Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution gives the State the
responsibility of promoting a just and dynamic social order that will free the
people from poverty, through the provision of adequate social services.
Operationalizing this in the context of the occurrence of disasters and
emergencies is Republic Act No. 10121 (“Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Act of 2010”), Section 2 of which declared it State policy
to:
(a) Uphold
the
people's
constitutional
rights
to
life
and
property
by
addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities to disasters, strengthening the
country's institutional capacity for disaster risk reduction and management
and building the resilience of local communities to disasters including
climate change impacts;
x x x
(d) Adopt
a disaster risk
reduction
and
management
approach that is
holistic,
comprehensive,
integrated,
and
proactive
in
lessening
the
socioeconomic and environmental impacts of disasters including climate
change, and promote the involvement and participation of all sectors and all
stakeholders concerned, at all levels, especially the local community;
x x x
(h) Institutionalize the policies, structures, coordination mechanisms and
programs with continuing budget appropriation on disaster risk reduction
from national down to local levels towards building a disaster-resilient
nation and communities;
x x x
(l) Recognize and strengthen the capacities of LGUs and communities in
mitigating and preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the impact
of disaster's;
x
x
x
(n) Develop
and
strengthen
the
capacities
of
vulnerable
and
marginalized groups to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from
the effects of disasters;
x x x
It is therefore clear that whenever any locality is placed under a state
of emergency, or of calamity, the State must, as swiftly as possible, deliver
July 29, 2022
4:55 pm
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aid to affected families—such as might be necessitated by their immediate
needs, whether it be in the form of goods or in cash.
The problem, though, is that aid delivery or distribution is so often
plagued by delays, especially when the aid is in cash.
We need look no further than our experiences with the ongoing
COVID-19
pandemic.
Both
the
Departments
of
Social
Welfare
and
Development
(DSWD)1
and
of
Labor
and
Employment
(DOLE)2
have
admitted that cash aid distribution has not been on time. Indeed, the
situation has reached the point where President Rodrigo Duterte has had to
personally “apologize[] to households who have not received help from the
government since the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was imposed
in Luzon.”3 He has, on top of this, had to “warn[] local government officials
anew that the Office of the Ombudsman could order their suspension over
delays in the distribution of cash aid for low-income families.”4
Hence the need for this Bill. It shall ensure timely distribution of
monthly cash assistance to families affected by emergencies or disasters, for
the duration of the emergency or disaster.
It is for the foregoing premises that the approval of this Bill is
earnestly sought.
ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano Party-List
4 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119825
3
https://www.onenews.ph/delayed-cash-aid-for-households-ofws-workers-farmers-lgus-told
-to-act-quickly-or-else
2
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1254468/processing-of-p5k-cash-aid-delayed-due-to-dole-li
mited-workforce-banking-systems
1
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/22/cash-aid-distribution-delays.html?fbclid=Iw
AR22_u3Nlx2SG88upQkU4NYPKXHxyOxyIUnYZiZhxJbJ338QgYzqFiofmHQ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE AUTOMATIC RELEASE OF MONTHLY CASH
ASSISTANCE TO PROVINCES, UPON OCCURRENCE OF
DISASTERS OR EMERGENCIES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Automatic
Emergency or Disaster Relief Act.”
SECTION 2.
Declaration of Policy. – The State acknowledges the
importance of ensuring that emergency or disaster response, specifically aid
or relief distribution, is made more responsive to the immediate needs of
Filipinos affected by emergencies or disasters. The State recognizes that this
goes beyond extending the right or appropriate kind of aid to beneficiaries,
encompassing even the very promptness of distribution.
Thus, it shall be State policy to immediately, or without delay, give
cash assistance to affected localities, to capacitate each family to freely
attend to or satisfy their unique needs, which cannot be simply resolved by
the distribution of traditional or usual relief goods.
SECTION 3.
Definition of Terms. –
The following terms, as used in
this Act, shall be understood thusly:
A. Emergency. – Any unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially
danger, demanding immediate action, which causes, prompts, or
results in a declaration of a state of emergency, in accordance with
the provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
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This shall encompass public health emergencies.
B. Disaster. – A serious disruption of the functioning of a community
or a society involving widespread human, material, economic, or
environmental losses and impacts, which the affected community
or society cannot feasibly cope with using only its own resources.
It also refers to any happening which causes, prompts, or results
in a declaration of a state of calamity, pursuant to the provisions of
Republic Act. No. 10121 (“Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010”).
C. Automatic Relief. –
Automatic cash assistance to provinces upon
occurrence of disasters or emergencies.
SECTION 4. Automatic Emergency or Disaster Relief. – Upon the
declaration of a state of emergency, or of calamity, the Regional Offices (ROs)
of
the
Department
of
Social
Welfare
and
Development
(DSWD)
shall
automatically begin releasing cash assistance to families in the affected
localities.
The release shall be done per family and by province. Each family
living in a province that has been placed under a state of emergency, or of
calamity, shall receive Five thousand to Eight thousand pesos (PhP5,000.00
to PhP8,000.00), depending on the minimum wage rate in their respective
region, or any other amount as determined by the Congress upon the
recommendation of the relevant government agencies, per month, until the
issuance of the declaration officially lifting the state of emergency, or of
calamity.
SECTION 5. Participation of Local Government Units (LGUs). – The
funds for the monthly cash assistance to affected families shall be devolved
by the DSWD to its ROs, which will take charge of distribution to beneficiary
families, and shall not be given to the LGUs. LGUs’ participation shall be
limited to the following:
1) Preparing, validating, and submitting to the DSWD’s involved ROs
a list of beneficiary families, based on their records of families
actually residing within their jurisdiction upon the declaration of
the state of emergency, or of calamity; and
2) Providing the necessary support to the DSWD’s involved ROs’ cash
assistance distribution, including in terms of logistics and security.
SECTION 6. Appropriations. – Such an amount as may be necessary
to
implement
the
provisions
of
this
Act
is
hereby
authorized
to
be
appropriated from the National Treasury. Congress shall enact a special


appropriation within 15 days from the occurrence of an emergency or
disaster.
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90)
days after this Act takes effect, the DSWD, in consultation and coordination
with appropriate government agencies, representatives from the private
sector,
and
other
stakeholders,
shall
promulgate
the
necessary
implementing rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this
Act.
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act
is
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts
unaffected shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION
9.
Repealing
Clause.
–
All
laws,
executive
orders,
presidential decrees or issuances, letters of instruction, administrative
orders, rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.
Approved,