SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 
1576 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As a tropical country, the Philippines has always been subjected to dozens of typhoons 
per year. The strong winds and torrential rainfalls brought about by these typhoons have brought 
destruction to our countrymen who were unfortunate enough to be in their path. Countless lives 
have been lost and damages to properties have accumulated to billions of pesos as a result of 
these catastrophes. 
However, as seen last 2012, eVen the monsoon rains can bring about massive destruction 
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due to floods. The varying degrees of success in disaster response and destructive effect 
mitigation across the local government units indicate a disparity in terms of preparedness and 
knowhow. A major effort must be done to collate our flood related knowledge as a country and 
disseminate such information to all stakeholders to minimize the damage brought about by 
floods. 
This bill will allow us to establish a centralized effort to study the effect of flooding and 
how best to prepare and respond to each catastrophe. 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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ESTABLISHING THE OFFICE OF FLOOD RESEARCH AND POLICY TO PLAN, 
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COORDINATE, CONDUCT, AND SHARE RESEARCH ON FLOODING, FLOOD 
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PREVENTION, AND OTHER FLOOD-RELATED ISSUES 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
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assembled: 
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SECTION L Short Title. - This Act shall be known as National Flood Research and 
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Education Act. 
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SECTION 2. Office of Flood Research and Policy. - There is hereby established within 
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the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) an Office of Flood 
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Research and Policy (OFRP), which shall be headed by a Director. 
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SECTION 3. Duties. - The Director of the OFRP shall-
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(A) 
Make recommendations and identify best practices for predicting, preventing, and 
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minimizing flooding and its effects, in accordance with Section 4; 
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(B) 
Submit to Congress an armual report, in accordance Section 6; and 
(C) 
Establish and maintain a page on the public NDRRMC website, in accordance 
with Section 6. 
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SECTION 4. Best Practices" - The Director, in consultation with the NDRRMC, taking. 
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into consideration the regional differences in hydrology, weather, geography, economy, and 
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population density across the country; shall develop recommendations and identify best practices 
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for predicting, preventing, and minimizing flooding and its effects, including-
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(A) 
Risk-assessment tools, methods, and models; 
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(B) 
Strategies and techniques for monitoring and predicting flooding; 
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(C) 
Strategies and techniques for flood management and prevention; 
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(D) 
Adoption and use of relevant technologies; 
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(E) 
National, regional, and local flood policies; and 
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(F) 
Coordination and cooperation among government agencies and local governments 
regarding flood-related efforts. 
SECTION 5. Grants to Institutions of Higher Education. - The OFRP may extend 
research grants to institutions of higher education to conduct research on flooding, flood 
prevention, and other flood related issues. The OFRP shall ensure that the said grants are used 
for their designated purpose. 
SECTION 6. Report. - The Director shall submit to Congress an annual report on the 
activities of the OFRP. 
The OFRP shall establish and maintain a page within the public NDRRMC website in 
which it shall publish the recommendations and best practices described in Section 4 and the 
annual report as provided in this section. The OFRP shall also provide the local government units 
(LGUs) versions of the report which particularly applies to them. 
SECTION 7. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as is 
necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. -
If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby 
shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or 
parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or 
modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
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following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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