Retired M.Gen. del Rosario was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense in February 2013 following his mandatory retirement from the Armed Forces at age 56. Concurrent to his duties with the OCD, he also held the position of Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council under the Aquino administration. As OCD and NDRRMC chief, he led the government's emergency and disaster management councils in assisting victims of the 2013 Bohol earthquake, the Zamboanga City crisis and Tropical Storm Lingling. Del Rosario resigned from his post in April 2014 citing health reasons, but which critics said was due to the government's poor preparations and response in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.