HOUSE F REPRESENTATIVES

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Republic of the Philippines

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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS By" —
First Regular Session REC AONON
HOUSE BILLNO._ 8083 ]} BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Casteloe

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Offhand, nothing in this proposed bill pushes aside any of the provisions of RA 10121 or the
Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act enacted in 2010. It is designed istead
as an expanded and parallel measure in the vast realm of disaster risk and management in the
context of scientifically-validated assessments and developments.

This proposed bill is earthquake-specific in light of validated scientific forecasts from the
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the government agency
reposed the mandate to monitor volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fault lines and the like in
terms precisely of communicating timely and immediate public awareness on relevant signals
and alert levels arising from natural phenomena. It is contemplated in this measure that
instead, it is PHIVOLCS that should serve as the lead agency during earthquakes and
earthquake-related phenomena or events that pose real and imminent risks and threats to lives,
properties, agriculture, infrastructure, food security, among others under the operational
supervision of the Department of Science and Technology.

This bill by far heeds the call of PHIVOLCS chief, Director Renato Solidum for a comprehensive
recovery and reconstruction system to be put in place even before an earthquake of predicted
magnitude hits the country, or any part thereof . It is left to said agency with the full support of
all allied agencies such as but not limited to the NEDA, MMDA, DILG, DND to institutionalize
action plans, points of collaboration, and priorities. For instance, the agency PHIVOLCS
already named the following goals as subject of attention in its disaster impact assessments,
namely: 1) Goal 1: Earthquake-resilient national systems, 2) Goal 2: Earthquake-resistant urban
structures, 3) Goal 3: Enhanced risk and emergency management, 4) Goal 4: Increased
‘community resilience, 5) Goal 5: Reconstruction systems, and 6) Goal 6: Earthquake tsunami
resilience research and development.

In other words, in the grand scheme of things, such recovery and reconstruction plan should be
done as a group or as a whole-of-society approach and that the same is effectively led by
PHIVOLCS and major allied agencies involved in risk reduction, management, and rehabilitation
such as NEDA, MMDA, DILG, DND, LGUs, to name a few. When the PHIVOLCS chief warned
of a possible 7.2 magnitude in July 2013, that may occur in the West Valley Fault along the
eastern side of Metro Manila but such fault from Sierra Madre to Laguna, crosses eastern side


‘of Quezon City, western side of Marikina, western part of Pasig, eastern part of Makati, parts of
Taguig and Muntinlupa, it becomes only fitting and proper for government to-# a

execute an official draft of the recover and reconstruction strategy plan beforgsuch earthquake
happens.

The timely passage of this urgent measure is most prayerfully sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

83

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

AN ACT
EXPANDING THE PHILIPPINE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM THEREBY INSTITUTIONALIZING A COMPREHENSIVE RECOVERY AND
RECONSTRUCTION PLAN THROUGH A WHOLE-OF-SOCIETY APPROACH WITH
PHIVOLCS THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AS LEAD
AGENCY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “High-Magnitude Earthquake Recovery and
Reconstruction Plan of 2016"

SEC. 2. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology through the
Department of Science and Technology shall serve as the lead agency to draw up and
orchestrate action plans, cluster goals, priorities relating to earthquakes, tsunamis, fault lines,
and other earthquake lingering disasters.

To this end, it shall prepare the official draft of the High-Magnitude Earthquake Recovery
and Reconstruction Plan with the full support and assistance of the major frontline and allied
agencies such as but not limited to the NEDA, DILG, MMDA, DND and other such agencies with
relevant mandate, organization and operational capability.

SEC. 3. Such Plan/Protocol shall be effectively circulated through the various line
departments, bureaus, agencies and instrumentalities of government and across all other
private counterparts through effective system of exchange or communication, The Office of the
President through its communication arm should likewise effectively disseminate information
and awareness amongst and across the various publics of society from the national down to the
local government levels.


SEC. 4. Nothing in this Act requires supplementary funds to effectively carry out its
implementation. However, all such resources, personnel, equipment, facilities, existing disaster
risk reduction and management plans or systems and other related concerns shall efficiently be
merged under the technical and operational leadership of PHIVOLCS and for other purposes.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect immediately upon approval and its publication in the
Official Gazette.

Approved,