1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Rep. MARIO VITTORIO “MARVEY” A. MARIÑO 
5th District, Batangas 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Natural calamities constantly beset the Philippines, be it super typhoons, 
earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, which have catastrophic consequences to the 
lives, properties and livelihood of the people in the affected areas. 
However, human might cannot control or even match, nature’s wrath. But with 
collective efforts and unified direction of all the stakeholders, we can mitigate its 
disastrous consequences with a timely and sound disaster preparedness and 
management programs and activities, and work on to build the resiliency of the 
people and the communities. Thus, there exists the urgency and the necessity to 
create a focal agency to be at the helm of the country’s disaster preparedness and 
management programs.    
This measure seeks to create a Department of Disaster Resilience with the following 
objectives: 
(1)
To establish a primary government agency responsible for leading,
organizing, and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare
for and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward
better after the occurrence of disasters.
(2) To oversee and coordinate the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and
evaluation of disaster and climate resilience plans, programs, projects, and
activities.
(3) To provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and
systematic approaches to disaster prevention, mitigation preparedness
response, recovery, and rehabilitation.
(4) To provide a clear and comprehensive direction in the implementation of
plans, programs, and projects to reduce the risk of natural hazards and the
effects of climate change and manage the impact of disasters.
July 18, 2022
2:19 pm
2102


2 
(5) To create a government agency to institutionalize the policies, structures,
coordination mechanisms and programs on disaster risk reduction
management and harmonize policies on climate change, sustainable
development, and environmental management;
(6) To enable the government to quickly respond, prepare, implement, monitor,
and evaluate disaster and climate resilience plans, programs, projects and
activities; and
(7) To ensure that the government upholds the welfare of the people particularly
the vulnerable sectors of the society specifically women, children, older
persons, persons with disabilities, urban poor, and indigenous people by
providing its citizens a safer, adaptive, resilient, and inclusive community.
During the 18th Congress, 35 bills were consolidated into House Bill 5989, “An Act 
CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER RESILIENCE, DEFINING ITS 
MANDATE, 
POWERS 
AND 
FUNCTIONS, 
APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS 
THEREFOR”. Said measure was approved on 3rd Reading by the House but failed 
to hurdle the Senate’s scrutiny. The bill was thoroughly deliberated upon and 
studied for the purpose of establishing a Department consistent with the ideals of 
good governance, improved public service delivery and fiscal prudence. The same 
bill is being refiled this 19th Congress. 
Thus, the approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
MARIO VITTORIO “MARVEY” A. MARIÑO 


3 
 Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Rep. MARIO VITTORIO “MARVEY” A. MARIÑO 
5th District, Batangas 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER RESILIENCE,  
DEFINING ITS MANDATE, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Article I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Disaster Resilience Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to: 
(a) Protect the lives and properties of its citizens by addressing and preventing the causes
of vulnerabilities to natural disasters;
(b) Uphold the sacredness of human life by efficiently and effectively addressing
humanitarian emergencies, including calamities and disasters, through the
establishment of a focused, streamlined, independent, empowered, capacitated,
specialized agency on disaster risk reduction and management as well as emergency
response, which is national in scope and civilian in character. The people are the most
important assets of the nation, and all disaster risk and management efforts shall be
responsive to the humanitarian needs of the people, the dignity and value of the
human person, and respect for property;
(c) Promote a simple, strategic, systematic, continuous, comprehensive, inclusive, and
integrated approach to disaster risk reduction and management aimed at substantially
reducing vulnerabilities and the risk of disasters and other humanitarian emergencies,
towards the preservation of life and property, thereby ultimately preventing or
deterring the loss of lives and protecting the social, economic, historical and cultural
heritage, and environmental assets of the country;
2102


4 
(d) Establish a permanent, institutionalized, cohesive, and comprehensive framework for
disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation, and response, to be implemented by
a focused specialized agency with its own mandate, powers, and funding, and
coordinating with the Philippine government, other foreign governments and financial
institutions, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society. Disaster
risk reduction and management shall first aim for the outright avoidance of the adverse
impacts of hazards and related disasters. With the knowledge and capacities to
effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or
current hazard events or conditions, preparedness action shall be carried out in the most
effective and efficient manner. In a disaster scenario, the response shall ensure the
provision of emergency services and public assistance,  during or immediately after a
disaster;
(e) Create an integrated, systematic, comprehensive, and cohesive plan to simplify,
streamline, integrate, and coordinate the various programs, projects, and activities of
the Government and such other actors or stakeholders in disaster risk reduction and
management to ensure accountability, responsibility, and transparency as well as to
ensure the efficient and effective performance of their functions;
(f) Inculcate a culture of resilience and preparedness against natural disasters at the
national, regional, and local levels;
(g) Establish a strong and empowered institution capable of responding to the greater
onslaught of normal or natural disasters brought by climate change, and spearhead
efforts to ensure disaster resilience by delivering the highly critical and intertwined
functions of disaster risk reduction and response, with a recovery strategy of
“building forward better”;
(h) Address the different concerns and needs of sectors with special needs or higher
vulnerabilities such as women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, and
indigenous peoples with respect to disaster resilience and disaster management;
(i) Foster an enabling environment for substantial and sustainable participation of
nongovernment stakeholders such as civil society organizations, private groups,
volunteers, and communities in disaster resilience programs and projects;
(j) Adopt a whole-of-society, whole-of-government, and whole-of-nation approach in
disaster preparedness to increase collaboration, planning, and dialogue among all
sectors of society in preparing for natural disasters and in improving their strategies


 
5 
 
and action plans for disaster risk reduction; and 
(k) Strengthen the chain of command and establish a unified command system for                    
disaster management. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act:  
(a) Adaptation refers to the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual 
or expected climactic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits 
beneficial opportunities; 
(b) Assisting actor refers to any assisting international or domestic actor following a 
disaster in the country; 
(c) Assisting domestic actor refers to any not-for-profit entity established under  
domestic laws, which is extending help following a disaster in the country; 
(d) Assisting international actor refers to any foreign State, organization, entity or 
individual extending help following a disaster within the country or transiting  
through the country to extend help following a disaster in another country; 
(e) Biological hazards refer to hazards that are of organic origin or conveyed by 
biological vectors, including pathogenic microorganisms, toxins, and bioactive 
substances. Examples are bacteria, viruses or parasites as well as venomous                  
wildlife and insects, poisonous plants and mosquitoes carrying disease-causing 
agents; 
(f) Building forward better refers to an approach to building or reconstructing                     
an area or community, which entails a shift from achieving simple recovery and 
restoration to creating safer, more adaptive, resilient, and inclusive communities; 
(g) Business continuity refers to the capability of an organization to continue the             
delivery of products or services at acceptable predefined levels following a               
disruptive incident; 
(h) Capacity refers to the combination of attributes and resources available within a 
community or area that can reduce the level of risk(s) from, or impact(s) of,                        
a disaster; 
(i) Civil society organizations (CSOs) refer to non-State actors whose aims are neither 
to generate profits nor to seek governing power, but to unite people to advance            
shared goals and interests. CSOs may include nongovernment organizations  
(NGOs), professional associations, foundations, independent research institutions, 
community-based organizations, and social movements; 


6 
(j) Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified
by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists in an
extended period, typically decades or longer, whether due to natural internal
processes or external forces such as modulation of the solar cycles, volcanic
eruptions, and persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the
atmosphere or in land use;
(k) Complex emergency refers to a form of human-induced emergency in which the
cause of the emergency as well as the assistance to the afflicted is complicated by
an intense level of political considerations;
(l) Consequence management refers to the totality of interventions and measures taken
to restore essential operations and services in a permissive environment, including
measures to protect public health and safety, restore essential government services,
and provide emergency relief to individuals, stakeholders, and communities
affected by the consequences of emergencies, hazards, and disasters;
(m) Contingency planning refers to a management process that analyzes specific
potential events or emerging situations that might threaten society or the
environment and establishes arrangements in advance to enable timely, effective,
and appropriate responses to such events and situations;
(n) Cultural heritage refers to the totality of cultural property preserved and developed
through time and passed on to posterity;
(o) Deterministic risk assessment refers to an assessment that considers the possible
disaster impacts of a single scenario, in contrast to probabilistic risk assessment
which considers all possible scenarios, their likelihood, and associated impacts;
(p) Development assistance refers to financial, material or other forms of assistance
to support the economic, social, and environmental well-being of areas or people
affected by a natural disaster;
(q) Disability refers to an evolving concept that results from the interaction between
persons with impairments, as defined under Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise
known as the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons” and attitudinal and environmental
barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis
with others;
(r) Disaster refers to a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or
a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses


7 
and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community to cope using its 
own resources. Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of: the 
exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and insufficient 
capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.  
Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative effects 
on human, physical, mental and social well-being, together with damage to property, 
destruction of assets, loss of services, social and economic disruption and 
environmental degradation. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in this Act, the 
term “disaster” shall refer to “natural disaster”; 
(s) Disaster assistance refers to financial, material, or other forms of assistance to
address the immediate and long-term needs of people, communities or areas
affected by a disaster. This term includes humanitarian assistance and development
assistance;
(t) Disaster management refers to the planning, organization, and application of
measures preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters;
(u) Disaster mitigation refers to the reduction or limitation of the adverse impacts of
disasters and its related hazards;
(v) Disaster preparedness refers to the knowledge and capacities developed by
governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and
individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from, the impacts of
likely, imminent or current disasters and related hazards;
(w) Disaster prevention refers to the intention to avoid, or the outright avoidance,
of potential adverse impacts of disasters and related hazards through action(s) taken
in advance;
(x) Disaster recovery refers to restoration or improvement of livelihoods and health, as
well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and
activities, of a disaster-affected community or society, aligning with the principles
of sustainable development and “build forward better” to avoid or reduce future
disaster risk;
(y) Disaster response or disaster relief refers to the provision of emergency services
and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to secure and
save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic
subsistence needs of the people affected. Disaster response is predominantly


 
8 
 
focused on immediate and short-term needs and is sometimes called “disaster    
relief”; 
(z) Disaster rehabilitation refers to restoration of basic services and facilities for the 
function of a community or a society affected by a disaster; 
(aa) Disaster resilience refers to the ability of a system, community, or society               
exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform, and recover 
from the effects of a hazard, including the long-term impact of climate change, in a 
timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of            
its essential basic structures and functions through risk management; 
(bb) Disaster risk refers to the potential losses in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and 
services that may occur to a particular community or society due to a disaster in the future, 
and is determined by a combination of the vulnerability, capacity, exposure of persons and 
assets, hazard characteristics and the environment; 
(cc) Disaster risk governance refers to the manner in which public authorities, civil 
servants, media, private sector, and civil society coordinate at community, national 
and regional levels in order to manage disaster and climate related risks. This  
includes ensuring that sufficient levels of capacity and resources are made available 
to prevent, prepare for, manage and recover from disasters. It also entails 
mechanisms, institutions, and processes for citizens to articulate their interests, 
exercise their legal rights and obligations, and mediate their differences; 
(dd) Disaster risk management refers to the systematic approach or process of 
implementing strategies, policies and programs to lessen the possibility and/or 
adverse impacts of disasters and related hazards; 
(ee) Disaster risk reduction refers to the prevention of new, or reduction of existing, 
disaster risks and the management of residual risk, to enhance resilience to  disasters; 
(ff)  Early warning system refers to an integrated system of hazard monitoring,  
forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, and communication and 
preparedness activities and processes that enable individuals, communities,                 
national government agencies, local government units, the private sector, and others 
to take timely action to reduce disaster risks and adequately prepare for disasters; 
(gg) Emergency refers to unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially danger, 
demanding immediate action; 
(hh) Emergency management refers to the organization and management of resources 
and responsibilities for addressing all aspects of emergencies, in particular, 


9 
preparedness, response and initial recovery steps; 
(ii) Environmental hazards refer to hazards which may be chemical, natural and
biological, and can be created by environmental degradation or physical or chemical
pollution in the air water and soil. However, many of the processes and phenomena
that fall into this category may be termed drivers of hazard and risk rather than
hazards in themselves, such as soil degradation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity,
salinization and sea-level rise;
(jj)  Exposure refers to the situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production 
capacities and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas;  
(kk) Framework Agreement shall refer to a written agreement between a procuring entity 
and a supplier or service provider that identifies the terms and conditions under 
which specific purchases are made for the duration of the agreement.  
The Framework Agreement is in the nature of an option contract between the 
procuring entity and the bidder(s) granting the procuring entity the option to either 
place an order for any of the goods or services identified in the Framework 
Agreement List or not buy at all, within the period of the Framework Agreement;     
(ll) Geological or geophysical hazards refer to hazards which originate from
internal earth processes, such as earthquakes, volcanic activities and emissions,
and related geophysical processes which include mass movements, landslides,
rockslides, surface collapses and debris or mud flows. Hydrometeorological
factors are important contributors to some of these processes. While tsunamis
are triggered by undersea earthquakes and other geological events, they
essentially become an oceanic process that is manifested as a coastal water-related
hazards;
(mm) Geographic information system refers to a database which contains, among others,
geo-hazard assessments, information on climate change, and climate risk reduction 
and management; 
(nn) Geographically isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA) refers to an area 
with a marginalized population, which is physically and socio-economically 
separated from the mainstream society and characterized by physical factor 
such as isolated due to distance, weather conditions and transportation difficulties 
due to island, upland lowland, landlocked, hard to reach and underserved 
communities; and/or socio-economic factors such as high poverty incidence, 


 
10 
 
presence of vulnerable sector, communities in or recovering from a situation of crisis 
or armed conflict; 
(oo) Hazard refers to a phenomenon, substance, human activity, or condition that may 
cause loss of life, injury or impacts to health; and social and economic disruption, 
environmental damage, or loss of or disruption to property, livelihood and/or 
services; 
(pp) Historical landmarks refer to sites or structures that are associated with events or 
achievements significant to Philippine history as declared by the National Historical 
Institute or the applicable agency; 
(qq) Human-induced disasters refer to disasters induced entirely or predominantly                   
by human activities or choices, such as ideologically motivated conflict or 
criminality; 
(rr)   Humanitarian assistance refers to financial, material or other similar forms of 
assistance to address the immediate needs of people affected by a natural disaster; 
(ss)  Hydrometeorological hazards refer to hazards that are of atmospheric, hydrological 
and oceanographic origin, such as tropical cyclones also known as typhoons and 
hurricanes; floods, including flash floods, drought; heatwaves and cold spells, coastal 
storm surges, and marine heatwaves, extreme sea events, and sea level rise. 
Hydrometeorological conditions may also be a factor in other hazards such as 
landslides, wildland fires, locust plagues, epidemics, and in the transport and 
dispersal of toxic substances and volcanic eruption material; 
(tt) Impact and needs assessment refers to assessing the nature and magnitude of a 
disaster, its impact on affected populations, the type and extent of emergency, and 
the requirements for recovery and rehabilitation of the affected areas; 
(uu) Land-use planning refers to the process undertaken by public authorities to  
identify, evaluate, and decide on different options for the use of land, including 
consideration of long-term economic, social, and environmental objectives and                     
the implications for different communities and interest groups, and the                     
subsequent formulation and promulgation of plans that describe the permitted or 
acceptable uses; 
(vv) Legal facilities refer to entitlements and exemptions that are granted to assisting 
domestic or international actors which are declared to be eligible pursuant to this Act 
and its implementing rules and regulations; 


 
11 
 
(ww) Local Disaster Resilience Plan (LDRP) refers to a document prepared by a local 
government unit (LGU) based on the National Disaster Resilience Framework 
(NDRF) and National Disaster Resilience Plan and Investment Program (NDRPIP) 
that sets out specific programs, objectives and goals to implement disaster risk 
management and climate change adaptation measures at the local level. The plan shall 
include among others, an evaluation and analysis of emerging disaster risks, hazards 
and vulnerabilities applicable to an LGU, and specific programs and activities to 
ensure responsive, effective, and the appropriate disaster preparedness and 
management at the local level; 
(xx) National continuity policy refers to a policy aimed at the development of an 
organizational culture that has the ability to provide a minimum level of service 
during interruptions, emergencies, and disasters, and return to full operations quickly;  
(yy) National cultural treasure refers to a unique cultural property found locally, 
possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which                        
is highly significant and important to the country and nation, and officially declared 
as such by the pertinent cultural agency; 
(zz) National Disaster Resilience Framework (NDRF) refers to a framework that 
provides for a comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and 
community-based approach to enable communities to resist, prevent, mitigate 
against, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, recover, or build forward better from the 
effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner through, among others, disaster 
risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation and mitigation.  The 
NDRF shall be composed of a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management 
Framework (NDRRMF), and National Framework Strategy on Climate Change 
(NFSCC); 
(aaa)  National Disaster Resilience Plan and Investment Program (NDRPIP) refers to a 
plan formulated and implemented by the Department of Disaster Resilience in 
accordance with the NDRF that sets out the outcomes, goals and objectives, priorities, 
programs and corresponding action plans for disaster risk reduction, preparedness, 
and management, and climate change mitigation. It shall also include, among others, 
the goals, objectives and action plans for a National Continuity Policy; 
(bbb) Natural disaster refers to a disaster predominantly associated with and/or caused 
by natural processes or phenomena, such as those related to geology                        


 
12 
 
such as earthquakes, ground rupture, liquefaction, landslides, tsunamis, sinkholes, 
volcanic activity; hydrology and meteorology such as floods, severe winds, typhoons, 
storm surges, climatological variability such as extreme temperatures, El Niño, La 
Niña, and forest fires; biological events such as epidemics or pandemics caused by 
outbreaks of viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal or prion infectious diseases affecting 
human, animal or plant life, insect infestations or swarms; and extraterrestrial events 
such as a meteorite or asteroid strikes; 
(ccc)  Open data refer to facts and statistics that can be freely used, shared and built-on 
by anyone, anywhere, for any purpose, which must be available in bulk, free of 
charge, or at least at no more than a reasonable cost and permit people to use,                     
re-use, and redistribute, intermix with other data providers; 
(ddd) Post-Disaster recovery refers to the restoration improvement where appropriate, 
of facilities, livelihood and living conditions, of disaster-affected communities, 
including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors, in accordance with the principle of 
“build forward better”; 
(eee)  Preparedness refers to pre-disaster actions and measures being undertaken within 
the context of disaster risk reduction and management and are based on sound risk 
analysis as well as pre-disaster activities to avert or minimize loss of life and property 
such as community organizing, training, planning, equipping, stockpiling, hazard 
mapping, insuring of assets, and public information and education initiatives. This 
also includes the development or enhancement of an overall preparedness strategy, 
policy, institutional structure, warning and forecasting capabilities, and plans that 
define measures geared to help at-risk communities safeguard their lives and assets 
by being alert to hazards and taking appropriate action in the face of an imminent 
threat or an actual disaster; 
(fff) Prevention refers to activities and measures to avoid existing and new disaster risks, 
and the concept and intention to avoid potential adverse impacts of hazardous events;  
(ggg) Probabilistic risk assessment refers to the simulation of those future disasters based 
on scientific evidence, and which are likely to occur in order to resolve the problem 
posed by the limits of historical data by reproducing the physics of the phenomena 
and recreating the intensity of a large number of synthetic events, including all 
possible scenarios, their likelihood, and associated impacts; 
(hhh) Rehabilitation refers to measures that ensure the ability of affected communities or 


13 
areas to restore their normal level of functioning by rebuilding livelihood and 
infrastructures and increasing the communities’ organizational capacity; 
(iii) Resilience refers to the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards
to resist, absorb, accommodate, and recover from the effects thereof in a timely and
efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential
basic structures and functions in a manner that will make them more resistant to future
risks;
(jjj)  Response refers to any concerted effort by two (2) or more agencies, public or 
private, to provide assistance or intervention during or immediately after a disaster to 
meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs of those people affected and in 
the restoration of essential public activities and facilities; 
(kkk) Retrofitting refers to an act reinforcing or upgrading existing structures to make 
them more resistant and resilient to the damaging effects of hazards; 
(lll) Risk refers to the combination of the probability of an event and its negative
consequences;
(mmm) Risk assessment refers to a methodology to determine the nature and extent of
risks by analyzing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of 
vulnerability that together could potentially harm exposed people, property, services, 
livelihood and the environment on which they depend. Risk assessment with 
associated risk mapping include: a review of the technical characteristics of hazards 
such as their location, intensity, frequency and probability; the analysis of exposure 
and vulnerability including the physical, social, health, economic, and environmental 
dimensions; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of prevailing and alternative 
coping capacities in respect to likely risk scenarios; 
(nnn)  Risk transfer refers to the process of formally or informally shifting the financial 
consequences of particular risks from one party to another whereby a household, 
community, enterprise or State authority will obtain resources from the other party 
after a disaster occurs, in exchange for ongoing or compensatory social or financial 
benefits provided to that other party; 
(ooo)  Safety stock refers to items of raw materials, component parts, or finished goods 
maintained in inventory in order to reduce the risk that such item will be out of stock, 
in anticipation of unforeseen shortages or unusual demand for such items; 
(ppp)  State of Calamity refers to a condition involving mass casualty, disruption of 


 
14 
 
means of livelihoods, and/or major damages to property, roads and normal way of 
life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or                   
human-induced hazard; 
(qqq)  Sustainable development refers to development that meets the needs of the present 
generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. 
It contains within it two (2) key concepts: first, the concept of “needs”, in particular, 
the essential needs of the world’s poor, to which overriding priority should be given; 
and second, the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social 
cohesion and harmony, and  ecological integration of a sound and viable economy, 
responsible governance, and ecological integrity to ensure that human development 
now and through future generations is a life enhancing process; 
(rrr) Volunteers refer to individuals, groups or entities that offer and provide                       
services or assistance, without compensation, to help people and areas affected by 
disasters; 
(sss) Vulnerability refers to the characteristics and circumstances of a community, 
system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. 
Vulnerability may arise from various physical, social, economic, and environmental 
factors such as poor design and construction of buildings, inadequate protection of 
assets, lack of public information and awareness, limited official recognition of risks 
and preparedness measures, and disregard for wise environmental management; 
(ttt)  Vulnerable and marginalized groups refer to those that face higher exposure to 
disaster risk and poverty including women, children, the elderly, differently abled 
people, and ethnic minorities; 
(uuu)  Whole-of-Society Approach refers to an approach that encourages the meaningful 
and active participation and synergy of the different stakeholders of society toward 
climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction and 
management at the national and local levels; 
(vvv)  Whole-of-Government Approach refers to an approach that instills and fosters 
collaboration among all government instrumentalities both at the national and local 
levels toward shared sustainable development goals and outcomes; and 
(www) Whole-of-Nation Approach refers to an approach that seeks to bring about a 
concerted effort towards sustainable development, and national peace and security by 
creating consensus and understanding of development and security that is shared not 


 
15 
 
just among core security forces and oversight government institutions, but also by the 
nation’s stakeholders such as government, civil society, private sector, and the 
communities.  
Article II  
THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER RESILIENCE:  
MANDATE, POWERS, AND FUNCTIONS 
SEC. 4. Creation and Mandate of the Department of Disaster Resilience. –                      
There is hereby created a Department of Disaster Resilience, herein after referred to as the 
Department. 
The Department shall be the primary government agency responsible for leading, 
organizing, and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for and                   
respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward better after the occurrence of 
disasters.  
The Department shall oversee and coordinate the preparation, implementation, 
monitoring, and evaluation of disaster and climate resilience plans, programs, projects and 
activities, provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic 
approaches to disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and 
rehabilitation, to anticipatory adaptation strategies, measures, techniques, and options.                        
The Department shall augment the capacity of local governments units in collaboration 
with relevant national government agencies and other stakeholders to implement disaster                  
risk reduction and management and climate change action plans, programs, projects, and 
activities.  
The Department shall be the principal government institution responsible for ensuring 
safe, adaptive, and disaster resilient communities. It is mandated to provide a clear and 
comprehensive direction in the implementation of plans, programs, and projects to reduce the 
risk of natural hazards and the effects of climate change and manage the impact of disasters. 
The mandate of the Department covers all natural hazards, which include, among 
others, the following: 
(a) Geological Phenomena and Related Hazards  
1) Earthquake – ground rupture, ground shaking, liquefaction, tsunami, fire, 
landslides, and seiche or lake water oscillation  
2) Volcanic activity – ash fall, pyroclastic flow, lava flow, lahar, fissuring, and 
volcanic gas 


 
16 
 
3) Mass movement – landslides, debris flow, sinkholes 
(b) Hydrological, Oceanographic and Meteorological Phenomena and Related Hazards  
1) Tropical cyclone – severe winds, storm surge, rouge waves, severe rainfall 
including hail  
2) Flood, rain-triggered landslides and storm surges 
3) Erosion 
4) Marine heatwaves, extreme sea events, and sea level rise 
(c)  Climate Variability/Change with Related Hazards of Compound Events and Cascading 
Impacts 
1) El Niño or La Niña (ENSO) with associated rainfall and temperature (in particular, 
projected extreme ENSOs) 
2) Extreme temperature (heat wave or cold wave), extreme weather conditions 
(drought or excessive rainfall) 
3) Wildfire (forest or land fires) 
(d) Biological and Related Hazards  
     1) Epidemic/Pandemic – viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, prion infectious diseases 
     2) Insect Infestation – grasshoppers/locusts 
(e) Extra-Terrestrial – Meteorite/Asteroid impact 
The Department shall manage and direct the implementation of national, local, and 
community-based disaster resilience and disaster management programs, projects and activities, 
including disaster response, recovery and rehabilitation, when applicable,  in collaboration with 
relevant national government agencies, LGUs, CSOs, academic institutions and other 
stakeholders: Provided, That for human-induced disasters, the Department of the Interior and 
Local Government (DILG), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Social 
Welfare and Development (DSWD), and other relevant government instrumentalities, including 
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National 
Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Office of Civil Defense (OCD), shall continue 
to perform their functions: Provided, further, That the Department shall remain as the lead 
agency in recovery and rehabilitation efforts in collaboration with all stakeholders when 
applicable. 


 
17 
 
Notwithstanding, the mandates and powers stated herein shall be without prejudice                      
to the President’s directive to address natural, human-induced, or other disasters such as an 
epidemic. 
SEC. 5. Powers and Functions of the Department. - The Department shall exercise the 
following powers and functions, in collaboration with the relevant departments, agencies, and 
nongovernment stakeholders: 
(a) General Functions  
1) Conduct risk and vulnerability assessment at the local level based on the national 
criteria, and establish a database that includes, among others, an inventory of 
hazards to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters; 
2) Undertake the establishment or construction of evacuation centers that conform to the 
standards under the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards 
in Humanitarian Response or The Sphere Minimum Standards for Shelter and Settlement, 
and Republic Act No. 10821, otherwise known as the “Children’s Emergency Relief and 
Protection Act”, among others. The upkeep and maintenance of the evacuation centers 
shall be the responsibility of the concerned LGUs; 
3) Develop, maintain and update an integrated disaster management and disaster 
resilience information system that includes, among others, multi-hazard mapping, 
vulnerability and probabilistic risk assessments, early warning, exposure database, 
communication and emergency management systems at the national, regional, and 
provincial levels;   
4) Undertake the formulation and implementation of the government’s policies, plans, 
programs, projects, and budget for disaster resilience including those related to 
disaster risk reduction, response, recovery, rehabilitation, and building forward 
better;  
5) Review and build upon, to the extent necessary, the existing disaster resilience 
framework, plans and strategies in the crafting of an NDRF and the corresponding 
NDRPIP; 
6) Oversee, review, and approve the translation, integration, and implementation of 
the NDRPIP into LDRPs;  
7) Facilitate the availability of highly competent DRR professionals at all levels and 
prescribe benefits, allowances, and similar emoluments for DRR professionals, as 
it may deem fit;  


 
18 
 
8) Communicate and disseminate critical information to help the public prepare for, 
respond to, and recover from a disaster;  
9) Receive, manage, administer and control all the funds, assets and properties 
received by the Department to accomplish the purposes of this Act;  
10)  Recommend to the President of the Philippines the declaration of a state of 
calamity due to a natural disaster, and the lifting thereof when conditions stabilize;  
11)  Advise the President on matters concerning disaster resilience and make 
recommendations, as appropriate; 
12)  Advance the country’s interests relating to disaster resilience in the regional and 
global arena; 
13)  Collaborate with any government entity to help ensure the attainment of the goals 
and objectives of this Act; and 
14)  Perform such other functions, as provided by law or assignment of the President, 
and undertake all other necessary actions to ensure the attainment of the overall 
goals and objectives of this Act. 
(b) Disaster Risk Reduction 
1) Develop coordinated regional and local strategies for the effective prevention and 
mitigation of disaster risk resulting from natural hazards, including the effects of 
climate change;  
2) Develop and implement policies and programs relating to the construction of new 
settlements or relocation of settlements in safe areas which shall, to the extent such 
policies and programs relate to disaster risk reduction, mitigation, prevention or 
building forward better, prevail over policies or decisions of other government 
departments, government agencies, government owned and/or controlled 
corporations, LGUs, or other government institutions;  
3) Develop, in coordination with relevant government agencies, policies and 
programs on land-use planning, urban planning and zoning which shall,                      
to the extent such policies and programs relate to disaster risk reduction,      
mitigation, prevention or building forward better, prevail over policies                      
or decisions of other government departments, government agencies,                    
government owned and/or controlled corporations, LGUs, or other government 
institutions;  
4) Establish or enhance standards for disaster preparedness and continuity planning, 


 
19 
 
such as on infrastructure standards and designs; 
5) Collaborate with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and 
other relevant government agencies in the conduct of regular structural, safety audit 
of buildings and other types of infrastructure, and require the submission of 
necessary data, information or reports related thereto;  
6) Formulate a National Continuity Policy including plans and programs to implement 
government governance and business continuity;  
7) Ensure the use of advanced science and technology in the anticipatory planning                 
of communities against the impact of natural hazards and climate change                   
through consultation, and employment with a regular department funding for 
relevant academic or higher educational institutions with proven risk reduction 
record; 
8) Establish a system to ensure that all disaster-related data are accessible to all 
stakeholders to generate the best scientific information and technological products 
for use in disaster resilience; 
9) Ensure that all climate change-related hazards are included in the development of 
climate risk profiles of targeted LGUs as provided for in the Climate Risk and 
Management Framework (CRMF) policy document of the Climate Change 
Commission (CCC) and that the appropriate institutions such as the academe and 
other science experts or organizations who have the capability to develop or have 
developed methodologies to establish climate change risk profile are officially 
engaged; 
10) Undertake programs and projects to reduce the vulnerability of physical 
infrastructure, assets, and facilities including retrofitting, and structural and non-
structural upgrading, in coordination with the relevant government agencies;  
11) Call on relevant government agencies to develop alternative livelihood programs 
to reduce the vulnerability to disasters of certain areas or certain sectors of society;  
12) Formulate, facilitate and monitor efforts relating to certain resources or sectors 
toward addressing the long-term effects of climate change on sustainable 
development, such as water resources, agriculture, forestry, coastal and marine 
resources, health, and infrastructure, in coordination with relevant government 
agencies; 
13) Design and implement an incentive system for greater private and public 


 
20 
 
investment, both at the local and national levels, on disaster risk reduction; 
14) Oversee and ensure the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and disaster 
risk reduction in development and land use planning, and the preparation of 
contingency plans; 
15) Create an enabling environment that shall promote broader multi-stakeholder 
participation for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation; 
16) Establish, develop, and monitor programs and projects, in coordination with 
relevant government agencies, that consider climate projections, including 
temperature increase and rainfall change in the Philippines to ensure climate-
resilient communities;  
17) Establish and monitor national and local capacity for disaster risk financing and 
insurance and other risk transfer strategies in coordination with the Department of 
Finance (DOF), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Land Bank of the 
Philippines (LBP), and Insurance Commission;  
18) Review and evaluate local disaster resilience plans and other local plans to ensure 
their consistency with the National Disaster Resilience Framework; and  
19) Undertake all other programs and projects necessary to attain the necessary 
outcomes for disaster risk reduction.  
(c) Disaster Preparedness and Response   
1) Lead, manage, and collaborate with the relevant government instrumentalities, 
nongovernment stakeholders, and international partners in providing the minimum 
basic needs of people in affected areas before, during and/or immediately after a 
disaster to save lives and minimize casualties; 
2) Establish a corps of first responders in partnership with national and local 
stakeholders, both public and private;  
3) Implement projects and programs that will enhance the capacity of LGUs to prepare 
for and respond to disasters, giving priority to LGUs with low income or those 
situated in high-risk areas;  
4) Ensure the efficient prepositioning of goods, maintenance and disposal of safety 
stocks; 
5) Accredit, monitor, and evaluate training institutions on disaster resilience;  
6) Regulate the accreditation of donors, volunteers, and assisting nongovernment 
stakeholders, both domestic and international; 


 
21 
 
7) Formulate standards for contingency planning that shall be adopted by the LGUs;  
8) Develop a database of exposure or elements at risk per area to facilitate and ensure 
quick impact and needs assessment in the event of a disaster;  
9) Facilitate and regulate the acceptance, inventory, and accounting of humanitarian 
assistance, including relief goods;  
10)  Maintain a database of volunteers and, when necessary, mobilize volunteers to 
augment the personnel complement and logistical requirements for disaster 
response and/or for the delivery of DRRM programs, projects and activities;  
11)  Oversee and maintain a national early-warning and emergency alert system that 
must provide a specific, areas-focused and time-bound warning that are accurate, 
timely, understandable and readily accessible to national and local emergency 
response organizations and the general public; 
12)  Coordinate information-sharing and other disaster risk reduction protocols 
following the principle of inter-operability among national government agencies 
and local government units; 
13)  Call upon other instrumentalities or entities of the government and                      
nongovernment and civic organizations for assistance in terms of the                      
use of their facilities and resources for the protection and preservation of life and 
properties in the whole range of disaster risk reduction and management.  This 
function includes the power to call on the reserve force as defined in Republic Act 
No. 7077, otherwise known as the “Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines 
Reservist Act” to assist in relief, rescue, retrieval and management of dead and 
missing persons during disasters or calamities;  
14)  Organize, train, equip, and maintain a system of response capacity for search, 
rescue and retrieval and the delivery and distribution of relief goods; 
15)  Recommend to the President to call upon the AFP and PNP to render                      
the necessary assistance in a disaster-affected area by the authority of the                
President; 
16)  Call upon, by authority of the President, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the 
Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Philippine 
Coast Guard, and other uniformed services to the extent necessary for the 
Department to achieve the purposes of this Act; 
17)  Establish a National Corps of Volunteers to be composed of, among others: 


 
22 
 
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), National Service Training Program 
(NSTP), reservists, and other socio-civic organizations;  
18)  Assist in mobilizing necessary resources to increase the overall capacity of local 
government units, specifically those with low income and situated in high-risk 
areas; and 
19)  Undertake all other programs and projects necessary to attain the necessary 
outcomes for disaster preparedness and response. 
(d) Recovery and Building Forward Better 
1) Prepare, organize, lead, implement, and manage post-disaster assessment and 
recovery and rehabilitation programs and plans, in coordination with the                  
affected local governments units, national government agencies, and other 
stakeholders; 
2) Establish a system to promptly perform impact and needs assessment, including 
strengthening the in-house capacity of the Department to conduct accurate and 
timely impact and needs assessment;  
3) Establish a system that utilizes templates, exposure database, and other tools,                     
and develop the Department’s in-house capacity for the prompt and                      
expedient preparation of rehabilitation plans, when needed, for disaster                      
affected  areas;  
4) Formulate or direct relevant government agencies and LGUs to issue guidelines for 
fast-tracking the issuance of permits, certifications, clearances and licenses to 
implement disaster recovery and rehabilitation measures, including housing 
projects, in affected areas;  
5) Prepare and implement rehabilitation plans for disaster affected areas;  
6) Manage and oversee the implementation of disaster recovery and rehabilitation 
measures;  
7) Collaborate with relevant government agencies to establish programs to restore or 
generate livelihood in disaster affected areas;  
8) Formulate policies and standards for post-disaster shelter recovery which may 
include, among others, implementation arrangements, coordination arrangements 
with relevant agencies and LGUs, and modalities for emergency transitional and 
permanent shelter recovery;  
9) Ensure that the principle of building forward better is applied to rehabilitation or 


 
23 
 
reconstruction efforts; and  
10) Undertake all other programs and projects necessary to attain the necessary 
outcomes for recovery and safer, adaptive, resilient, and inclusive communities. 
(e) Other Functions  
1) Constitute, call, convene or deputize agencies of government, and invite                      
nongovernment and private organizations, to assist, advise, or coordinate with               
the Department to achieve the purposes of this Act; 
2) Inspect and examine the status of projects, programs, and activities undertaken by 
national government agencies and local government units in furtherance of disaster 
resilience efforts; 
3) Save lives and/or minimize damages to livelihood and property, complement and 
collaborate with relevant government agencies and nongovernment stakeholders in 
providing humanitarian response and the consequence management of human-
induced disasters whenever it becomes necessary; 
4) Negotiate, enter into, institutionalize, and coordinate arrangements with any private 
person or entity for the purpose of ensuring the adequate and prompt availability 
of goods and services necessary in anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of 
disasters; 
5) Promulgate rules and regulations for the receipt, management, and accounting of 
donations that are consistent with the rules of the Commission on Audit (COA) on 
the use of foreign and local aid during calamities and disasters; 
6) Create or reorganize offices and/or task forces, as may be necessary to carry out 
the objectives of this Act; and  
7)   Perform such other functions, as may be necessary, for the attainment of the 
objectives of this Act. 
 
Article III 
EMERGENCY MEASURES 
SEC. 6. Emergency Measures. – (a) To protect and preserve life and property and ensure 
and promote public safety and welfare, the Department may undertake and implement the 
following emergency measures in anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of disasters: 
1) Carrying out of preemptive evacuation; 
2) Imposition of curfew; 


 
24 
 
3) Rationing of the distribution of basic goods in critical shortage, and when                    
necessary, preventing or restricting the transfer of such goods outside of the area 
affected by the disaster, including access to rice inventory of the National                      
Food Authority (NFA) office or storage located in the affected area; 
4) When there is imminent danger of loss of lives or damage to property, temporarily 
take over or direct the operation of any private utility or business, subject to payment 
of just compensation; and 
5) With the concurrence of the DOF, recommend to the Monetary Board the deferment 
of the payment of monetary obligations of local government units and private entities 
that have been severely affected by disaster. 
(b) Local government units shall enact ordinances on and implement necessary                      
and appropriate emergency measures to ensure the protection and preservation of life and 
property and the promotion of public safety and welfare in anticipation of, during, and in the 
aftermath of disasters. 
(c) Emergency measures shall be carried out in a manner that is humane, respectful                      
of the dignity and culture of persons, without the use of discrimination and                      
disproportionate force, and with conscious attention to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized 
groups. 
(d) Appropriate steps shall be taken to inform the public of the need to implement 
emergency measures for their safety. 
SEC. 7. Preemptive and Force Evacuations. – Preemptive evacuation shall be the 
preferred and primary mode of moving and relocating people that will be affected by impending 
disasters. 
A forced evacuation shall be considered as an emergency measure of last resort that                    
may be undertaken in anticipation of or during a disaster and carried out by the concerned                 
local government unit: Provided, That in case of the failure or inability of the local                  
government units to implement the same, the forced evacuation shall be implemented by                      
the Department, which may direct and compel the assistance of law enforcement and other 
government agencies to implement such measure. 
Any person who willfully disregards or disobeys a preemptive or forced evacuation 
carried out by the local government unit or the Department releases such local government unit 
or the Department, as the case may be, from any liability for injury, death, damage to, or loss of 
property due to such disobedience.  


 
25 
 
 
Article IV 
 
 
 
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 
SEC. 8. The Secretary. - The Department shall be headed by the Secretary                      
of Disaster Resilience, hereinafter referred to as the Secretary, who shall be appointed                      
by the President, subject to confirmation by the Committee on Appointments. The                      
Secretary shall preferably have a good background in any of the scientific,                      
engineering, and public management fields relevant to the attainment and promotion of                      
resiliency to natural hazards and climate change, and demonstrated managerial acumen. 
SEC. 9. Powers and Functions of the Secretary. – The Secretary shall have the 
following powers and functions: 
a) Provide executive direction and supervision over the entire operations of the 
Department; 
b) Establish and promulgate policies, rules, and regulations for the effective and 
efficient operation of the Department and implement these to carry out its mandate, 
functions, programs, and activities;  
c) Exercise control and supervision over all functions and activities of the Department 
and its officers and personnel;    
d) Manage the financial, human and other resources of the Department; 
e) Appoint and designate officers and employees of the Department, excluding those 
requiring presidential appointment as provided for by law; 
f) Exercise disciplinary powers over officers and employees of the Department in 
accordance with law, and investigate such erring officers and employees, or 
designate a committee or officer to conduct an investigation; 
g) Collaborate with other government agencies, the private sector, and civil society 
organizations on the policies, programs, projects, and activities of the Department, 
as may be necessary;  
h) Advise the President on the promulgation of executive and administrative orders, 
and the formulation of regulatory and legislative proposals on matters pertaining to 
disaster resilience; 
i) Represent the Philippines and articulate the national contribution to global, 
regional, and other inter-governmental disaster risk reduction and humanitarian 
platforms, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs;  
j) Formulate such rules and regulations, and exercise such other powers as may be 


 
26 
 
required to implement the objectives of this Act;  
k) Serve as a member of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB); and        
l) Perform such other tasks as may be provided by law or assigned by the                   
President. 
SEC. 10. The Undersecretaries. - The Secretary shall be assisted by four (4) 
Undersecretaries, which shall be responsible for the following key result areas: 
a) Disaster Preparedness and Response - to implement projects and programs that will 
enhance the capacity of LGUs to prepare against, and respond to, disasters. This also 
includes development of a database of exposure or elements at risk per area and 
database of volunteers, among others. It involves the establishment of evacuation 
centers and the implementation of responsive and efficient prepositioning of goods, 
maintenance and disposal of stocks, among others; 
b) Disaster Risk Reduction - to formulate, adopt, and/or implement, among others, a 
whole-of-society approach in policies and programs to prevent new, if not reduce 
existing disaster risks, to address the effects of climate change, and to minimize loss 
and damage to lives and properties. This includes the formulation of the required 
policies and/or programs for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in, 
among others, the NDRF and the NDRPIP; 
c) Recovery and Building Forward and Better - to formulate and implement 
rehabilitation plans for disaster-affected areas, and to ensure the implementation of 
disaster recovery and rehabilitation measures, such as, but not limited to, post-disaster 
shelters and livelihood projects, in collaboration with relevant agencies, LGUs, and 
other stakeholders; and 
d) Support to Operations - to formulate and implement, among others, policies, 
programs and/or projects to ensure the efficient, effective, and responsive delivery of 
the Department’s key result areas. Support to Operations covers knowledge 
management, institutional development and planning, finance, office administration, 
human resources management, and development of the Department’s in-house 
capacities, among others. 
 
SEC. 11. The Assistant Secretaries and Directors. - The Department shall have four (4) 
Assistant Secretaries and appropriate number of Directors to ensure for the effective, efficient, 
and responsive implementation of the mandate and functions of the Department. 


 
27 
 
 
SEC. 12. Qualifications. – No person shall be appointed Secretary, Undersecretary, or 
Assistant Secretary of the Department unless a citizen and resident of the Philippines, of good 
moral character, and of proven experience, competence or expertise in humanitarian relief 
assistance and disaster management. The Secretary, Undersecretary, or Assistant Secretary shall 
not hold any other position, public or private, during their terms of office. 
 
SEC 13. Structure and Staffing Pattern. – The Department shall determine its 
organizational structure and staffing pattern and create such services, divisions, and units, as it 
may require or deem necessary, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and 
Management. 
 
SEC. 14. National Disaster Operations Center, Alternative Command Center, and 
Research and Training Institute. - The Department shall establish, within one (1) year from the 
approval of this Act, and act as the primary operator, the National Disaster Operations Center 
(NDOC), Alternative Command and Control Center (ACCCs) as may be necessary in each of 
the country’s major island groups, and the Disaster Resilience Research and Training Institute 
(DRRTI). 
The Department is authorized to collect fees derived from the DRRTI. 
The NDOC is a physical center equipped with the necessary tools and systems to monitor, 
manage, and respond to disasters in all areas of the country. The NDOC shall also provide the 
necessary support for the overall coordination and implementation of emergency and disaster 
response measures throughout the country. 
The ACCCs are command centers established in other locations to provide supplemental 
support to the NDOC. The number and location of ACCCs shall be determined by the 
Department. Temporary ACCCs may likewise be established by the Department, if necessary.  
SEC. 15. DRRTI Functions and Inter-Agency Knowledge Sharing. - The DRRTI shall 
be a platform for providing training preferably on site, and for collecting, consolidating, 
managing, analyzing, and sharing knowledge and information to improve or enhance disaster 
resilience. 
The DRRTI shall: 
a) Establish reliable and up-to-date disaster-related information and communication 
systems and technologies through close collaboration with the DOST and with academic 
institutions; 
b) Institutionalize, maintain, and update an integrated disaster resilience information 
system (IDRIS), which includes, among others, multi-hazard mapping, probabilistic risk 


 
28 
 
assessment, risk analysis, early warning, exposure database, communication and emergency 
management systems; 
c) Establish a database that includes relevant information from other government agencies 
and third parties for the Department to better prepare and respond to natural hazards including, 
but not limited to, an inventory of hazardous materials per area; 
d) Consult and coordinate with, and consolidate information/data from, relevant 
government agencies, such as, but not limited to, DOST, LGUs, academic institutions, and 
relevant CSOs to enhance the IDRIS and to promote knowledge sharing among all stakeholders; 
e) Conduct disaster-related research programs, seminars, and trainings for all types of 
stakeholders; 
f) Consolidate, organize and/or prepare training materials and publications; and 
g) Conduct other activities consistent with promoting the formation and dissemination of 
knowledge and information relating to disaster resilience and disaster management.  
SEC. 16. Compliance and Accreditation of DRRTI with International Standards. -                      
The Department shall strive to obtain certification from, and accreditation by, international 
accreditation bodies of the DRRTI to ensure DRRTI’s compliance with international standards. 
The Department shall likewise ensure collaboration with key countries and international 
organizations to incorporate best practices on disaster resilience in the Department’s policies and 
programs. 
SEC. 17. Disaster Assistance Action Center.  -  The Department shall institutionalize a 
one-stop shop mechanism through a Disaster Assistance Action Center (DAAC) which shall, 
among others, process necessary documents for both domestic and international assisting actors. 
SEC. 18.  Incentives. - The Department has the authority to prescribe benefits, allowances, 
and similar emoluments for disaster management professionals and disaster resilience officers at 
the national and local levels.  
 
Article V  
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 
SEC. 19. Retention of Local DRRM Offices and Creation of Local Disaster Resilience 
Offices. - The Local DRRM Offices (LDRRMOs) in provinces, cities, and municipalities shall 
be retained and renamed as Provincial, City, and Municipality Disaster Resilience Offices, 
respectively. They shall collectively be called Local Disaster Resilience Offices (LDROs). All 


 
29 
 
LGUs shall establish an LDRO at the provincial, city, and municipal levels. All Local DRRM 
Councils (LDRRMCs) shall be abolished. 
The budgetary requirements for personal services, maintenance and other operating 
expenses, and capital outlay of the LDROs shall be sourced from the General Fund of the LGU, 
subject to Section 76 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the “Local Government 
Code of 1991”, as amended. 
Other maintenance and operating expenses and other capital outlay requirements of the 
LDRO in the implementation of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management and 
climate change adaptation programs shall be charged to the Local Disaster Resilience Fund of 
the LGUs. 
Provinces, cities or municipalities shall be exempted from the Personnel Services (PS) 
limitation on local government budgets in relation to the creation of the LDROs and the 
appointment of its officers and personnel.  
SEC. 20. Composition and Organization of LDROs. - The LDRO shall be under                      
the supervision and control of the provincial governor, and city or municipal mayor,                      
as applicable. The LDRO shall be composed of an officer and five (5) permanent                      
personnel responsible for, among others, administration, research and planning, training, and 
operations. The organization, composition, functions, and responsibilities of retained 
LDRRMOs shall be modified to the extent provided in, and shall comply with the requirements 
and standards of, this Act and the IRR for the establishment, maintenance and operations of 
LDROs. 
SEC.  21. Local Disaster Resilience Officer.  - The LDRO shall be headed and managed 
by a well-qualified and full-time Local Disaster Resilience Officer with regular plantilla position. 
The Local Disaster Resilience Officer and Staff shall be appointed by the Local Chief Executive 
subject to the requirements and endowed with the emoluments and benefits in accordance with 
existing laws, rules and regulations. 
SEC.  22. Powers and Functions of City and Municipal DROs. - The City and Municipal 
(CDRO and MDRO) shall have the following powers and functions: 
(a) Formulate and implement, in close coordination with the Department, a comprehensive 
and integrated LDRP in accordance with the NDRF and the NDRPIP; 
(b) Design, program, coordinate, and implement disaster resilience activities                      
including preparedness, risk reduction, response, recovery and rehabilitation                   


 
30 
 
measures consistent with the standards and guidelines provided by the                      
Department, and implement the NDRF and the NDRPIP at the city or municipal                   
level; 
(c) Prepare and submit to the local Sanggunian, the LDRP, the proposed programming of 
the LDR Fund, other dedicated disaster resilience resources, and other regular funding 
source of the LDRO; 
(d) Recommend to the local Sanggunian the enactment of local ordinances to implement 
the LDRP, NDRF and NDRPIP at the city or municipal level, and to comply with other 
requirements of this Act; 
(e) Prepare and submit to the Department, the local Commission on Audit, and the 
applicable Regional Disaster Resilience Office a report on the utilization of                      
its Local Disaster Resilience Fund and other disaster risk reduction and management 
resources; 
(f) Establish and maintain, in coordination with the Department, an information 
management system within the LGU which, among others, consolidates and                      
includes local risk information on natural hazards, profile of the LGU’s vulnerable or 
marginalized groups, local risk maps, and a disaggregated database of human resource, 
equipment, services, resources, directories and location of critical infrastructures with 
their capacities as hospitals and evacuation centers; 
(g) Operate and maintain, in coordination with the Department, a multi-hazard early 
warning and communications system to provide accurate and timely information to the 
public; 
(h) Organize and conduct training and knowledge management activities on disaster 
resilience at the local level, in coordination with the DRRTI; 
(i) Procure emergency works, goods, and services in compliance with the                      
regulations, orders, and policies of DBM and Government Procurement Policy                      
Board (GPPB), to implement the DRP or support early recovery and post-disaster 
activities; 
(j) In coordination with the Department, the DOF and other relevant agencies, access 
foreign loans to finance its projects, programs, and policies for disaster preparedness, 
response, recovery, and rehabilitation, subject to terms and conditions agreed upon by 
the LDRO and the lender; 
(k) Monitor and mobilize instrumentalities and entities of the LGU and its partner LGUs, 


 
31 
 
CSOs, private sector, organized volunteers, and sectoral organizations for disaster 
resilience activities, in accordance with policies and procedures of the Department and 
applicable laws; 
(l) Coordinate and provide the necessary support or assistance to the Department in the 
implementation of rehabilitation plan within the city or municipality covered by the 
LDRO; 
(m) Coordinate with the Department, other government agencies, members of the private 
sector and other stakeholders in the LGU to establish a Business Continuity Plan as 
part of their LDRP’s disaster preparedness measures; 
(n) Establish linkage or network and coordination mechanisms with other LGUs and the 
Department for disaster resilience activities and to achieve the purposes of this Act; 
and 
(o) Conduct other activities and/or act on other matters, in accordance with policies                      
and procedures of the Department and applicable laws, to achieve the purposes of                    
this Act. 
SEC.  23. Provincial Disaster Resilience Officer. - The Provincial Disaster Resilience 
Office (PDRO) shall be headed and managed by a Provincial Disaster Resilience Officer with 
regular plantilla position. 
SEC.  24. Powers and Functions of the PDRO. - The PDRO shall have the following 
powers and functions: 
(a) Formulate and implement, in close coordination with the Department and cities or 
municipalities within its jurisdiction, a comprehensive and integrated Provincial LDRP 
in accordance with the NDRF and the NDRPIP; 
(b) Review the LDRPs of cities and municipalities within its jurisdiction, and require the 
amendment of such LDRPs if necessary, to ensure compliance with the Provincial LDRP 
and/or the NDRF and NDRPIP; 
(c) Design, program, coordinate, and/or implement disaster resilience activities consistent 
with the standards and guidelines provided by the Department, and implement the NDRF 
and the NDRPIP at the provincial level; 
(d) Prepare and submit to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the Provincial LDRP,                      
the proposed programming of the province’s Local Disaster Resilience Fund,                      
other dedicated disaster resilience resources, and other funding sources of                      
the  PDRO; 


 
32 
 
(e) Recommend to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the enactment of local ordinances to 
implement the Provincial LDRP, NDRF and NDRPIP at the provincial level, and to 
comply with other requirements of this Act; 
(f) Prepare and submit to the Department, the local Commission on Audit, and the   
applicable Regional Disaster Resilience Office a report on the utilization of the 
province’s Local Disaster Resilience Fund and other disaster risk reduction and 
management resources; 
(g) Establish and maintain, in coordination with the Department, a Provincial Command and 
Control Center (PCC) which includes, among others, an information management system 
at the provincial level which consolidates and integrates information from the cities 
and/or municipalities within its jurisdiction, a multi-hazard early warning and 
communications system that is connected with the cities and/or municipalities within its 
jurisdiction, and a monitoring system that enables the PDRO to oversee, supervise, 
monitor and respond to the needs of cities and/or municipalities within its jurisdiction in 
relation to disaster resilience activities; 
(h) Procure emergency works, goods, and services in compliance with the regulations, 
orders, and policies of DBM and GPPB, to implement the provincial LDRP or support 
early recovery and post-disaster activities of the PDRO; 
(i) In coordination with the Department and the DOF, access foreign loans to finance its 
projects, programs, and policies for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and 
rehabilitation, subject to terms and conditions agreed upon by the PDRO and the lender; 
(j) Formulate and establish mechanisms to mobilize and direct LDROs within its jurisdiction 
as necessary for disaster preparedness and response at the provincial level; 
(k) Coordinate and provide the necessary support or assistance to the Department in the 
implementation of rehabilitation plan(s) within the cities and/or municipalities covered 
by the PDRO; and 
(l) Conduct other activities and/or act on other matters, in accordance with policies and 
procedures of the Department and applicable laws, to achieve the purposes of this Act.  
SEC.  25. Regional Offices. - The Department shall establish and maintain Regional 
Offices (ROs) at each region, and a National Capital Region Office (NCR). The size, 
composition and organization of ROs and NCR shall be based on parameters provided in the 
IRR on the ability of LGUs within its jurisdiction to cope with previous disasters, or to implement 


 
33 
 
their LDRPs or Provincial LDRPs; the level of income, population, hazard exposure of LGUs. 
The ROs and NCR shall be funded by the Department.  
SEC.  26. Regional Director.  - Each RO and the NCR shall be headed and managed by a 
Regional Director with regular plantilla position. The Regional Director shall be appointed by 
the Department Secretary for a fixed term pursuant to requirements, terms of office and endowed 
with the emoluments and benefits subject to existing laws, rules and regulations. 
SEC.  27. Powers and Functions of ROs and NCR. - The ROs and the NCR shall have 
the following powers and functions: 
(a) Review the LDRPs and Provincial LDRPs of LGUs within its jurisdiction, and require 
the amendment of such LDRPs and/or Provincial LDRPs if necessary, to ensure 
compliance with the NDRF and NDRPIP; 
(b) Monitor and direct LDROs and PDROs to implement their respective LDROs and 
PDROs; 
(c) Recommend to the appropriate Sanggunian at the city, municipal or provincial level, 
the enactment of local ordinances to implement the LDRP, NDRF and NDRPIP at the 
city, municipal or provincial level, and to comply with other requirements of this Act; 
(d) Review reports on the utilization of the LDRF and other disaster risk reduction and 
management resources of LGUs within its jurisdiction, and give recommendations, as 
necessary; 
(e) Disburse to, and monitor the use by, LGUs of Supplemental LDRF as granted by the 
Department pursuant to this Act and its IRR; 
(f) Provide, upon the request of LGUs or unilaterally at its own discretion, assistance to 
LGU(s) within its jurisdiction as necessary to ensure the implementation of LDRPs or 
Provincial LDRPs, NDRF and NDRPIP, and to render efficient and timely disaster 
preparedness, response and recovery measures; 
(g) Identify and report to the Department issues and problems relating to, or affecting, the 
disaster resilience of LGUs within its jurisdiction, and make recommendations to the 
Department and/or to the LGUs to address such issues or problems; 
(h) Procure goods and services in compliance with the regulations, orders, and policies of 
DBM and GPPB, to implement the NDRPIP and NDRF at the regional level; 
(i) Formulate and establish mechanisms to mobilize and direct LDROs and PDROs within 
its jurisdiction as necessary for disaster preparedness and response at the regional level; 


 
34 
 
(j) Establish and maintain, in coordination with the Department, a Regional Command     
and Control Center (RCC) which includes, among others, an information                
management system at the regional level which consolidates and integrates      
information from the provinces, cities and municipalities within its jurisdiction,                      
a multi-hazard early warning and communications system, and a monitoring                      
system that enables the RO to oversee, supervise, monitor and respond to the needs                    
of LGUs within its jurisdiction in relation to disaster resilience activities; implement  
or assist in the implementation, as directed by the Department, of rehabilitation                     
plans for LGUs within its coverage; and 
(k) Conduct other activities and/or act on other matters, in accordance with policies and 
procedures of the Department and applicable laws, to achieve the purposes of this Act.  
SEC.  28.  Inter-Regional Disaster Resilience Office Collaboration. - The Department 
shall create policies and programs to establish collaboration and coordination among the 
different ROs. 
          SEC. 29. Levels of Responsibility for Disaster Preparedness and Response. -                      
The primary responsibility for disaster preparedness and response shall be exercised at                      
the local and national level in collaboration with the relevant departments and agencies,                      
as follows: 
 
LEVELS OF 
RESPONSIBILITY 
RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS 
CONDITIONS 
Level 1 – City or Municipality 
Mayor of the City / Municipality 
(Lead) 
 
Local Disaster Resilience Office 
 
(In the case of BARMM: 
Municipal / City Mayor and 
BARMM Local Disaster 
Resilience Office) 
If a disaster affects a single 
municipality / city 
   Level 2 – Province 
 
Governor (Lead)  
 
Provincial Disaster Resilience 
Office 
 
If a disaster affects two or more 
municipalities / cities 


 
35 
 
Applicable Local Disaster 
Resilience Offices 
 
(In the case of BARMM: 
Provincial Governor and BARMM 
Local Disaster Resilience Office/s) 
   Level 3 – Region 
Regional Director of the 
Regional Office  
(RO) (Lead)  
 
Applicable Governors  
 
Applicable Provincial Disaster 
Resilience 
Offices  
 
(In the case of BARMM: 
Regional Governor and ARMM 
Local Disaster Resilience 
Office/s) 
 
(In the case of Metro Manila: 
MMDA Chair) 
If a disaster affects two or more 
provinces and/or independent 
component or highly urbanized 
cities 
Level 4 – National  
 
During a state of calamity in 
any area(s) or affecting several 
regions 
Secretary of the Department of 
Disaster Resilience (Lead)  
 
Governors of the affected 
Provinces 
a. When a state of calamity is 
declared by the President  
 
b. If a disaster affects at least 
two (2) regions  
 
c. When the affected LGU 
cannot dispense its 
functions, or respond to the 
threat or effect of disaster;  
d. When the local chief 
executive or, in his/her 
absence or incapacity, the 


 
36 
 
next high-ranking official, 
directly requests the 
Department to take over; 
When the President directs a 
Level 4 response. 
 
SEC. 30. Inter-Local Government Assistance. - LGUs are hereby authorized to              
extend assistance to another LGU, whether through funding or donation of goods and/or services, 
to ensure effective disaster preparedness and response, such as the pre-positioning and provision 
of basic goods, and training of first responders, among others, subject to auditing and accounting. 
 
SEC. 31. Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Powers of the Department. - The 
Department shall be primarily responsible for the identification, planning and funding of priority 
reconstruction and rehabilitation projects and programs on areas affected by disasters: Provided, 
That the Department of Public Works and Highways shall be the primary implementor of all 
infrastructure-related rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, including retrofitting of 
structures to make them more resistant and resilient to the effects of natural disasters. 
 
SEC. 32. Service Continuity of the Department. – To ensure service continuity,                      
the Department and its regional and attached offices shall be established in a reasonably                 
resilient location; and undertake the necessary interventions to make its offices and systems                      
disaster- resilient. 
 
SEC. 33. Assistance to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. –                
The National Government, thru the Secretary of Disaster Resilience, and the                      
Bangsamoro Autonomous Regional Government shall create an inter-governmental                     
mechanism for humanitarian relief assistance in the BARMM during times of natural                   
disasters. 
Article VI 
WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT, WHOLE OF NATION, AND WHOLE OF SOCIETY 
APPROACH AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 
SEC.  34. Inter-operability of Systems. -  The Department shall establish mechanisms                    
to ensure the inter-operability of systems among government agencies, and to allow access of 
agencies to the IDRIS as established pursuant to Section 15 of this Act. It shall develop protocols 


 
37 
 
to allow real-time access to information by government agencies in relation to natural disasters 
and the implementation of disaster resilience measures. 
SEC. 35. Synergy with Stakeholders. - The Department shall ensure close collaboration 
and coordination with stakeholders, including CSOs, the academe, and the private sector, in 
relation to disaster resilience programs and projects, and the development and promotion of 
education and training mechanisms with relevant stakeholders. 
The Department shall establish a platform and mechanisms for coordination with 
stakeholders, including the development of standard operating procedures for collaboration in 
the event of a disaster. 
SEC.  36. Establishment of Multi-Stakeholders Convergence Unit. - The Department 
shall, with the assistance of other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, establish a 
Multi-Stakeholders Convergence Unit (MSCU) which shall align the disaster resilience efforts 
of the private sector, CSOs, academe and other stakeholders with that of the Department by 
assisting, coordinating or providing services that strengthen public-private coordination in 
disaster resilience, including the following: 
(a) Establishment and implementation of business continuity practices to ensure the 
continued delivery of products and services in the event of a natural disaster; 
(b) Crafting and implementation of a National Continuity Policy to ensure service 
continuity during interruptions, emergencies, and disasters and ensure the quick return 
to full operations; 
(c) Establishment, incorporation, and application of business continuity plans as part of 
the LDRP of LGUs; 
(d) Facilitation or assistance in obtaining or processing incentives for the private sector or 
other nongovernment stakeholders, such as tax credits; and 
(e) Preparation and facilitating the issuance of special rules for Micro, Small,                      
and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) such as mechanisms involving procurement                      
and liquidity to create enabling environments for disaster preparedness and                    
recovery. 
The MSCU shall establish a platform that includes, among others, a database for 
monitoring and coordinating efforts and resources of nongovernment stakeholders. It shall be 
headed by one (1) of the Undersecretaries of the Department  
SEC.  37. Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders. – The commitment, goodwill, 
knowledge, experience and resources of relevant stakeholders are critical to realize a safer, 


 
38 
 
adaptive, resilient and inclusive Filipino community. Citizens shall have the shared vision and 
duty to provide support to the State in the implementation of policies and programs, particularly 
the Disaster Resilience Framework and Disaster Resilience Plan at the national, regional, and 
local levels. 
(a) Civil society, nongovernmental organizations, international nongovernmental 
organizations, private sector, DRRM practitioners, and volunteers shall participate,                 
in collaboration with public institutions, in the exchange of information, learnings,                 
and guidance on disaster resilience. The Department shall encourage and 
institutionalize their engagement in the implementation of local, regional, national,                 
and global plans and strategies to enhance public awareness and promote a culture                   
of disaster resilience; 
(b) Women, children, and youth, as agents of change, shall endeavor to contribute actively 
and participate in disaster resilience trainings and information dissemination; 
(c) Senior citizens and persons with disabilities shall contribute their knowledge and 
experience on disaster preparedness and resiliency; 
(d) Migrants and the urban and rural poor shall participate in building resilient resettlement 
communities; 
(e) Emergency responders and volunteer organizations shall contribute to resilience by 
promptly and efficiently responding to disasters and emergencies consistent with the 
policies of the Department; 
(f) Academia, scientific and research entities, and networks are encouraged to undertake 
relevant research on disaster resiliency in partnership with the Department and other 
stakeholders for better decision-making; 
(g) The private sector is encouraged to integrate disaster resiliency projects and programs 
in their corporate social responsibility initiatives; and 
(h) The media shall provide prompt and accurate information to the public on early 
warning systems, natural hazards, and disaster resilience activities of the Department. 
The Department, with the assistance of the ROs, shall establish and convene a Disaster 
Resilience Assembly at the regional and national levels which shall be held on a quarterly basis 
to ensure the proactive engagement of different stakeholders, such as government agencies, the 
Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), 
League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), CSOs, NGOs, academe, DRRM 


 
39 
 
practitioners, and the private sector, to ensure and foster  coordination and collaboration towards 
achieving the goals of this Act.  
LGUs may convene local DRAs within their jurisdictions, as necessary for the attainment 
of disaster resilience at the local level 
SEC.  38. Recognition and Incentives. - The Department, in partnership with the private 
sector, shall establish an incentives program that shall recognize the outstanding performance of 
LDRO, NGOs, CSOs, schools, hospitals, and other stakeholders in promoting and implementing 
significant disaster risk reduction management-climate change adaptation programs and 
innovations, and meritorious acts of individuals, groups or institutions during natural disasters 
subject to existing laws, rules and regulations. 
Article VII 
PREPAREDNESS AND INTEGRATED EARLY WARNING 
 
SEC. 39.  Standards for Disaster Preparedness Activities. – (a) The Department shall 
establish standards and protocols for disaster preparedness, contingency planning, localizing and 
operationalizing disaster risk reduction and management, preparedness for responding to 
disasters and undertaking early recovery, continuity of essential services, and other relevant 
preparedness activities.  
(b) LGUs shall identify safe and strategic sites, and establish evacuation centers with 
appropriate and adequate facilities in accordance with government-approved standards as 
provided under Republic Act No. 10821, otherwise known as the “Children’s Emergency Relief 
Protection Act”, to avoid disruption of school classes and lessen the use of school buildings and 
facilities as evacuation centers.  
(c) The concerned LGUs shall immediately compensate schools used as evacuation 
centers. The schools used as evacuation centers may seek compensation for renovation, 
replacement, or repairs of damaged facilities for such use.  
SEC. 40. Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Risk Communication Standards. – There 
shall be a streamlined policy governing early warning systems and risk communication protocols 
to ensure effective and efficient measures to prepare for, respond to and recover from potential 
risks and disasters.  
The Department shall formulate and implement multi-hazard early warning protocols 
integrating all disaster preparedness systems in collaboration with local executives,                


 
40 
 
community-based organizations, civil society organizations, and other nongovernmental 
organizations for proper use and application.  
SEC. 41.  Early Warning Mandate. – (a) The Department shall issue an integrated early 
warning alert for the impending occurrence of hazards that will enable the public to prepare in 
time and act appropriately to minimize potential harm or loss.  
(b) The Department at the national and local level shall use an integrated early warning 
system to ensure it is consistent and locally contextualized with the communication protocol and 
safe evacuation procedure of the affected communities. It shall work with other agencies or 
organizations on pre-crisis information mapping of the humanitarian needs of at-risk 
communities that will enhance the overall prepositioning of resources at the national and local 
level. 
(c)  The Department shall require mobile phone service providers to send out alerts at 
regular intervals in the event of an impending natural hazard, in accordance with Republic Act 
No. 10639, otherwise known as “The Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act”.  
(d)  The Department shall recognize and proactively support local or indigenous modes                 
of early warning systems and allow open access to near real-time data from both local                      
and international sources made available through various platforms such as websites, mobile 
apps, and social media to empower local communities and individuals. Any person who   
transmits early warning concerning the abovementioned phenomena by means of signs in 
designs, colors, lights, or sound shall do so in compliance with the methods recognized                      
or approved by the Department.  
Article VIII 
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 42. Management of Humanitarian Assistance. - (a) The Department shall have 
the power to receive and manage humanitarian assistance from any person or entity, whether 
from local or international sources.   
(b) The importation by, and acceptance of humanitarian assistance donated to the 
Department, consisting of, among others, food, clothing, medical assistance, equipment, and 
materials for relief, recovery and other disaster management activities, are hereby authorized in 
accordance with Sections 120 and 121 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the 
“Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)”, and the prevailing provisions of the General 
Appropriations Act covering national internal revenue taxes and import duties of national and 
local government agencies. 


 
41 
 
SEC. 43.  International Humanitarian Assistance. - The Department, in consultation 
with the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Customs shall promulgate guidelines on 
international humanitarian assistance, including the initiation, entry, facilitation, transit, 
regulation and termination thereof, as well as those involving international disaster relief and 
personnel assisting international actors, visa waiver, recognition of foreign professional 
qualifications, entry of international disaster goods and equipment, and exemption from port 
duties, taxes, and restrictions. 
SEC. 44. Assessment of the Need for International Humanitarian Assistance. –                      
(a) Immediately after the declaration of a state of calamity by the local Sanggunian                      
of the relevant local government unit or by the Department, as the case may be, the                     
Department shall determine whether domestic capacities are likely to be sufficient                      
to attend to the needs of affected persons for international humanitarian assistance. This 
determination may also be made, at the discretion of the President, prior to the onset                      
of an imminent disaster. 
(b) In the event of a determination by the Department that domestic response capacities 
are not likely to be sufficient due to the impact of the disaster, the Department shall recommend 
to the President that a request be made for international humanitarian assistance. 
(c) A determination that domestic capacities are likely to be sufficient and that 
international humanitarian assistance is therefore unnecessary may be reviewed and rescinded 
by the Department, with the approval of the President, at any time, in light of prevailing 
circumstances and available information. 
SEC. 45. Humanitarian Assistance Action Center. – The Department shall create an 
inter-agency one-stop shop mechanism called the Humanitarian Assistance Action                      
Center (HAAC) for the processing and release of entry and facilitation of goods, articles or 
equipment and services and international relief workers for the provision of international 
humanitarian assistance and the processing of necessary documents for assisting international 
actors. 
 The Department shall lead and manage the HAAC, which shall be composed of the 
following: 
(a) Bureau of Customs; 
(b) Department of Foreign Affairs; 
(c) Department of Social Welfare and Development; 
(d) Department of Health; 


 
42 
 
(e) Food and Drug Administration; 
(f) Department of Agriculture; 
(g) Department of Energy; 
(h) Department of National Defense; 
(i) Philippine National Police; 
(j) Philippine Coast Guard;  
(k) Department of Transportation; 
(l) Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and 
(m) Bureau of Immigration. 
SEC. 46.  Request for International Humanitarian Assistance. – (a) In cognizance of 
the urgency, criticality and intensity of an imminent risk, the Department shall issue a flash 
appeal to the family of nations, under regional and multilateral conventions, for assistance in 
preparedness, including preemptive measures, search, rescue, and retrieval, relief, recovery, and 
reconstruction. 
 (b) The President may request international humanitarian assistance, upon the advice of 
the Secretary. Such request may be specifically directed to particular assisting international 
actors or may be a general request directed to the international community. 
SEC. 47. Regulation of Humanitarian Assistance. – (a) The Department shall ensure 
the efficient and effective monitoring of humanitarian assistance from domestic or international 
donors, establish and operate a platform, including an online platform, to facilitate, and provide 
public access to information on donations. 
(b) The Department shall include in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of this Act 
guidelines and accountabilities on the receipt, management, distribution, accounting, and 
reporting of all humanitarian assistance, whether in cash or in kind, consistent with the rules on 
the use of foreign and local aid during calamities and disasters issued by the COA and other 
relevant government agencies. 
 
SEC. 48. Humanitarian Relief for Human-Induced Disasters. – The Secretary of the 
Department of Disaster Resilience shall have the authority to provide humanitarian relief in the 
consequence management of human-induced emergencies such as acts of terrorism, insurgency, 
fire, and other related human-induced disasters. 
 
 


 
43 
 
Article IX 
OFFER AND FACILITATION OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE  
TO FOREIGN STATES 
SEC. 49. Offer and Facilitation of International Humanitarian Assistance to Foreign 
States. - In the event of a disaster occurring in a foreign State for which international 
humanitarian assistance is required, the Department, in coordination with the DFA, may offer, 
facilitate, provide, and deploy international humanitarian assistance to said foreign State, which 
shall be subject to guidelines to be promulgated by the Department for the purpose.  
 
SEC. 50. Accreditation. – The Department, in coordination with relevant government 
agencies and organizations, shall provide and facilitate the necessary training and accreditation 
to the respective government personnel to be deployed for such offer, facilitation and provision 
of international humanitarian assistance to a foreign State. 
Article X 
DECLARATION OF STATE OF CALAMITY  
SEC. 51.  Declaration of State of Calamity. - The Department shall recommend                      
to the President the declaration of a state of calamity, whether in whole or part of an area, in case 
of an extraordinary disaster wherein the repercussions on public safety and welfare are serious 
and far-reaching. 
SEC.  52. Conditions for the Declaration of a State of Calamity. - The President shall 
declare a state of calamity when all of the following requisites are present: 
(a) There is a grave, unforeseen, or sudden occurrence which demands immediate action; 
(b) The occurrence was caused by a natural disaster; 
(c) The occurrence is likely to cause a threat to life and/or danger to property; and  
(d) The declaration of a state of calamity shall cover a limited period only. 
SEC.  53. Mandatory and Remedial Measures. - The declaration of a state of calamity 
shall allow the immediate implementation of any or all of the following remedial measures: 
(a) Imposition of price ceiling on basic necessities and prime commodities by the 
President upon the recommendation of the implementing agency as provided for 
under Republic Act No. 7581, otherwise known as the “Price Act”, or the National 
Price Coordinating Council; 
(b) Monitoring, prevention and control by the Local Price Coordination Council of 
overpricing or profiteering and hoarding of prime commodities, medicines and 
petroleum products; 


 
44 
 
(c) Grant of tax credits or exemptions by the BIR, upon the recommendation of the 
President or the Department; and 
(d) Use of alternative methods of procurement under Article XVI of Republic Act (RA) 
No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, its 
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and other issuances of the Government 
Procurement Policy Board by the Department, LGUs or the relevant government 
instrumentalities in relation to the urgent procurement of emergency works, goods 
and services to effectively respond to, quickly respond to disasters, and build forward 
better. 
Article XI 
RECOVERY 
SEC. 54. Standards for Recovery. – The Department shall observe internationally 
accepted standards for recovery, planning, programming and implementation of the recovery 
process. Towards this end, the Department shall: 
(a) Improve the community’s physical, social and economic resilience, consistent with 
the principle of “building forward better”; 
(b) Use locally driven centrally supported processes based on legal mandates with 
supplementary capacity support when requested; 
(c) Redirect development outside danger zones to minimize loss of lives and structures 
resulting from typhoons, flooding, landslides, and other hazards; 
(d) Employ outcome-driven planning and implementation; 
(e) Maximize use of private-public sector partnership where possible; 
(f) Consider local conditions such as culture, security situation and existing capacities 
of communities in identifying programs and projects; 
(g) Ensure access to public transport, physical and mental health services, markets, 
schools, sustainable livelihoods, and other public services in planning for settlement 
areas; and 
(h) Ensure restoration of peace and order and recovery of government functions. 
 
 
 
 


 
45 
 
Article XII 
FUNDS AND RESOURCES 
SEC.  55. Fund Regulations. - The DBM and COA shall establish rules and regulations 
to ensure that funds required for disaster response, recovery, and rehabilitation are available 
and/or released efficiently and expeditiously through innovative budgeting and auditing 
mechanisms. 
SEC.  56. Local Disaster Resilience Fund and Local Disaster Contingency Fund. - LGUs 
shall annually set aside not less five percent (5%) of their local budget, to constitute a Local 
Disaster Resilience Fund (LDRF). The LGU shall use its LDRF to maintain and operate its 
LDRO to maintain the officers, employees and staff of the LDRO, and to implement plans, 
programs and activities under its LDRP. Thirty percent (30%) of the LDRF shall be set aside as 
Local Disaster Contingency Fund (LDCF) which shall be used for disaster response and quick 
recovery measures.  
Nothing contained in this Act shall prevent LGUs from providing additional funding or 
allocating additional resources for disaster resilience activities, plans and programs within their 
jurisdiction.   
SEC. 57. Supplemental LDRF. - The Department may allocate and disburse funds to 
supplement an LGU’s LDRF based on parameters and requirements indicated in the IRR. In 
determining such parameters and requirements, the IRR shall aim to provide supplemental funds 
to LGUs with low income and/or high exposure to natural hazards. Supplemental LDRFs shall, 
as much as possible, fill gaps or shortages in LGU resources to ensure that LGUs can implement 
disaster resilience measures such as, among others, implementing their LDRP or Provincial 
LDRP, establishing their LDROs or PDROs, obtaining and/or maintaining the necessary 
equipment and staff in their LDROs or PDROs, and implementing the NDRF and the NDRPIP 
at the local levels. 
SEC. 58. National Disaster Resilience Fund. – (a) The National Disaster Risk              
Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRM Fund) created under Section 22 of Republic Act 
No. 10121, otherwise known as the “Philippine Disaster  Risk Reduction and Management Act 
of 2010”, appropriated under the annual General Appropriations Act is hereby renamed as the 
National Disaster Resilience Fund (NDRF) and shall be managed and controlled by the 
Department.  The NDRF shall be used for disaster risk reduction or mitigation, prevention, and 
preparedness activities such as training of personnel, procurement of equipment, and capital 
expenditures.  It can also be utilized for relief, recovery, reconstruction, and other work or 


 
46 
 
services in connection with natural or human-induced calamities which may occur during the 
budget year or those that occurred in the past two (2) years from the budget year.  
(b) Thirty percent (30%) of the amount appropriated for the NDRF shall be allocated                 
as Quick Response Fund (QRF) or stand-by fund and shall also be under the management and                      
control of the Department.  The QRF shall be used for relief and recovery programs to quickly 
normalize the situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by 
disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies, and other related programs, projects 
and activities formulated at the national level. 
SEC. 59.  People’s Survival Fund. - The Secretary of the Department shall be a member 
of the People’s Survival Fund Board mandated to manage and administer the People’s                  
Survival Fund created under Republic Act No. 10174, otherwise known as the “Climate Change 
Act of 2009”, and facilitate its utilization by LGUs, through ROs, to implement climate change 
adaptation projects of LGUs, and equip vulnerable LGU communities against the impacts of 
climate change. 
SEC.  60.  Multi-Donor Trust Fund. - The Department shall create and manage, together 
with the Bureau of Treasury, a Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the processing, releasing and 
accounting of money and other similar resources intended for disaster assistance. The 
Department shall establish a system to ensure transparency in the management and use of the 
Multi-Donor Trust Fund. 
SEC.  61.  Donations Management. - The Department shall have the power to receive and 
manage donations from any person or entity, whether from local or international sources. 
The importation by, and donation to, the Department of, among others, food, clothing, 
medical assistance, equipment, and materials for relief, recovery and other disaster management 
activities are hereby authorized in accordance with Sections 120 and 121 of Republic Act                    
No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)”, and the 
prevailing provisions of the General Appropriations Act covering national internal revenue taxes 
and import duties of national and local government agencies. 
SEC. 62. Regulation of Donations. - The Department shall establish and operate a 
platform, including an online platform, to facilitate, monitor, and provide public access to 
information on donations. To ensure complete accounting and reporting of donations,                      
the Department shall formulate and issue rules and guidelines for the receipt, management and 
accounting of donations, which are consistent with the rules on the use of foreign and local aid 
during calamities and disasters issued by COA and other relevant government agencies. 


 
47 
 
Article XIII 
SPECIAL RULES ON BORROWING, TAXES,  
ECOZONES AND PROCUREMENT 
SEC.  63. Rules on Borrowing. - The LGUs shall coordinate with the DOF, Bangko 
Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and other relevant agencies to access foreign loans to implement 
disaster prevention, mitigation, early recovery, and rehabilitation measures at the provincial, city, 
or municipal level. 
SEC.  64.  Special Rules on Tax and Duties. - To facilitate prompt and efficient response 
to, and/or recovery from disasters, the following shall be granted special exemptions from 
existing taxation laws, rules, and regulations: 
(a) Foreign disaster assistance or international donations coursed through the Department 
shall be exempted from taxes and import duties; 
(b) Local disaster assistance shall be exempted from donor's tax and allowing the 
treatment of donations as a deductible expense for local disaster assistance coursed 
through the Department; 
(c) Goods or services donated from abroad coursed through the Department shall be 
exempted from the value added tax (VAT); and 
(d) Aid or assistance rendered by members of the private sector or their investments in 
disaster resilience and climate change adaptation measures for their residence, 
communities or businesses. 
LGUs may also implement local tax rules which would grant disaster victims reasonable 
reduction, exemption, or deferment of local taxes or other types of tax assessments; or take other 
necessary action at the local level to provide tax relief to disaster victims.  
SEC.  65.  Customs Duties and Tariffs on Donations. - The BOC shall create rules which 
would, among others, hasten the processing and release of donated goods and equipment to 
disaster victims and/or affected areas pursuant to Sections 120 and 121 of Republic Act                      
No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)”. 
SEC. 66. Economic Recovery and Development of Disaster-Prone Areas. - (a) The 
Department, in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other relevant 
agencies, shall create and provide policies, programs, and projects, such as, business tax relief 
and subsidies, to encourage business investments, and to stimulate economic activities in 
affected or disaster-prone areas.  


 
48 
 
(b) The Department, in the collaboration with the relevant LGUs and other stakeholders, 
shall likewise establish dual purpose structures in disaster affected areas, such as, among others, 
community agricultural centers, classrooms, and water harvesting tanks to develop and promote 
investments in affected or disaster-prone areas. 
SEC. 67. Procurement. – The Department, ROs, or LGUs may resort to any of the 
Alternative Methods of Procurement provided in RA No. 9184, including Negotiated 
Procurement (Emergency Cases) under Section 53(b) of RA No. 9184, in any of the following 
instances: 
a) 
In case of imminent danger to life or property during a state of calamity; 
b) 
When time is of the essence arising from natural or man-made calamities; and 
c) 
Other causes where immediate action is: 
i. 
To prevent damage to or loss of life or property, or  
ii. 
Restore vital public services, infrastructure facilities and other public utilities. 
Furthermore, the Department, ROs, or LGUs may use Shopping under Section 52(a) of 
RA No. 9184, when there is an unforeseen contingency requiring immediate purchase. 
SEC. 68.  Alternative Modes of Procurement. – The Department, ROs, or LGUs may 
resort to any of the Alternative Methods of Procurement provided in RA No. 9184, including but 
not limited to, Shopping and Negotiated Procurement (Emergency Cases) under Sections 52(a) 
and 53(b) of RA No. 9184. 
The Department, ROs, or LGUs may also use Framework Agreements in accordance               
with the rules and regulations of the GPPB. 
SEC. 69.  Special Rules on Procurement for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of 
Affected Areas. – (a) The GPPB shall create special rules on procurement for services, goods, 
and materials to be used for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in case of a natural disaster 
including, but not limited to, the construction of post-disaster shelters and provision of service 
contracts, to ensure the procurement of quality-oriented goods, materials, and equipment and to 
guarantee effective, efficient, and speedy procurement to achieve the goals of this Act. 
(b) In case of procurement of services, goods, or materials for reconstruction and 
rehabilitation efforts, whether from local or international sources, the Department and the 
relevant government agencies shall provide less bureaucratic restrictions, or exemption from, or 
reduction of, customs duties. 


 
49 
 
SEC. 70.  Procurement from Qualified Suppliers or Contractors. – The Department               
shall have the power to procure goods and services from either local or foreign suppliers or 
contractors for purposes of implementing programs, projects, and activities related to disaster 
resilience and disaster management in accordance with RA No. 9184, its IRR and other issuances 
of the GPPB.  
SEC. 71.  Framework Agreements. - The Department shall have authority to enter into 
Framework Agreements for the purpose of, among others, establishing a logistics system for the 
efficient and prompt distribution of goods, equipment or other materials required for disaster 
response and management; securing food, medicines, fuel, or other supplies from groceries, 
pharmacies, gas stations or other sources in the event of a disaster in a specific area; ensuring                
an alternative source of power or water from private utilities in the event of a disaster in                      
a specific area; or arranging the immediate supply of other goods, services or equipment 
necessary for disaster response and management. The conditions, limitations and parameters               
of contracts or arrangements authorized under this section shall be provided in RA No. 9184 and                      
its 2016 IRR. 
SEC. 72.  Other Procurement Rules and Policies. – In view of the urgency and avoid 
unnecessary delays to procure goods, services, and implement projects for the purpose of 
providing responsive, effective, and efficient rescue, recovery, relief, and rehabilitation efforts 
for, and to continue the provision of basic services to, disaster victims or disaster affected areas, 
the GPPB shall issue appropriate resolutions, orders, and policies to effectively implement the 
provisions of this Act. 
Article XIV 
DISASTER RISK TRANSFER AND INSURANCE 
SEC.  73.  Mandated Insurance Coverage. - To attain disaster resilience and achieve  
the purposes of this Act, the Department shall have the discretion and authority to require 
government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), or LGUs to 
insure their assets and/or properties such as, among others, vessels, vehicles, equipment, 
machineries, permanent buildings, properties stored therein, or properties in transit                      
against insurable risks and pay the premiums therefor, to compensate the Government,                      
GOCC or LGU, as applicable, for any damage to, or loss of, properties due to a natural                   
disaster. 
 
 


 
50 
 
Article XV 
YOUTH ASSISTANCE AND PARTICIPATION 
 
SEC. 74.  Youth Organizations. - The Department, with the assistance of the                   
National Youth Commission (NYC), shall create policies, projects, and programs that address 
the special needs of the youth for disaster preparedness and management which shall include, 
among others: 
(a) Supporting youth-oriented pre- and post-disaster activities; 
(b) Conducting disaster risk training and management programs involving the youth; 
Coordinating with the Department of Education to create school curricula or 
programs that educate and train children on disaster risk awareness and disaster 
preparedness; 
(c) Mobilizing youth organizations; and 
(d) Encouraging the participation of the youth, through the barangay youth representative 
and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to participate in disaster resilience and disaster 
management activities. 
SEC. 75. Youth Oriented Disaster-Related Programs, Policies, and Projects. -  (a) The 
Department, with the assistance of the National Youth Commission, shall provide training on, 
and implement, response and rehabilitation programs for the youth, including mental  health and 
psycho-social services. 
(b) The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd),                      
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other relevant 
agencies, shall integrate disaster risk and disaster resilience education in the school                   
curriculum. 
SEC.  76.  Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children, Pregnant and Lactating 
Mothers.  - The Department shall establish and implement a comprehensive emergency program 
to provide emergency relief and protection to children, and pregnant and lactating mothers in the 
event of a natural disaster.  
Article XVI 
PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALTIES 
SEC.  77.  Prohibited Acts.  -  Any public official, private person, group or corporation 
who commits any of the following prohibited acts shall be held liable and be subjected to                      
the criminal and administrative penalties as provided for in Section 78 of this Act, without 


 
51 
 
prejudice to the imposition of other criminal, civil and administrative liabilities under                      
existing laws. 
(a) Prohibited Acts of Public Officials. The following acts, if committed by public officials 
without justifiable cause, shall be considered as gross neglect of duty: 
1) Dereliction of duty which leads to destruction, loss of lives, critical damage of facilities 
and misuse of funds; 
2) Failure to enforce laws, standards, or regulations such as the National Building Code, 
Solid Waste Management Act, Water Code, and other relevant laws, thereby increasing 
the risk of disasters or adversely affecting of disaster resilience; 
3) Failure to expeditiously act on reported violations; 
4) Failure to create LDRO(s) or PDRO(s) and appoint a permanent Local or Provincial 
Disaster Resilience Officer within six (6) months from the approval of this Act; and 
5) Failure to prepare and implement an LDRP or PDRP, as applicable or a contingency 
plan for hazards frequently occurring within their jurisdiction. 
(b) Prohibited Acts of Public Officials and Private Persons or Institutions. 
1) Delaying without justifiable cause the delivery of aid commodities, their improper 
handling or storage, resulting to damage or spoilage; 
2) Withholding the distribution of relief goods due to (a) political or partisan 
considerations; (b) discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, or gender; and (c) 
other similar circumstances; 
3) Preventing the entry and distribution of relief goods in disaster-stricken areas, 
including appropriate technology, tools, equipment, accessories, disaster teams or 
experts; 
4) Buying, for consumption or resale, from disaster relief agencies any relief goods, 
equipment or other and commodities which are intended for distribution to disaster 
affected communities; 
5) Buying, for consumption or resale, from the disaster affected persons any relief goods, 
equipment or other aid commodities received by them; 
6) Selling of relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities which are intended for 
distribution to disaster victims; 
7) Forcibly seizing relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities intended for or 
consigned to a specific group of victims or relief agency; 


 
52 
 
8) Diverting or misdelivering relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities to persons 
other than the rightful recipient or consignee; 
9) Accepting, possessing, using or disposing relief goods, equipment or other aid 
commodities intended for or consigned to other rightful recipient or consignee; 
10) Misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities by: 
i. Either covering, replacing or defacing the labels of the containers to make it appear 
that the goods, equipment or other aid commodities came from another agency or 
person; 
ii. Repacking the goods, equipment or other aid commodities into containers                      
with different markings to make it appear that the goods came from another                  
agency or persons or was released upon the instance of a particular agency                      
or person; 
iii. Making false verbal claim that the goods, equipment or other and commodity in its 
untampered original containers actually came from another agency or person or 
was released upon the instance of a particular agency or person; 
11) Substituting or replacing relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities with the 
same items or inferior or cheaper quality; 
12) Illegal soliciting of relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities by persons or 
organizations representing others as defined in the standards and guidelines set by this 
Act’s IRR; 
13) Deliberately using false or inflated data in support of the request for funding, relief 
goods, equipment or other aid commodities for emergency assistance or other projects; 
and 
14) Tampering with or stealing hazard monitoring and disaster preparedness equipment 
and paraphernalia. 
SEC. 78. Penalties. - Any individual, corporation, partnership, association or other  
juridical entity that commits any of the prohibited acts in the preceding Section shall be made 
liable for the following: 
(a) A fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (PhP 100,000.00) or not to exceed 
Five hundred thousand pesos (PhP 500,000.00), or imprisonment of not less than six (6) 
months and one (1) day nor more than twelve (12) years, or both, at the discretion of the 


 
53 
 
court, including perpetual disqualification from public office if the offender is a public 
officer, and confiscation or forfeiture in favor of the government of the objects and the 
instrumentalities used in committing any of herein prohibited acts. 
(b) If the offender is a corporation, partnership or association, or other juridical entity, the 
penalty shall be imposed upon the officer or officers of the corporation, partnership, 
association or entity responsible for the violation without prejudice to the cancellation or 
revocation of the license or accreditation issued to these entities by any licensing or 
accredited body of the government. If such offender is an alien, he or she shall, in addition 
to the penalties prescribed in this Act, be deported without further proceedings after 
service of the sentence. 
(c) If the offender is a public officer, the offense shall also be punishable by administrative 
suspension of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year for the first offense, and 
dismissal from the service for the second offense. The penalty of dismissal shall carry 
with it the cancellation of eligibility to or forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual 
disqualification from holding public office and disqualification from taking civil service 
examinations. 
Acts committed in violation of this Section shall be without prejudice to the imposition 
of other criminal, civil and administrative liabilities under other existing laws. 
SEC. 79.  Liability for Unlawful Performance of Duties and State Liability in Case of 
Defense Litigation. -  In case a lawsuit is filed against an officer or employee of the Department 
as a result of the performance of official duties, and such performance was found to be lawful, 
the officer shall or employee shall be reimbursed by the Department for reasonable costs of 
litigation. For this purpose, the Department is authorized to procure the applicable liability 
insurance for its officers and employees. 
SEC. 80. Disciplinary Powers of the President. - The President, upon the  
recommendation of the Department Secretary, shall impose administrative sanctions against 
local chief executives and barangay officials for willful or negligent acts performed in the 
implementation of, or compliance with, this Act and its IRR or relating to their official functions 
which adversely affect disaster resilience projects such as delayed issuance of permits or failure 
to implement local ordinances. 
Article XVII 
SPECIAL COURTS AND INJUNCTIONS 


 
54 
 
SEC.  81.  Special Courts on Disaster Resilience Matters. -  To ensure the prompt and 
expeditious resolution of disputes relating to disaster response, recovery or rehabilitation 
measures, the Supreme Court shall establish special courts to hear, try, and decide cases arising 
from the following, among others: 
(a) Implementation of the government’s policies, plans, programs, projects and budge 
related to the NDRPIP, LDRP, PDRP, other disaster resilience activities, or pursuant 
to the provisions of this Act; 
(b) Construction of new settlements, or relocation of informal settlers or settlements, to 
promote disaster resilience; 
(c) Expropriation, eminent domain or right-of-way issues relating to the implementation 
of disaster resilience projects; 
(d) Failure to comply with standards for disaster preparedness and continuity planning, 
including, but not limited to infrastructure standards and designs; 
(e) Declaration of state of calamity under Article X of this Act; 
(f) Imposition of tax, customs duties, or the implementation of tax relief, exemptions, 
reductions and other tax or customs rules and regulations in relation to                      
donations, disaster assistance, or other tax policies implemented by the BIR or                     
BOC pursuant to the provision of this Act; 
(g) Commission of prohibited acts under Article XVI of this Act; 
(h) Disputes involving donations, relief goods, or contracts executed or implemented 
pursuant to the provisions of this Act; and 
(i) Other matters relating to achieving the purposes of this Act which the Supreme Court 
may determine as falling under the jurisdiction of the special courts created pursuant 
to this Section. 
SEC. 82. Dispute Resolution Mechanisms. - The Department shall establish a                
Disaster Resolution Board which shall resolve disputes involving administrative matters related 
to: 
(a) Accreditation or denial of accreditation of disaster resilience training institutions, 
trainers, instructors, donors, volunteers, and Assisting Domestic or International 
Actors; 
(b) Decisions of the ROs; 
(c) Contracts entered into by the Department or any of its agents pursuant to the 
provisions of this Act; and 


 
55 
 
(d) Other administrative matters or issues as may be determined by the Department. 
The composition, structure, and other organizational matters related to the DRB shall be 
defined and provided in the IRR of this Act. 
SEC. 83. Special Prosecutors. - The Ombudsman shall designate special prosecutors              
to handle and prosecute violations of this Act involving public officials and employees. 
SEC. 84. Imposition of Temporary Restraining Order.  - No Court, except the                
Supreme Court, shall have the powers to issue an injunction or a temporary restraining order 
against any action taken or projects implemented by the Department or its agents pursuant to this 
Act. 
Article XVIII 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 85.  Transfer.  –  
a) The disaster risk reduction and management powers, functions, assets, personnel, 
fund and appropriations of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) currently under the 
DND, are hereby transferred to the Department, and the civil defense functions shall 
remain with the DND.  
The existing organizational and administrative systems and processes of the OCD, as 
transferred, shall serve as the core organization of the Department. 
b) The applicable powers, functions, funds and appropriations of the Disaster                    
Response Assistance and Management Bureau and the National Resource and 
Logistics Management Bureau under the DSWD, are hereby transferred to the 
Department. 
c) The NDRRMC is hereby abolished. 
The DILG, DND, DSWD, and other relevant government instrumentalities, including the 
AFP, BFP, PNP, PCG, and OCD, shall continue to perform their functions related to the 
consequence management of human-induced disasters, as provided for by existing laws. 
The Department shall, by virtue of this Act, be subrogated to all the rights and assume all 
the liabilities of the agencies transferred under this Act, and all their funds, records, property, 
assets, equipment, and such personnel as necessary, including unexpended appropriations or 
allocations. All contracts and liabilities of the said agencies are hereby transferred to and 
assumed by the Department and shall be acted upon in accordance with the Auditing Code and 
other pertinent laws, rules, and regulations.  


 
56 
 
SEC. 86.  Coordination and Convergence with the Climate Change Commission.  -              
The Department, and the Climate Change Commission, pursuant to its mandate under Republic 
Act No. 9729, as amended, shall establish and implement a convergence mechanism to facilitate 
coordination on the following areas: 
a) Conduct of current and future climate and disaster risk assessment as basis for 
sustainable development and resilient investment planning and programming at the 
national, sectorial, and local levels; 
b) Establishment of a National Integrated Climate and Disaster Risk Information 
System, a singular platform for integrating and sharing climate and disaster risk 
information; 
c) Development and implementation of capacity-building and technical assistance 
programs for local government units and stakeholders on climate change adaptation 
and disaster risk reduction; 
d) Monitoring and evaluation of progress of implementation of national, sectorial, and 
local plans and programs on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction; 
and 
e) Development of knowledge exchange platforms and implementation of information, 
education, and communication program, including good practices on Climate Change 
Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction. 
SEC. 87. Transitory Provision. - The transfer of functions, assets, funds, equipment, 
properties, transactions, and personnel of the affected and transferred agencies, and the 
formulation of the internal organic structure, staffing pattern, operating system, and revised 
budget of the Department, shall be completed within two (2) years from the effectivity of this 
Act, during which time the existing personnel shall continue to assume their posts in holdover 
capacities until new appointments are issued: Provided, That, after the abolition of the agencies 
as specified in Section 85 of this Act, the Department, in coordination with the DBM,                      
shall evaluate, abolish old and/or create new positions. 
SEC. 88. Interdepartmental Relations and Coordination. - The DDR shall                
continuously call upon the following departments: (a) DOST for the Philippine Atmospheric, 
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Philippine Institute of 
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS); (b) DENR for the Geohazard Assessment and 
Engineering, Geology Section of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB); (c) DOH for the 
Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB); and (d) DILG for the Bureau of Fire and 


 
57 
 
Protection: Provided, That DDR and these departments shall establish systems and protocols for 
fostering interdepartmental relations and close coordination, through sustained sharing of data, 
information technology, facilities, and other resources critical to the DDR, among others: 
Provided, further, That the said agencies will cooperate fully with the DDR, in anticipation of, 
during and as necessary in the determination of the DDR Secretary, and perform agency 
mandates in close coordination with DDR as circumstances warrant in the aftermath of 
emergencies and disasters: Provided, finally, That PAGASA, PHIVOLCS and the Geohazards 
Unit of the MGB shall provide staff augmentation to DDR Operations Center as the need arises. 
SEC. 89. Transfer of Resources. - The transfer of powers and functions of agencies 
listed in Section 85 shall include the corresponding funds and appropriations, plantilla positions, 
records, equipment, facilities, and properties of such agencies, subject to the power of the 
Department to reorganize or reallocate the resources and positions from such agencies, as may 
be necessary to attain the objectives of this Act.  
SEC. 90.  Program Management Office for the Earthquake Resiliency of the Greater 
Metro Manila Area. - The Program Management Office for the Earthquake Resiliency                      
of the Greater Metro Manila Area (PMOERG), as created pursuant to Executive Order                      
No. 52, s. 2018, shall be transferred to the Department under the supervision and control of the 
Secretary and shall continue to exercise its mandated functions. 
SEC. 91.  Post-Disaster Shelters. - The Department shall establish a post-disaster shelter 
recovery policy framework for low-income or informal settler families, with the assistance of 
the appropriate housing agencies and the concerned LGUs. It shall, among others, determine the 
appropriate shelter modalities depending on the following post-disaster phases: emergency, 
temporary or transitional, and permanent. The Department shall likewise identify, assess, and 
designate safe zones where the appropriate shelters shall be built.  
SEC. 92.  Cultural Heritage. - To protect, preserve, and promote the nation’s historical 
and cultural heritage, the Department shall assist the appropriate cultural agencies and the 
appropriate LGUs to give priority protection and restoration to all national cultural treasures or 
national historical landmarks, sites, or monuments in post-disaster recovery or rehabilitation 
measures. 
SEC. 93. Indigenous People. - (a) The Department shall, with the assistance of the 
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the concerned LGUs, devise and 
implement mechanisms that foster social protection for indigenous communities that are 
vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters. 


 
58 
 
(b) The Department shall ensure respect for, and protection of, the traditional resource right 
of the Indigenous Cultural Communities or Indigenous Peoples (ICCs or IPs) to their ancestral 
domains and recognize the customary laws and traditional resource use and management, 
knowledge, and practices in ancestral domains. 
(c) In ancestral domains which are disaster-prone, the Department, with the assistance of 
the NCIP and applicable LGUs, shall create an Ancestral Domain Disaster Management and 
Resiliency Plan. It shall likewise properly communicate and explain information on disaster risks 
in ancestral domains with the concerned ICCs or IPs and, as much as possible, engage such ICCs 
or IPs in jointly formulating a disaster resiliency plan for their ancestral domain. 
SEC. 94. Livelihood. - The Department shall, with the assistance of the relevant 
government agencies, such as the DTI and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 
establish policies and programs to restore and/or generate livelihood in areas affected by natural 
disasters.  
SEC. 95. Structural Audit of Government Buildings. - The Department, with the 
assistance of the DPWH and other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, shall ensure 
and conduct structural audit, as often as necessary, on government buildings, especially those 
located in congested and disaster-prone areas, to ensure structural integrity and disaster risk of 
urban buildings and to prevent the loss of life and property in the event of an anticipated natural 
disaster.  
SEC. 96. Magna Carta Benefits. – Qualified employees of the Department including  
those of its attached agencies, shall be covered by and entitled to the benefits under Republic Act 
No. 8439, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and other 
Science and Technology Personnel in the Government”; and Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise 
known as the “Magna Carta of Public Health Workers”; and Republic Act No. 9433, otherwise 
known as the “Magna Carta for Public Social Workers”. 
SEC. 97.  Hazard Pay. – Qualified personnel of the Department and the local disaster 
resilience offices are entitled to receive hazard pay, subject to existing policies and guidelines. 
SEC. 98.  Separation Benefits of Officials and Employees of Affected Agencies. -  
Public sector employees who have been displaced or separated from the service pursuant 
to reorganization under this Act shall be entitled to separation pay, retirement and other benefits 
in accordance with Republic Act No. 6656 or the Government Reorganization Law, and other 
laws, and rules and regulations issued by the Civil Service Commission on government 
reorganization.  


 
59 
 
In no case shall there be any diminution of benefits under the separation plan until the full 
implementation of this Act. 
Employees who shall be displaced or separated as aresult of the implementation of this Act 
shall be given preference for appointment in the Department and in other government agencies 
if they meet the qualification requirements of the positions. 
No new employees shall be considered for appointment until all incumbent employees 
have been placed. The placement of an incumbent employee to a higher position which 
constitutes a promotion shall not be allowed until all incumbent employees have been placed to 
comparable positions for which they are considered. 
SEC. 99. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation of            
this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year’s appropriations of all agencies herein 
absorbed, and transferred to the Department. Thereafter, the amounts necessary for the operation 
of the Department and the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 100. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department, DBM, GPPB,                  
DND, DOF, DILG, DOST, NEDA, DSWD, CSC, and the Career Executive Service Board 
(CESB),  the House and Senate Committees on Government Reorganization, and representatives 
from relevant government agencies, academe, business sector, nongovernment organizations, 
and civil society organizations shall prepare and issue the implementing rules and regulations 
(IRR) to implement this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity. 
SEC. 101.  Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Disaster Resilience. – There 
shall be created a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Disaster Resilience to monitor 
the implementation of this Act. The Committee shall be composed of six (6) members of the 
House of Representatives and six (6) members of the Senate to be designated by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, respectively: Provided, That two 
(2) members of the House of Representatives and two (2) Senators shall come from the Minority 
of their respective houses of Congress. The Committee shall be jointly chaired by a Member of 
the House of Representatives and a Senator designated by the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President of the Senate, respectively.   
The Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Disaster Resilience shall be assisted by 
a secretariat to be composed by personnel under secondment from the Senate and the House of 
Representatives and may retain consultants. 


 
60 
 
SEC. 102.  Mandatory Review. - Within five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act, or 
as the need arises, the Congressional Oversight Committee shall conduct a systematic evaluation 
of the accomplishments and impacts of this Act, as well as the performance, and organizational 
structure of the Department, for purposes of determining remedial legislation.  
SEC. 103. Interpretation. -  Any doubt in the interpretation of any provision of this Act 
shall be resolved in favor of a liberal interpretation that will fulfill the objectives of this Act, 
especially in relation to the provision of effective, efficient and timely disaster response, 
rehabilitation and recovery. 
SEC. 104. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions or parts thereof not otherwise affected shall 
remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 105.  Repealing Clause. – The provisions of Republic Act No. 10121, otherwise 
known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010”; Republic Act 
No. 7160, otherwise known as the “Local Government Code of 1991”; Republic Act No. 7916, 
otherwise known as “The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995”; and all other laws, decrees, 
executive orders, proclamations and other executive issuances, which are not consistent with or 
contrary to the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed or amended. 
SEC. 106.  Effectivity.  - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,