OFW Party List Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino filed House Bill No. 9973, titled “An Act Instituting Comprehensive Framework On Resilient Housing And Human Settlements, Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
The party list lawmaker seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for resilient housing and human settlements that will lay-out a clear and concrete plan whenever the country is adversely affected by disasters and effects of climate change; and it will serve as the basis for mechanisms for post-disaster housing and settlements rehabilitation and resiliency planning and response at all levels.
“Due to our country’s geo-climatic conditions, we are often faced with the loss of life and damage to property as typhoons, earthquakes and similar phenomena ravage the country. While we cannot outlaw these occurrences, we can direct our concerted efforts in ensuring proper preparation, mitigation and response in housing and human settlements. Thus, it is imperative that we prioritize the implementation of resilient housing measures to safeguard the well-being and livelihoods of our citizens in the face of increasingly frequent and severe environmental challenges,” Magsino said.
Magsino said institutionalizing the framework will ensure that adversely affected people will be quickly rehabilitated in safe, secure, and sustainable housing with attendant basic services and access to livelihood; and will protect vulnerable communities whenever the country suffers the effects of climate change and disasters, such as floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts and other disasters.
The framework will be formulated by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) in collaboration with various government agencies, civil society organizations, and communities.
“When disasters strike, oftentimes the most victimized are the poor primarily because they live in vulnerable and substandard housing. Iyon ang masaklap na katotohanan. Ang mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan natin ang siyang mga nasa settlements na hindi matibay ang materyales o di kaya nasa danger zones kaya’t kapag may sakuna, sila ang pinakadelikado at apektado. Buhay, kabuhayan, at bahay – iyan ang mga posibleng mawala sa kanila sa isang iglap dahil silaý nasa peligrosong mga tirahan. That is why I support both global movements to “build back better” and “build better before”, and I hope that we can provide the policy scaffolding for safe and resilient housing because we really need to push for this in our country,” Magsino said.
