Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 3108

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The overarching intent of this urgent measure is one of getting people aware, educated,
prepared, and more importantly, trained in saving their own lives or limbs in times of
unforeseen natural disasters or hazards. Some examples of these disasters are
earthquakes, floods, typhoons, fires, tsunamis, tornadoes or other such hazards that could
be of consequential magnitude as to inflict deaths or injuries and damages to properties.

Preparation is, after all, better than reaction. This approach means the mandatory inclusion
in the curriculum of the entire Philippine educational system, both private and public, that
puts in capsule form the relevant shared observations that result when such a natural
disaster strikes.

Along this line, the theoretical side of a relevant subject or course in disaster risk
management as contemplated in this proposed bill shall precisely contain modules for
practical drills or simulations in case, for example, of tsunami when people are around
beaches or coastal areas. For another, there shall be training modules that will educate
school children or students on certain “dos and don'ts” during an earthquake like avoiding
use of elevators or keeping oneself safe beside a strong support like tables, or away certain
types of high-rise buildings.

The one important assumption of this additional subject or course is that CHED and DepEd
will provide useful reading material akin to a ‘Manual of Instruction’ on what a better informed
individual should do or avoid during the unforeseen occurrence of natural disasters and the
most common of which are floods caused by heavy rains. In other words, it is important not
just to be aware of flood-prone areas but to carry a ‘survival kit’ or an acquired competency
‘or trained experience on what to do during prolonged floods.

In this proposed bill, the author contemplates a wide range of natural disasters or hazards
that could strike or otherwise claim several lives. Thus, when certain “dos and don'ts” are
actually taught in schools or universities, it makes our youth better prepared to deal with the
threats to life and limb by said disasters or similar hazards of consequential nature.

It makes sense to save lives when earthquakes do occur and such similar occurrences that
take their toll on hundreds of lives such as in the case of typhoons Ondoy and Yolanda. The
competency and manual know-how that a young child or student could acquire from a
curricular subject or course could be applied at home and passed on to other members of
the household for their own protection and safety.


For unless any prospective victim of disaster possesses such acquired knowledge in
disaster mitigation coupled with simulation models or drills on how to go about disasters or
hazards, there will be more victims than we can imagine when the inevitable natural
disasters do confront us

Thus, it is the aim of this bill to integrate into the curriculum in the elementary, high school
and university level a well-rounded knowledge in order to better promote work in disaster
mitigation, risk management, impact reduction and hazards defense.

Every youth and student should be able to appreciate acquired theoretical knowledge and
practical application of certain options, course of action, techniques and minimum
competency in dealing with the dangers or threats of floods, typhoons, fires, tsunamis,
tornadoes, earthquakes or other similar natural disaster.

In this regard, it then becomes incumbent upon CHED and DepEd to include mandatory
subject or course on this “Disaster Risk Management” and the same should more
extensively cover certain commonalities or modalities in dealing with such natural hazards
and disasters.

Hence, the immediate passage of this bill is strongly sought,



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 3108

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

AN ACT
INTEGRATING INTO THE CURRICULUM IN ALL LEVELS OF THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, A MANDATORY SUBJECT OR COURSE ON DISASTER
RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION, BOTH THEORETICAL AND WITH PRACTICAL COMPONENT
AS AN EFFECTIVE PROACTIVE RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISASTERS, CALAMITIES, AND
HAZARDS LIKE FLOODS, TYPHOONS, FIRES, TSUNAMIS, EARTHQUAKES, AND STRONG
WINDS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Disaster Risk Management Education
Act.”

SEC. 2. The Commission on Higher Education on the part of the collegiate
curriculum and the Department of Education on the part of the high school and elementary
curricula shall prescribe a mandatory subject or course in Disaster Risk Management
Education for students and school children.

SEC. 3. Under this Act, the CHED and DepEd shall draft the course or subject and
integrate it as a mandatory requirement in their respective curricula for college students on
the part of CHED and high school students and elementary school children on the part of
DepEd and same shall commence within reasonable time upon the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 4. No additional tuition, charge or fee shall be exacted upon those school
children and students required to take this mandatory subject or course but shall be
subsidized by the public or private school concerned.

Further, no additional appropriation shall be allocated separately to implement the
provisions of this Act but shall be charged against the current appropriations of CHED and
DepEd through cooperative collaboration with all universities or schools concerned.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette and in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,