Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. PHOTO from Ralph Recto’s office
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President pro tempore Ralph Recto on Saturday said he will file a bill seeking to establish a commission that will focus on the recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.
According to the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the volcano’s eruption affected 96, 061 individuals or 22, 472 families in Batangas.
Recto, who hails from Batangas himself, said that the commission will be similar to the Mount Pinatubo Commission, which was established to help those affected by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in June 1991.
“Yun din ang pinag-aaralan ko ngayon para gagawin natin. We will file a bill, probably creating a similar commission, maybe a Taal Commission tulad ng Pinatubo Commission,” Recto said in an interview over radio station DWIZ.
(So that’s what I’m studying. We will file a billl, probably creating a similar commission, maybe a Taal Commission similar to the Pinatubo Commission.)
“Para magkaroon ng rehabilitation and recovery fund sa mga darating na taon. Dahil mahaba ang recovery and rehabilitation, di ba?” he added about the commission.
(So there will be a rehabilitation and recovery fund for the coming years. Because it takes years to complete rehabilitation and recovery efforts, right?)
“We’re working on the bill now, we’re looking at the Pinatubo Commission, naging mabuti yung Pinatubo Commission to help Pampanga recover. And ngayon yung Pampanga, nakatayo na sa sariling paa, di ba? So ganun din ang modelong gagawin natin dito sa Taal.”
(The Pinatubo Commission was effective to help recover. And now Pampanga can now stand on its own. So that’s the similar model that we’ll do here.)
But in a separate interview, Recto’s colleague in the Senate, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, suggested that the job may be assigned to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
The OCD is the implementing arm of the National Disaster, Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“With all due respect, ginagalang natin si Senator Recto sa ganyan kasi ang laki ng contribution niya sa legislation. Pero sa akin lang, kung may commission tayo, patask-force, task-force tayo at pa-council-council tayo, ang NDRRMC is a council,” Lacson said.
(With all due respect, we acknowledge Senator Recto because he has a big contribution to legislation. But for me, if we have a commission, it will create another task force, another council. The NDRRMC is a council.)
“Ang chairman secretary of National Defense, co-chaired by secretary of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Lahat halos ng Cabinet members, miyembro niyan. Ang kanyang pinaka-secretariat or executive director yung OCD.”
(The chairman is the secretary of National Defense, co-chaired by the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. All of the Cabinet members are members. The executive director or the secretary is the OCD.)
“Pero yan wala namang tao. Kasi ang mga tao niyan seconded sa kanila galing DND at talagang tao para sa kanila, mga casual.”
(But they don’t have any people there. Because the people there are only seconded from the DND, and the people are just casual.)
“So anong magagawa noon? Kaya dapat talaga gawing permanent, parang i-elevate natin ang OCD yan ang permanent agency na tutugon. Kasi pag nagkaroon ng calamity, necessarily gagawa ng Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, ia-assess.”
(So what can they do? That’s why it should be permanent, we should elevate the OCD so that will be the permanent agency to respond. Because when a calamity strikes, it is necessary to do a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment.)