reading deliberations at
the plenary level.
The Committee on Overueas
Woiken Affairs is set to resume i$
special hearing on the situation of
overseas Filipino workers (OFW$
in lraq and other countries in the
Middle East amid tensions be-
tween han and the United States.
The plight of OFWs in orher coun-
tries will also be discussed.'
An unnumbered bill consolidat-.
ing 35 rneasures seeking to ceat€
the D\ rR was passed
by the House
Committees on Govemment Rmr-
ganization, and PublicWorla and
Highways in last November