MANILA — In a bid to further improve the country’s national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management program, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is pushing for amendments to the law creating the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), as well as enhancement of the early warning system.
Speaking with hosts Paolo Bediones, Alex Calleja, Isabelle Daza and Boss Toyo of the Bagong Pilipino podcast, OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno mentioned three priority actions for 2025.
“Foremost of our plans is to have amendments to the law that created the NDRRMC. One of the amendments we are requesting is to allow us to create an executive committee that will be in charge of making major decisions. Currently, we need the full council to do that,” Nepomuceno said, referring to the 41 government agencies and five private sector representatives composing the NDRRMC.
“We believe that we would be able to do more if the law will be modified,” he said, noting that time is of the essence particularly during disasters.
The OCD also seeks to improve the Philippines’ early warning system to heighten the country’s disaster mitigation efforts.
“With the help of the DENR and the DOST, we want to be more creative and more comprehensive in our warning system,” Nepomuceno said, highlighting this as an essential tool to enable early action and protect lives, livelihood and properties.
The OCD chief cited as a perfect example the nationwide warning system of Thailand, which has over 600 towers with sirens. Apart from the sirens, Thailand also has a public address system that tells the people what to expect every 10-15 minutes.
Lastly, Nepomuceno said the OCD, with the help of the media, plans to embark on an educational campaign on disaster resilience, particularly targeting the youth, the local government units (LGUs) and disaster responders.
“Being the first responders, we want our LGUs to be empowered and accountable for their own localities. Some LGUs are still dependent on the national government. But it takes a while for us to arrive in their areas during disasters,” he said.
“They should accept the responsibility, and take the necessary actions such as investing in rubber boats for rescue operations,” Nepomuceno said. (OCD)
