f iS RECEIVED

Republic of the Philippines SE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 250 3

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Over a ten-year period alone (1992-2001), about 5,809,986 Filipinos were
killed or injured as a result of disasters or man-made calamities. This led one to
say that the Philippines was a ‘natural laboratory for floods, typhoons,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides’.

Let this bill rationalize a system of fund administration of all cash
donations or humanitarian aid received from local or foreign donors or sponsors
as are intended for disaster victims or desired beneficiaries in order to address
their immediate needs and assist them as quick as possible toward rehabilitation
and normalcy.

In effect, it sets the procedures and protocols to be taken into account in
order to fill the gaps of chronic and systemic failure to a desired smooth, timely,
and responsive movement of relief food, supplies, goods and aid to affected
victims or population in a disaster site or area.

The method proposed of using cash donations to purchase from the local
market or business establishments is for the purpose of simuieing the local
economy of the disaster area or site rather than make it anothervic cy of the

CASTELO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
‘Quezon City

‘SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 250 3

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

AN ACT

INSTITUTIONALIZING A SYSTEM OF EFFECTIVE FUND ADMINISTRATION OF
CASH DONATIONS OR HUMANITARIAN AID FROM LOCAL OR FOREIGN
DONORS AND SPONSORS DURING NATURAL OR MAN-MADE DISASTERS,
CRISES, TRAGEDIES, OR EMERGENCIES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the ‘Disasters in the Philippines Act

of 2013’.

SEC. 2. There shall be institutionalized a system of effective fund
administration of cash donations or humanitarian aid coming from local or foreign
donors and sponsors to help affected victims or communities during natural or man-
made disasters, crises, tragedies and emergencies.

SEC. 3. Rationale. A system of effective fund administration contemplates
the following mechanics to smoothly and methodologically let relief agencies or
humanitarian organizations efficiently account for funds, cash donations or aid
intended for legitimate victims or communities, as follows:

1)

2

3)

4)

5)

Regional Offices of the Department of Social Work and Development are
tasked as Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) in accrediting banks or
similar establishments to receive cash donations or humanitarian aid
Cash funds withdrawn by authorized DSWD representatives will be used
to purchase relief food, supplies, goods and medicines from the local
market or business establishments based on specific needs of the
affected population

Relief agencies, humanitarian organizations or volunteer groups must be
accredited with or duly recognized by the Regional Offices of DSWD or
their local counterparts as far as practicable

‘The movement of food, supplies and goods to affected, traumatized and
displaced victims or populations shall be in a manner that will reach them
as quickly as possible in much less time than it takes of an airlift or land
transport from a distant place or when such donated goods or supplies
‘come from boxes that have to be sorted out

Collected goods other than cash donations may be auctioned and the
proceeds of which shall go to the recognized relief agency or


humanitarian organization in the local area where the disaster, crisis,
tragedy or emergency occurred for proper custodianship for future relief
efforts

6) Authorized DSWD representatives or similar custodians of relief goods
may be required to submit ‘After-the-Crisis Report’ as basis for

accounting for the cash donation, humanitarian aid or collected goods
from various donors or sponsors

SEC. 4, The Department of Social Work and Development shall issue the
appropriate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 5. All issuances, laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof not consistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect immediately upon approval.
Approved,