NDRRMC says it is ready to replace nat’l task force vs COVID-19

The NDRRMC headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo (Photo from NDRRMC)

MANILA, Philippines —  The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday said it is ready to replace the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF).

This came after the Department of Health (DOH) announced that it will use the NDRRMC as its platform, effectively replacing the NTF, after Malacañang said the DOH is reconstituting the member agencies of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“Handang-handa [ang NDDRMC], kasi ang NTF at NDRRMC pare-pareho ‘yung bumubuong mga ahensiya niyan at ‘yung chairperson ng NTF ay ‘yung chairperson din ng NDRRMC,” said NDRRMC Executive Director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad in interview over TeleRadyo.

(The NDDRMC is ready, because the same agencies make up the NTF and the NDRRMC, and the‘ chairperson of the NTF is also the chairperson of the NDRRMC.)

“Kumbaga ‘yung pangalan pinalitan lang, at DOH pa rin ang mangunguna sa grupo ng ahensya na ‘yan dahil ito ay problema na dulot ng related sa health,” said Jalad.

(So it basically means the name has just been changed, and DOH will still lead that group of agencies because it is a health-related problem.)

Jalad explained that under the law, the chairperson of the NDRRMC is the current Department of Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr.

However, the DOH, DND, and other agencies participating in the council will still discuss the specifics of the NDRRMC’s final structure, according to Jalad.

He then assured the public that the NDRRMC can handle both general disasters and COVID-19-related issues despite its new function.

“Ang kinakailangan lang diyan ‘yung mga department secretaries ay magtalaga ng mga focal person na tututok sa iba’t ibang aspeto,” said Jalad.

(All that is needed is for the department secretaries to appoint focal persons who will focus on various aspects.)

“Halimabawa, for the pandemic, iba ‘yung itututok nila sa pandemic, para sa karaniwang disasters natin iba naman ang tututok,” he added.

(For example, a focal person for pandemic issues and a focal person for common disaster issues.)

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