Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Sixteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 6181

Introduced by Honorable Sherwin T. Gatchalian

Explanatory Note

The occurrence of natural or human-induced disasters do
not give us warnings nor the time to make quick judgements.
Because of their age and vulnerability, children most likely, will
be helpless and susceptible to panic and despair. Their
response may be inadequate to prepare them for the
eventuality of catastrophic events. To equip them to better
understand the occurrence of these events and empower them
with the knowledge to guide their response, this bill is
proposing for the creation of a school-based disaster
management committee that will develop a _ disaster
management plan in coordination with the Local Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council, public order and safety

offices and the law enforcement agencies.


Notable provisions in the Republic Act No. 10121, also
known asthe ‘Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010” are the following:

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It shall be the policy of

the State to:

XxX

(e) Develop, promote, and implement a

comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan (NDRRMP) that aims to strengthen the
capacity of the national government and the local
government units (LGUs), together with partner
stakeholders, to build the disaster resilience of
communities, and to institutionalize arrangements and
measures for reducing disaster risks, including
projected climate risks, and enhancing disaster
preparedness and response capabilities at all levels;

seae

(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;


200
(k) Recognize the local risk patterns across the country
and strengthen the capacity of LGUs for disaster risk
reduction and management through decentralized
powers, responsibilities, and resources at the regional
and local levels;

200¢

(n) Develop and strengthen the capacities of vulnerable
and marginalized groups to mitigate, prepare for,
respond to, and recover from the effects of disasters;
see

The school being the second home of our children, we
entrust to them the responsibility of inculcating a culture of
resilience through an enhanced capacity of preparedness
and adequate training to respond to incidents of these
nature.

The bill shall institutionalize the conduct of regular
drills and provide evaluations for an effective assessment of
the disaster management plan. In order that schools adopt
the minimum requirements set forth in this Act, penalties

shall likewise be imposed to ensure compliance.


Because of climate changes and the inevitability of
natural and human-induced disasters to occur, we urge for

the immediate approval of this Act.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Sixteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 618i

Introduced by Honorable Sherwin T. Gatchalian

AN ACT
MANDATING THE CREATION OF A SCHOOL DISASTER
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT SAFETY DRILLS
FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN ALL SCHOOLS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title This Act shall be known as
the “Disaster Preparedness in Schools Act.”

SEC.2. Declaration of Policy.-It is the policy of the
State to train the people, particularly students and school staff,
on how to appropriately respond to emergency situations
including human-induced or natural calamities in order to
reduce the risk on their lives, limbs and property whenever a
calamity or emergency occurs at school when classes are on-
going or in the locality where the school is located. The State
also recognizes the importance of generating the highest level of

awareness among the public on disaster risk reduction


concerns and to assess the apa level of schools and the
community in the eventuality of disasters and
emergencies.Towards this end, the State shall mandate the
conduct of earthquake, fire, and other safety drills for
emergency situations in all schools.

SEC. 3. Creation of the School Disaster
Management Committee. -Each school shall establish and
maintain a School Disaster Management Committee,
hereinafter referred to as the Committee, to oversee disaster
risk reduction and preparedness activities to be undertaken by
the school’s staff and students.

The Committee shall develop, adapt, implement, and
update the school disaster management plan. It shall meet at
the beginning of each school year or semester and quarterly
during the school year, or as it may deem necessary. It shall
encourage personal and organizational preparedness, guide
mitigation work, ensure compliance with the provisions of this
Act, lead in the conduct of the monthly drills, evaluate the
results, and adjust the school disaster management plan

accordingly.


The Committee shall also maintain formal links between
the school and the local disaster risk reduction and
management council.

SEC. 4. Members of the School Disaster Management
Committee. - The Committee shall be composed of the

following:

a) School principal or president as head and focal

person;
b) Representative of the school’s teaching personnel;

©) Representative of the school’s non-teaching

personnel;
d) Representative from the parents-teacher association;
e) Representative of the barangay council;

f) Representative of the community where the school is
situated;

g) Representative of the students, preferably an elected
representative from the student body, when applicable; and a

h) Representative from the religious sector.
SEC.5. Duties and Responsibilities of the Disaster

Management Committee. - a) Conduct of drills in schools- It


shall be the mandate of every School Disaster Management
Committee in all elementary schools, high schools, and higher
education institutions including technical-vocational schools
and training schools, whether public or private, to conduct an
earthquake, fire, or safety drills for other emergency situations
in their respective premises periodically. All students and staff

of the school shall actively participate in the drills.

i. During the school year, all elementary and high
schools are expected to conduct a minimum total of five (5)
safety drills which shall include two (2) fire drills, two (2)
earthquake drills, and one (1) other risk-related drill. The
School Disaster Management Committee, which shall be
established by the schools in accordance with Section 4 of
this Act, should consider possible high-risk local events
including flooding, tsunami, or lahar flow occurrences in
the locality when deciding what other risk-related drill shall
be conducted in the school. It may conduct additional drills

as it may deem necessary.

ii. All higher education institutions including technical-
vocational schools and training schools shall conduct an.
earthquake, fire, or safety drills for other emergency

situations every semester or at least twice a year.


iii. Teachers or faculty members, in case of HEIs, shall
be designated as safety officers to ably assist the students
and other participants during the conduct of the safety

drills.

For purposes of this Act, elementary schools shall include
pre-school learning institutions. In succeeding sections of this
Act, the term school refers to elementary schools, high schools,
and higher education institutions including _ technical-
vocational schools and training schools.

b)Identify high risk areas in the school- TheCommittee
shall assess and identify risks in the school premises by
considering potential hazards and evaluating existing
conditions of vulnerability that together could potentially harm
the students, the people in the community near the school, and
their property.

The Committee shall prepare a school site map and
community maps to record and visualize risks and resources in
the school premises and in the community. The school map
shall indicate high risk areas, vulnerabilities and resources in
the school premises and should be displayed in corridors and
other important areas in the school. It shall also mark

evacuation routes on this map.


©) Develop a school disaster management plan-The
Committee shall develop a school disaster management plan
which includes strategies that are coordinated with the Local
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, public
order and safety offices, and law enforcement agencies aimed
at the prevention of, education about, and response to
potential incidents involving natural or human-induced
disasters, crime, and violence on or near the school campus.

The school disaster management plan shall be reviewed
annually by the Committee at the start of the school year and,
as the need arise, necessary revisions should be made
accordingly.

d) Coordinate with local authorities - The Committee shall
ensure close coordination by the school with the concerned
regional, municipal and barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Councils, law enforcement agencies, and other
concerned agencies prior to the conduct of the safety drills to
ensure the success of the activity and safety of the
participants.

e) Evaluate the conduct of drills —Drill evaluation forms
prepared by the Department of Education in coordination with

the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council



shall be filed and submitted by the Committee to the
Department of Education Disaster Risk Reduction Management
Office. The drill evaluation form shall indicate, among others,
the drill conducted, level of participation, school evaluation and
school disaster management plan evaluation and assessment.

SEC. 6. Penalties. - Any person in charge of the
administration or management of schools, who refuses or fails
to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be given a warning
for the first offense; a fine of One Hundred Thousand Pesos
(P100,000.00) for the second offense; a fine of Two Hundred
Thousand Pesos (P200,000.00) for the third offense; and
imprisonment of one (1) month and a fine of Three Hundred
Thousand Pesos (P300,000.00) for subsequent offenses. The
fines shall go to the funds of the local NDRRMC office and shall
be used for disaster prevention and mitigation programs of the
locality.

SEC.7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. —
Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the
Secretary of Education, in consultation and coordination with
the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education,
Director General of the Technical Education and Skills

Development Authority, National Disaster Risk Reduction and


Management Council and the Secretary of the Interior and
Local Government,shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part
of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the
remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full
force and effect.

SEC.9. Repealing Clause. —All laws, executive orders,
presidential decrees, rules and regulation or parts thereof
inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two
(2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,