Año supports creation of Department of Disaster Resilience

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday he supports the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) following a series of typhoons that triggered flooding in parts of Luzon.

In an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, Año said he favors the creation of the DDR but added that its coordination with other related agencies should be made clear.

“Yes, oo, ‘yan ay isa sa priority bills na nilagdaan ng Pangulo (that is one of the priority bills being pushed by the President),” he said when asked if he supports the creation of such a department.

“Pabor tayo dyan. Ang kailangan lang naman dyan ay maisaayos talaga kung papaano ‘yung magiging working nitong disaster department with other agencies,” he added.

(We favor its creation. We should just ensure that its coordination with other agencies will be made clear.)

On Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte said some members of Congress are resisting the creation of the DDR fearing that there would be duplication of work among other government agencies.

The bill creating the DDR has already been approved in the House of Representatives last September, but similar measures remain pending in the Senate.

Duterte has been urging Congress to pass a law that would create the DDR in his previous State of the Nation Addresses.

In January, however, Año said the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) should be strengthened and that the law that created it should just be amended to improve coordination among local government units in responding to disasters.

READ: New department for disaster management bucked

He added that there might be “more advantages” if the NDRRMC would be elevated to an authority rather than a separate department.

JE