The creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience will push more efficient and centralized calamity responses, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go said as he renewed calls for the passage of Senate Bill 188.
Go, made this remark, as his team provided assistance to some 1,200 typhoon-affected residents over the weekend in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Parang in Maguindanao del Norte, as well as in Datu Abdullah Sangki and Ampatuan in Maguindanao del Sur, severely-hit by Paeng.
The senator emphasized that the proposed bill seeks to establish an agency that is highly specialized in ensuring "adaptive, disaster-resilient and safe communities" amid the onslaught of natural human-induced disasters and other calamities such as typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and among others.
As the country continues to face the wrath of typhoon 'Paeng,' Go reiterated his call for the government to focus on establishing a disaster-resilient nation by passing a legislative measure that will push unified actions and will streamline all responsibilities related to disaster preparedness and functional responses that are currently being executed by various national agencies.
"The extent of devastation caused by typhoon Paeng and recent calamities makes our call to establish the Department of Disaster Resilience and to build mandatory evacuation centers in every town, city, and province more relevant than ever," Go said, referring to a Senate Bill 193 that he recently filed at the Upper House.
The bill sought to mandate the establishment of safe and clean evacuation centers in every city, province, and municipality nationwide.
Meantime, Go initiated the distribution of medical assistance to the typhoon-affected families in Maguindanao provinces—offering them to visit various Malasakit Centers located at the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur; Cotabato Sanitarium in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte; and in Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City.
A total of 152 Malasakit Centers are now operational nationwide.
Go's Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 primarily provides medical assistance to poor and indigent Filipinos.