Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
Disaster preparedness should not merely be about readiness during a disaster; it means that a city or a municipality should remain prepared even when there is no disaster.
As a nation most vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters are inevitable, particularly with the annual onslaught of multiple typhoons. Year after year, we are inundated with news headlines of towns ravaged by strong winds and rains, with flash floods and storm surges destroying crucial infrastructure like roads and bridges. The result is a loss of power and communication, rendering entire localities on a standstill and homes uninhabitable for days.
Within this grim reality, the distressing hunger, discomfort, and anxiety experienced by our fellow FIlipinos temporarily residing in cramped relief centers becomes painfully evident. This is a classic tale of how the government fails its citizenry.
Therefore, it’s high time that we proactively address this perennial predicament even before any major disaster strikes again. Advanced preparation is paramount, given that swift action following a calamity is essential. Any wrong move or a snail-paced response could amplify an already disastrous situation.
To institutionalize this concept of readiness within our disaster management framework, one of the legislations from the House of Representatives is House Bill (HB) 8463. This bill seeks to “set up and construct disaster food banks and stockpiles in every province and urbanized city across the nation to speed up the delivery of relief goods and other supplies during calamities.”
The House passed the bill on its third and final reading with 274 affirmative votes.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said the proposal stemmed from the fact that the country is visited every year by more than 20 typhoons, which have become stronger due to climate change.
“This reality requires us to prepare for the eventuality of storms and similar calamities displacing residents of affected areas. We have to have a faster, more efficient, and a more effective system of responding to disasters and helping our people,” he said. “A single life we can save through the timely delivery of medicine, food and critical items in the event of a calamity is worth more than the effort and money that will go into setting up these food and supply reserves.”
Under the bill, the disaster food bank and stockpile shall “serve as the central repository of food, water, medicines, vaccines, antidotes, and other critical medical products, medical kits, portable power and light source, clothing, tents, and communication devices.” The shelf life of these items should at least be two years.
Recognizing the importance of cooperation during disasters, the establishment of the stockpiles shall also be an inter-agency effort. This will be led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with the participation of various departments and the concerned local government.
The NDRRMC shall “determine the locations of the stockpiles, taking into consideration equitable distribution among regions, accessibility, safety and security from natural and human-induced disasters, and immediate release of the supply reserves in case of a calamity or an emergency.”
This proposed bill is commendable, reflecting a crucial step toward rectifying an alarming trend where our fellow citizens, who have already lost homes and livelihoods, are further neglected post-calamity. The era of procrastination and the lack of foresight must end. Preparedness is our immediate call, not only to mitigate the impact of a disaster’s aftermath but also to stop the unnecessary loss of lives that could be prevented beforehand.
*****
Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
