DINAGAT Islands Representative Alan 1 B. Ecleo spoke before the House Committee on Disaster Resilience today on House Bill 10233 or the “Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act,” which would enable the Government to mobilize resources and pursue disaster response even before a disaster strikes.
HB 10233 shall enable the National Government and LGUs to issue timely declarations of States of Imminent Disaster, which shall empower them to pursue “anticipatory actions” that would reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen the capacity of communities to manage emergencies and protect their homes and livelihood.
“HB 10233 shall enable our Government to issue timely declarations should the need already present itself even before the first drop of storm makes landfall,” said Ecleo.
Anticipatory actions include the mobilization of allotted funds, storage of food and other non-food items, and other such measures included in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Plans at the National and Local Level.
The Bill also penalizes individuals or groups who would engage in “dereliction of duties,” “prevention of entry and distribution of relief goods in areas declared under a State of Imminent Disaster,” “illegal solicitations,” “deliberate use of inflated data,” and tampering with hazard monitoring devices. The Bill also punishes forcible seizures, misdelivery, misrepresentation, substitution, buying and selling of relief goods and equipment intended for disaster response.
Ecleo recalled his experience of Typhoon Odette, which devastated several provinces in the Philippines, leading to 3.56 Billion Pesos in damage to the infrastructure and economy of many Provinces, including his District of Dinagat Islands.
“I personally witnessed the chain of delays and dismays that have left many survivors frustrated, even as they are doing their best to rebuild,” Ecleo added. He stressed that he, along with the Bill’s co-author, Speaker Martin Romualdez aim to “fill such policy gaps.”
