REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._$33

Introduced by REP. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR
Third District, Bohol

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our proposed Disasters and Emergencies Management Act of 2025 seeks to further
empower communities, local governments, and their local chief executives and legislative
bodies to enable them to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and
emergencies striking their areas.

This bill is separate from but supportive of other legislative measures seeking to create the
Department on Disaster Resilience and put in place other measures and systems to address
disasters and emergencies. This is a standaione bili but also a companion measure to the
proposed Department on Disaster Resilience which has an emphasis on the national
domains.

This measure is a comprehensive approach to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management,
climate change adaptation and mitigation, and situations involving emergencies posing
serious threats to life and property, and the functioning of communities and local
governments.

This bill contains decades of lessons learned, including recent lessons, by all levels of
government and by the private sector and civil society pertinent to disasters and
emergencies.

The main focus of this bill is on the authority of local governments and the human resources
needed to adequately respond to disasters and emergencies. Support roles for concerned
agencies, enterprises, institutions, and organizations are also provided

The Strategy put forward in this bill is the overarching topic and umbrella encompassing the
related sub-topics tackled in the provisions thereof. The objectives, issues, and measures
stated in all the provisions are part of coverage of the Strategy


This bill draws inspiration from Senate Bill (SB) 174 of Senator Francis Tolentino, SB 939
of Senator Win Gatchalian, and SB 686 by Senator Ramon Revilla, Jr. It also draws
inspiration from the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Republic Act 11469).

Considering the foregoing, swift passage of this bill is sought.

REP. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 833

Introduced by REP. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR
Third District, Bohol

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY-CENTRIC, HUMAN RESOURCE-ORIENTED,
SCIENCE-BASED EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RESPONSE, RESILIENCE,
ADAPTATION, AND MITIGATION STRATEGY TOWARD ZERO CASUALTIES AND
SERVICES CONTINUITY, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,

AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives assembled,

Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Disasters and Emergencies
Management Act of 2025.”

Section 2. Declaration of State Policies and Guidelines. It shall be the policy of the
State to:

(a) Protect the lives and properties of its citizens by addressing and preventing the
causes of vulnerabilities to emergencies and natural disasters at the community and
local government levels;

(b) Uphold the sacredness of human life by efficiently and effectively addressing
humanitarian emergencies, including calamities and disasters;

(c) Promote, establish, and implement a community-centric, human resource-oriented,
science-based emergency and disaster response, resilience, adaptation, and
mitigation strategy toward zero casualties and services continuity;

(d) Ensure the swift provision and deployment at the local levels of services and public
assistance, before, during, and after a disaster or emergency;

(e) Inculcate a culture of resilience and preparedness against emergencies and disasters
at the community, municipal, city, provincial, and national levels;

(f) Address the different concems and needs of sectors with special needs or higher
vulnerabilities such as women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, and
indigenous peoples with respect to disaster resilience and disaster management; and


(g) Foster an enabling environment for substantial and sustainable participation of
nongovernment stakeholders such as civil society organizations, private groups,
volunteers, and communities in disaster resilience programs and projects.

Section 3. The Zero Disaster Casualties and Services Continuity Strategy
Framework. There is hereby established a Zero Disaster Casualties and Services
Continuity Strategy Framework that is community-centric to enable cities and
municipalities nationwide to effectively address emergencies and disasters primarily
through basic and scalable human resources contingents, funds, logistical resources, and
decision-making authority primarily vested upon mayors and barangay councils. This
‘Strategy Framework shall henceforth govern all disaster risk reduction and management
programs, projects, and operations nationwide.

Section 4. Goals of the Strategy Framework. To achieve the primary goals of zero
casualty and services continuity, every local government shall adopt and continually
implement the Every Household, Every Barangay Emergency Ready Program to be
jointly developed and promulgated by the Department of Health, Department of Social
Welfare and Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department
of Science and Technology, and the Philippine Red Cross.

These same agencies shall also jointly develop and promulgate a comprehensive First
Responders Training and Empowerment Program for implementation in every
community and local government with the support of national government field offices and
personnel, including state universities and colleges.

Section 5. Plain Language, Filipino, Local, and Other Languages. For effective
communication and coordination, communities and local governments shall primarily use
plain language and Filipino and local languages in their emergency and disaster activities.
English, Arabic, and Chinese shall serve as suppletory languages where and whenever
necessary.

The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and the language, sociology, anthropology, and social
work departments of state universities and colleges shall render relevant technical
assistance to communities and local governments to implement this Section.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government shall develop, promulgate, and
implement a Crisis Communications Manual for all local government units and
community and citizen organizations. This Manual shall include benchmarks and protocols
on contact points and modes for the general public and news media, composition of
public notices, warnings, and update bulletins, evacuation orders, conduct of press
briefings, interviews, and news conferences, postings on social media, actions on
feedback, response options to actionable field reports, documentation and minutes of
meetings, and operations timelines.

Section 6. Science and Jargon Laymanized. The terms and scientific jargon and
technical concepts in this Act and those used in the Science, Chemistry, Mathematics,
Medicine, and Engineering involved in emergencies and disasters shall be explained in
ways these matters can be easily and plainly understood in terms of impact, clear
analogies, and examples. All implementing agencies and local government units shall
interpret and implement this Section in conjunction with Section 19 of this Act.


Section 7. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations, and Implementing Programs and Manuals:

a) Adaptation refers to the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to
actual or expected climactic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or
exploits beneficial opportunities;

b) Assisting actor refers to any assisting international or domestic actor following a
disaster in the country;

c)

Biological hazards refer to hazards that are of organic origin or conveyed by
biological vectors, including pathogenic microorganisms, toxins, and bioactive
substances. Examples are bacteria, viruses, or parasites as well as venomous
wildlife and insects, poisonous plants, and mosquitoes carrying disease-causing
agents;

d)

Building forward better refers to an approach to building or reconstructing an area
‘or community, which entails a shift from achieving simple recovery and restoration
to creating safer, more adaptive, resilient, and inclusive communities;

e) Business continuity refers to the capability of an organization to continue the
delivery of products or services at acceptable predefined levels following a
disruptive incident;

f) Capacity refers to the combination of attributes and resources available within a
community or area that can reduce the level of risk(s) from, or impact(s) of, a
disaster;

Civil society organizations (CSOs) refer to non-State actors whose aims are neither
to generate profits nor to seek governing power, but to unite people to advance
shared goals and interests. CSOs may include nongovernment organizations
(NGOs), professional associations, foundations, independent research institutions,
community-based organizations, and social movements;

g,

h

Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified
by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists in
an extended period, typically decades or longer, whether due to natural internal
processes or external forces such as modulation of the solar cycles, volcanic
eruptions, and persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the
atmosphere or land use;

i) Complex emergency refers to a form of human-induced emergency in which the
cause of the emergency as well as the assistance to the afflicted is complicated by
an intense level of political considerations;

j) Consequence management refers to the totality of interventions and measures
taken to restore essential operations and services in a permissive environment,
including measures to protect public health and safety, restore essential
government services, and provide emergency relief to individuals, stakeholders,
and communities affected by the consequences of emergencies, hazards, and
disasters;


k) Contingency planning refers to a management process that analyzes. specific
potential events or emerging situations that might threaten society or the
environment and establishes arrangements in advance to enable timely, effective,
and appropriate responses to such events and situations;

|) Continuity policy refers to a policy aimed at the development of an organizational
culture that can provide a minimum level of service during interruptions,
emergencies, and disasters, and return to full operations quickly;

m) Cultural heritage refers to the totality of cultural property preserved and developed
through time and passed on to posterity;

n)

Deterministic risk assessment refers to an assessment that considers the possible
disaster impacts of a single scenario, in contrast to probabilistic risk assessment
which considers all possible scenarios, their likelihood, and associated impacts;

0}

Development assistance refers to financial, material, or other forms of assistance to
support the economic, social, and environmental well-being of areas or people
affected by a natural disaster;

Pp)

Disability refers to an evolving concept that results from the interaction between
persons with impairments, as defined under Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise
known as the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons” and attitudinal and
environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on
an equal basis with others;

q)

Disaster refers to a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and
impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community to cope using its own
resources. Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of: the
exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and
insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative
consequences. Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease, and other
negative effects on human, physical, mental, and social well-being, together with
damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and economic
disruption, and environmental degradation. Unless otherwise specifically indicated
in this Act, the term “disaster” shall refer to “natural disaster”

q

Disaster assistance refers to financial, material, or other forms of assistance to
address the immediate and long-term needs of people, communities, or areas
affected by a disaster. This term includes humanitarian assistance and development
assistance;

s) Disaster management refers to the planning, organization, and application of
measures preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters;

t) Disaster mitigation refers to the reduction or limitation of the adverse impacts of
disasters and their related hazards;

u

Disaster preparedness refers to the knowledge and capacities developed by
governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities, and


individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from, the impacts of
likely, imminent or current disasters and related hazards;

v) Disaster prevention refers to the intention to avoid, or the outright avoidance, of
potential adverse impacts of disasters and related hazards through action(s) taken
in advance;

w) Disaster recovery refers to the restoration or improvement of livelihoods and health,
as well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems
and activities, of a disaster-affected community or society, aligning with the
principles of sustainable development and “build forward better” to avoid or reduce
future disaster risk;

x)

Disaster response or disaster relief refers to the provision of emergency services
and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to secure and
save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic
subsistence needs of the people affected. Disaster response is predominantly
focused on immediate and short-term needs and is sometimes called “disaster
relief;

Disaster rehabilitation refers to restoration of basic services and facilities for the
function of a community or a society affected by a disaster;

y

z)

Disaster resilience refers to the ability of a system, community, or society exposed
to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform, and recover from
the effects of a hazard, including the long-term impact of climate change, in a timely
and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its
essential basic structures and functions through risk management;

aa)Disaster risk refers to the potential losses in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets
and services that may occur to a particular community or society due to a disaster
in the future, and is determined by a combination of the vulnerability, capacity,
exposure of persons and assets, hazard characteristics and the environment,

bb)Disaster risk governance refers to the manner in which public authorities, civil
servants, media, private sector, and civil society coordinate at community, national
and regional levels in order to manage disaster and climate related risks. This
includes ensuring that sufficient levels of capacity and resources are made
available to prevent, prepare for, manage and recover from disasters. It also entails
mechanisms, institutions, and processes for citizens to articulate their interests,
exercise their legal rights and obligations, and mediate their differences;

cc) Disaster risk management refers to the systematic approach or process of
implementing strategies, policies and programs to lessen the possibility and/or
adverse impacts of disasters and related hazards;

dd)Disaster risk reduction refers to the prevention of new, or reduction of existing,
disaster risks and the management of residual risk, to enhance resilience to
disasters;


ee)Early warming system refers to an integrated system of hazard monitoring,
forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, and communication and
preparedness activities and processes that enable individuals, communities,
national government agencies, local government units, the private sector, and
others to take timely action to reduce disaster risks and adequately prepare for
disasters;

ff) Emergency refers to the unforeseen or sudden occurrences, especially danger,
demanding immediate action;

gg)Emergency management refers to the organization and management of resources
and responsibilities for addressing all aspects of emergencies, in particular,
preparedness, response, and initial recovery steps;

hh)Environmental hazards refer to hazards which may be chemical, natural and
biological, and can be created by environmental degradation or physical or
chemical pollution in the air water and soil. However, many of the processes and
phenomena that fall into this category may be termed drivers of hazard and risk
rather than hazards in themselves, such as soil degradation, deforestation, loss of
biodiversity, salinization and sea-level rise;

Exposure refers to the situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production
capacities and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas;

ji) Framework Agreement shall refer to a written agreement between a procuring entity
and a supplier or service provider that identifies the terms and conditions under
which specific purchases are made for the duration of the agreement. The
Framework Agreement is in the nature of an option contract between the procuring
entity and the bidder(s) granting the procuring entity the option to either place an
order for any of the goods or services identified in the Framework Agreement List or

not buy at all, within the period of the Framework Agreement;

kk) Geological or geophysical hazards refer to hazards which originate from internal
earth processes, such as earthquakes, volcanic activities and emissions, and
related geophysical processes which include mass movements, landslides,
rockslides, surface collapses and debris or mud flows. Hydrometeorological factors
are important contributors to some of these processes. While tsunamis are
triggered by undersea earthquakes and other geological events, they essentially
become an oceanic process that is manifested as a coastal water-related hazards;

Geographic information system refers to a database that contains, among others,
geo-hazard assessments, information on climate change, and climate risk reduction
and management,

mm) Geographically isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA) refers to an area
with a marginalized population, which is physically and socio-economically
separated from the mainstream society and characterized by a physical factor such
as isolated due to distance, weather conditions and transportation difficulties due to
island, upland lowland, landlocked, hard to reach and underserved communities;
and/or socio-economic factors such as high poverty incidence, presence of
vulnerable sector, communities in or recovering from a situation of crisis or armed
conflict;


nn)Hazard refers to a phenomenon, substance, human activity, or condition: that may
cause loss of life, injury or impacts to health; and social and economic disruption,
environmental damage, or loss of or disruption to property, livelihood and/or
services;

00)Historical landmarks refer to sites or structures that are associated with events or
achievements significant to Philippine history as declared by the National Historical
Institute or the applicable agency;

pp)Human-induced disasters refer to disasters induced entirely or predominantly by
human activities or choices, such as ideologically motivated conflict or criminality;

qq) Humanitarian assistance refers to financial, material or other similar forms of
“assistance to address the immediate needs of people affected by a natural
disaster;

tr) Hydrometeorological hazards refer to hazards that are of atmospheric, hydrological
and oceanographic origin, such as tropical cyclones also known as typhoons and
hurricanes; floods, including flash floods, drought; heatwaves and cold spells,
coastal storm surges, and marine heatwaves, extreme sea events, and sea level
rise. Hydrometeorological conditions may also be a factor in other hazards such as
landslides, wildland fires, locust plagues, epidemics, and in the transport and
dispersal of toxic substances and volcanic eruption material;

ss) Impact and needs assessment refers to assessing the nature and magnitude of a
disaster, its impact on affected populations, the type and extent of emergency, and
the requirements for recovery and rehabilitation of the affected areas;

tt

Land-use planning refers to the process undertaken by public authorities to identify,
evaluate, and decide on different options for the use of land, including consideration
of long-term economic, social, and environmental objectives and the implications for
different communities and interest groups, and the subsequent formulation and
promulgation of plans that describe the permitted or acceptable uses;

uu)Legal facilities refer to entitlements and exemptions that are granted to assisting
domestic or international actors which are declared to be eligible pursuant to this
Act and its implementing rules and regulations;

wy) Local Disaster Resilience Plan (LDRP) refers to a document prepared by a local
government unit (LGU) based on the National Disaster Resilience Framework
(NDRF) and National Disaster Resilience Plan and Investment Program (NDRPIP)
that sets out specific programs, objectives and goals to implement disaster risk
management and climate change adaptation measures at the local level. The plan
shall include among others, an evaluation and analysis of emerging disaster risks,
hazards and vulnerabilities applicable to an LGU, and specific programs and
activities to ensure responsive, effective, and the appropriate disaster preparedness
and management at the local level;

ww) National cultural treasure refers to a unique cultural property found locally,
possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is


highly significant and important to the country and nation, and officially declared as
‘such by the pertinent cultural agency;

xx) Natural disaster refers to a disaster predominantly associated with and/or caused
by natural processes or phenomena, such as those related to geology such as
earthquakes, ground rupture, liquefaction, landslides, tsunamis, sinkholes, volcanic
activity; hydrology and meteorology such as floods, severe winds, typhoons, storm
surges, climatological variability such as extreme temperatures, El Nino, La Nina,
and forest fires; biological events such as epidemics or pandemics caused by
outbreaks of viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal or prion infectious diseases affecting
human, animal or plant life, insect infestations or swarms; and extraterrestrial
events such as a meteorite or asteroid strikes;

yy) Post-Disaster recovery refers to the restoration improvement where appropriate, of
facilities, livelihood and living conditions, of disaster-affected communities, including
efforts to reduce disaster risk factors, in accordance with the principle of “build
forward better”;

zz) Preparedness refers to pre-disaster actions and measures being undertaken within
the context of disaster risk reduction and management and are based on sound risk
analysis as well as pre-disaster activities to avert or minimize loss of life and
property such as community organizing, training, planning, equipping, stockpiling,
hazard mapping, insuring of assets, and public information and education initiatives.
This also includes the development or enhancement of an overall preparedness
strategy, policy, institutional structure, warning and forecasting capabilities, and
plans that define measures geared to help at-risk communities safeguard their lives
and assets by being alert to hazards and taking appropriate action in the face of an
imminent threat or an actual disaster;

aaa) Prevention refers to activities and measures to avoid existing and new
disaster risks, and the concept and intention to avoid potential adverse impacts of
hazardous events;

bbb) Probabilistic risk assessment refers to the simulation of those future
disasters based on scientific evidence, and which are likely to occur in order to
resolve the problem posed by the limits of historical data by reproducing the physics
of the phenomena and recreating the intensity of a large number of synthetic
events, including all possible scenarios, their likelihood, and associated impacts;

ccc) Rehabilitation refers to measures that ensure the ability of affected
communities or areas to restore their normal level of functioning by rebuilding
livelihood and infrastructures and increasing the communities’ organizational
capacity;

ddd) Resilience refers to the ability of a system, community or society exposed to
hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, and recover from the effects thereof in a
timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its
essential basic structures and functions in a manner that will make them more
resistant to future risks;

eee) Response refers to any concerted effort by individuals, groups and agencies,
public or private, to provide assistance or intervention during or immediately after a


disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs of those people
affected and in the restoration of essential public activities and facilities;

fif) Risk refers to the combination of the probability of an event and its negative
consequences;

999) Risk assessment refers to a methodology to determine the nature and extent
‘of risks by analyzing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of
vulnerability that together could potentially harm exposed people, property,
services, livelihood and the environment on which they depend. Risk assessment
with associated risk mapping include: a review of the technical characteristics of
hazards such as their location, intensity, frequency and probability; the analysis of
exposure and vulnerability including the physical, social, health, economic, and
environmental dimensions; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of prevailing and
alternative coping capacities in respect to likely risk scenarios;

hhh) Safety stock refers to items of raw materials, component parts, or finished
goods maintained in inventory in order to reduce the risk that such item will be out
of stock, in anticipation of unforeseen shortages or unusual demand for such items;

ili) State of Calamity refers to a condition involving mass casualty, disruption of
means of livelihoods, and/or major damages to property, roads and normal way of
life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or
human-induced hazard;

iii) Volunteers refer to individuals, groups or entities that offer and provide services or
assistance, without salaries, to help people and areas affected by disasters;

kkk) Vulnerability refers to the characteristics and circumstances of a community,
system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.
Vulnerability may arise from various physical, social, economic, and environmental
factors such as poor design and construction of buildings, inadequate protection of
assets, lack of public information and awareness, limited official recognition of risks
and preparedness measures, and disregard for wise environmental management;

Ill) Vulnerable and marginalized groups refer to those that face higher exposure to
disaster risk and poverty including women, children, the elderly, differently abled
people, and ethnic minorities; and

mmm) Whole-of-Society Approach refers to an approach that encourages the
meaningful and active participation and synergy of the different stakeholders of
society toward climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction
and management at the national and local levels.

Title One
Communities and Local Government

Section 8. Communities and Local Governments. The most important focal points of
emergency and disaster management are the communities and local government. To
these frontlines, all necessary authority shall be focused and all essential capabilities, and
Tesources shall be generated and provided. Field operations command, control,

1


coordination and communications authority shall be vested in every barangay chairperson
and every mayor of a city or municipality. Provincial, regional, and national authorities shall
orient their support role, services, and logistics, including capability-building, training, and
relief, rescue, and recovery, to communities and local governments.

Section 9. Calamity Fund. in addition to its current allowed uses by virtue of existing laws
and regulations, the local government Calamity Fund of a barangay, municipality, city, or
province may also be used for the following purposes:

a. compensation to private owners for temporary use of their buildings and other
facilities for emergency and disaster response operations;

b. construction and set-up of temporary evacuation facilities, field command posts,
field hospitals and first aid trauma stations;

¢. unprogrammed emergency purchases and replenishment of urgently needed
supplies and tools;

d. deployment of special equipment for rescue, search, and recovery operations;

e. deployment of mobile water treatment, purification, and refilling equipment; and

f. deployment of portable fueled power generators and solar-powered charging
stations.

Section 10. Local Government Support Fund. The Department of Budget and
Management shall promulgate criteria, guidelines, rules and regulations on allocations in
the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) for training, capacity-building and operational
logistical support to First Responders Teams and city and municipal Emergency and
Disaster Management Department (EDMDs).

Section 11. Local Public-Private Partnerships and Expanded Build-Operate-Transfer
Modes. For capital outlays which annual appropriations cannot accommodate because of
the enormous investment needed, the legislative bodies of cities, municipalities, and
provinces are hereby authorized to enter into public-private partnerships and expanded
build-operate-transfer modes of implementing scalable disaster resilience and climate
adaptation and mitigation projects, including, but not limited to:

a. disaster-resilient facilities that shall serve as permanent evacuation centers,

warehouses for relief goods, and multipurpose centers;

b. underground, earthquake resistant utilities cabling and pipings for electricity
transmission and distribution, telecommunications and high-capacity fiber optics,
water distribution, and sewerage;

. indoor vertical food production;

|. cold storage facilities for food;

. protection, growth and development of natural mangroves and coral reefs;
reforestation of geohazardous terrain;

|. construction of artificial barrier reefs, storm surge barriers, and coastal closure
dams;

|. construction of floodways, landslide barriers; and
rivers desilting, dredging, and river basin flooding warning systems.

-> e-meao

The National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance, and the
Department of the Interior and Local Government shall jointly promulgate the standards,
guidelines, rules and regulations to govern: (1) local government-proposed Expanded BOT
and PPP projects for disaster resilience and mitigation and climate change adaptation; (2)
development, construction, and deployment of multi-purpose and special-purpose

2


microsatellites, nanosatellites, and low Earth orbit satellites, and remote-controlled
unmanned aerial and sea drones; and (3) other capital-intensive projects that would span,
involve, and benefit more than one local government unit jurisdiction and which the NEDA,
DOF, DILG, and the Department of Budget and Management deem necessary to
undertake with private investors.

Section 12. LGU Building Standards. Local govemment units’ legislative bodies are
hereby authorized to set reference and benchmark building standards higher than those
set in the National Building Code, as amended, and factoring in the local disaster hazards
specific to areas within their jurisdictions.

The Bureau of Research and Standards of the Department of Public Works and Highways,
the Bureau of Philippine Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry, the
Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, an attached agency of the Department
of Trade and Industry, the Bureau of Working Conditions of the Department of Labor and
Employment, Local Government Academy of the Department of the Interior and Local
Government, and the National Engineering Center at the University of the Philippines shall
render technical assistance to local governments on setting their reference and
benchmark building standards and establishing systems for monitoring, evaluation, and
audits.

Section 13. National Standards for Designing Disaster Resilient Structures. The
Designing Resilient Structures Handbook of the Department of Interior and Local
Government is hereby adopted as a set of national standards for the design of disaster-
resilient housing for poor and low-income households and for basic local infrastructure.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is hereby mandated
to propagate and impart these national standards through free training programs to
homebuilders, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, and masonry workers in
communities and local governments so they can build their own and their neighbors’
disaster-resilient houses and basic community facilities.

Title Two
Human Resources

Section 14. Barangay First Responders. Every barangay in cities and first class to
second class municipalities shall have at least two First Responders Teams, so they can
deploy to two simultaneous but separately-located emergencies or disasters. One BFRT
shall be on daytime duty while the other BFRT shall be on nighttime duty. Duty shifts shall
be rotated or switched every fifteen (15) days or two (2) weeks. Third class to sixth class
municipalities shall maintain at least one First Responders Team.

A BERT shall have the following full-time volunteer corps of personnel: One (1) Team
Leader: One (1) Assistant Team Leader: Six (6) First Aiders-Rescuers; Two (2)
Administrative Support Staff-Rescuers; and four (4) firefighters-rescuers.

BFRTs shall work alongside and closely coordinate with personnel of the field units of the
Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine National Police and other national agencies’
disaster response teams.

Barangays which are unable to constitute, operate, and sustain their own BFRTs may
team up with neighboring barangays to establish Joint BFRTs and share the cost burden
and expenses.

13


BFRTs shall perform such other related roles and functions as the barangay chairperson
and barangay council shall order and direct.

Section 15. Honoraria and Benefits of Barangay First Responders Team Members.
The members of the Barangay First Responders Team shall have the following honoraria,
allowances, special allowances, stipend, and benefits:

Honoraria and Allowances:
Monthly Honoraria: P4,000.00

. Monthly Subsistence Allowance: P2,200.00
c. Monthly Transportation Allowance P2,200.00

op

Special Allowances and Stipend:

._ Night Duty Allowance: P200 per night shift
. Hazard Duty Risk Allowance: P1000.00 per day

Holiday Allowance: P1,000 per holiday or special non-working day
. Training Stipend: P1,000 per training day (as participant or trainor)

aoc

Benefits:

|. Maternity Leave/Paternity Leave
Accident Annual Term Insurance

. Two days off weekly

. PhilHealth Coverage

aece

The Team Leader and Assistant Team Leader shall have a food allowance of at least
P1,000.00 per month.

These honoraria, allowances, special allowances, stipend of the BFRT members may be
disbursed on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. The Barangay Treasurer shall prepare the
annual budget, disbursement vouchers and other documentation necessary for the prompt
and timely release of all financial obligations and benefits due to the BFRTs. The Barangay
Council shall approve the budget while the barangay chairperson shall approve the other
documentation in prompt, timely, in due course, and according to due process.

Section 16. Minimum Qualifications for Members of the Barangay First Responders
Team. The Barangay First Responders Team shall have the following minimum
qualifications:

a. Age: At least twenty-five (25) years old for Team Leader and Assistant Team
Leader; at least sixteen (16) years old for First Aiders-Rescuers and for
Firefighters-Rescuers;

b. Health: In excellent physical and mental health as duly confirmed with fit to work

certifications by specialist medical doctors;
Gender: Of any gender. Principles of gender equity shall govern;

. Educational Qualifications: At least senior high school graduate for the Team Leader

and Assistant Team Leader and First Aiders-Rescuers; at least elementary school
graduate for Firefighters-Rescuers;

a0


e. Training: Completed relevant training on first aid, rescue skills; physical fitness
training;

f. Prior Relevant Work Experience: At least two years of work experience for Team
Leader and Assistant Team Leader in any capacity; no work experience required for
First Aiders-rescuers and Firefighters-Rescuers;

g. Civil service eligibility: At least sub-professional civil service eligibility for Team
Leader and Assistant Team Leader; no civil service eligibility required for First
Aiders-rescuers and Firefighters-Rescuers.

Section 17. Emergency and Disaster Management Department. Every city and
municipality shall constitute, operate, and maintain an Emergency and Disaster
Management Department (EDMD). The EDMD shall take the place of the Local Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Offices in these local government units. All assets,
personnel, records, responsibilities and functions of these DRRMOs are hereby
transferred to the EDMOs. The mayor shall have control and supervision of the EDMD,
subject to civil service laws and regulations, and shall approve all plans, programs, and
projects recommended by the EDMD.

The EDMD shall have these primary functions:

a. Implement the First Responders Training and Empowerment Program in all
barangays within the city or municipality;

b. Support Barangay First Responder Teams in responding to emergencies and
disasters;

c. Allocate logistical resources, equipment, and needed inventories to BFRTs within
the city or municipality;

d. Implement the emergency and disaster preparedness drills for households,
business establishments, leaders of neighborhood associations, barangay peace
and security officers (barangay tanods), barangay nutrition scholars, barangay
health workers, and other barangay personnel;

e. Formulate and recommend to the mayor and the city or municipal council the Local
Services and Business Continuity Plan, the Local Disaster Management Program,
and inputs to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Local Shelter Plan of the city
or municipality;

f. Work alongside and closely coordinated with the field units of the Bureau of Fire
Protection and Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard in responding
to emergencies and disasters; and

g. Perform such other related roles and functions as the mayor shall order and direct.

Section 18. EDMD Composition, Qualifications, Salary Grade. Each city and every
first class and second class mi ipality EDMD shall have the following core complement
of regular plantilla personnel: one (1) Department Head; one (1) Deputy Department Head;
two (2) Medical Doctors; two (2) Nurses; one (1) Training Coordinator; and four (4)
Support Service Personnel. Cities and municipalities may also exercise the option of
adding one (1) Criminology and Hostage Negotiation Specialist to the EDMD on a
consultancy basis;

15


Third class to sixth class municipalities shall have the following basic complement of
personnel: One (1) Emergency and Disaster Management Officer; One (1) Medical Doctor;
One (1) Nurse; and Six (6) Support Service Personnel.

The Department Head, the Deputy Department Head and Emergency and Disaster
Management Officer shall have the following minimum qualifications:

a. Age: At least twenty-five (25) years old;

b. Health: In excellent physical and mental health as duly confirmed with fit to work
certifications by specialist medical doctors;

c. Gender: Of any gender. Principles of gender equity shall govern;

d. Educational Qualifications: College graduate of any of these degree programs:
meteorology, geology, seismology, nursing, medicine, civil engineering, hydrology;

e. Training: Completed relevant training in emergency and disaster management,
skills, and services.

f. Prior Relevant Work Experience: Preferred, an advantage, especially in direct and
allied fields;

g. Civil Service Eligibility: Professional civil service eligibility

For cities, the salary grades of the Department Head and Deputy Department Head shall
be at least Salary Grade 24 and Salary Grade 22, respectively. For first class and second
class municipalities, the salary grades of the Department Head and Deputy Department
Head shall be Salary Grade 22. For third class to sixth class municipalities, the salary
grade of the Emergency and Disaster Management Officer shall be at least Salary Grade
15.

The Training Specialist shall have the following minimum qualifications:

a. Age: At least twenty-five (25) years old;

b. Health: In excellent physical and mental health as duly confirmed with fit to work
certifications by specialist medical doctors;

c. Gender: Of any gender. Principles of gender equity shall govern:

d. Educational Qualifications:

e. Training: Prior Relevant Work Experience: Preferred, an advantage, especially in
direct and allied fields;

f. Prior Relevant Work Experience: Preferred, an advantage, especially in direct and
allied fields;

g. Civil Service Eligibility: Professional civil service eligibility

For cities, the salary grade of the Training Specialist shall be at least Salary Grade 18. For
first class and second class municipalities, the salary grade of the Training Specialist shall
be Salary Grade 15. For third class to sixth class municipalities, the salary grade of the
Training Specialist shall be Salary Grade 11.

Support Service Personnel.

a. Age: At least eighteen (18) years old;

b. Health: In excellent physical and mental health as duly confirmed with fit to work
certifications by specialist medical doctors;

c. Gender: Of any gender. Principles of gender equity shall govern;

d. Educational Qualifications: At least senior high school graduate


e. Training:
f. Civil Service Eligi

ity: Sub-professional eligibility

The Criminology and Hostage Negotiation Specialist shall have the following minimum
qualifications:

a. Age: At least twenty-five (25) years old;

b. Health: In excellent physical and mental health as duly confirmed with fit to work
certifications by specialist medical doctors;

c. Gender: Of any gender. Principles of gender equity shall govern;

d. Educational Qualifications:

e. Training: Completed specialist training on hostage negotiation, criminal psychology,
abnormal psychology, forensic psychology, and allied fields;

f. Prior Relevant Work Experience: Preferred, an advantage, especially in direct and
allied fields;

Section 19. Volunteer Multiplier Forces. Mayors and barangay chairpersons are hereby
authorized to mobilize and train multiplier forces for disaster and emergencies response
consisting of volunteers from civic organizations, neighborhood associations, professional
associations, and youth groups and associations.

Title Three
Roles of Science Agencies, Other Agencies and Entities

Section 20. Role of the Science Agencies. For purposes of this Act, the Science
Agencies are the following: the Department of Science and Technology and Attached
Agencies, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of
Information and Communications Technology, and their Attached Agencies,

These Science Agencies shall jointly develop and implement a nationwide Training,
Advocacy, and Capacity-Building Program for the First Responders and Emergency and
Disaster Management personnel and volunteers of all barangays, cities, municipalities,
provincial governments, and community-based organizations. These Science Agencies
shall also develop short courses, workshops, seminars, and briefings to educate
practitioners in news media and social media nationwide about the Science, Chemistry,
Mathematics, Medicine, and Engineering involved in emergencies and disasters to enable
them to communicate better with stakeholders and the general public.

Attendance, participation, and competencies certification of BFRT and EDMD personnel,
and other participants in these training programs shall be free-of-charge and costs shall be
chargeable to each Science Agency, LGU Calamity Funds, the Local Government Support
Fund, and Contingency Funds of the Office of the President,

These Science Agencies shall also work with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and
Commission on Higher Education, state universities and colleges, and local universities
and colleges on effectively implementing Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6, of this Act.

Section 21. Role of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, in coordination with the
Science Agencies, shall collaborate with cities, municipalities, and provinces on identifying
and declaring Permanent Danger Zones and Buffer Zones wherein human settlements

17


and commercial structures shall not be allowed to be built and wherein local government
units shall conduct forced evacuation and are authorized to demolish any such
settlements and structures. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban
Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Supreme Court of
the Philippines shall adopt and promulgate implementing rules and regulations
government forced evacuations and demolitions in permanent danger zones and buffer
zones.

Section 22. Role of State Universities and Colleges and Local Universities and
Colleges. State universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges
(LUCs) are hereby mandated, as part of their extension, outreach, stakeholder relations
and research functions, to develop and implement capacity-building training programs and
technical assistance for barangays, local government units, and community-based
organizations. Attendance, participation, and competencies certification of BFRT and
EDMD personnel in these training programs shall be free-of-charge and costs shall be
chargeable to the LGU Calamity Funds, the Local Government Support Fund, and
Contingency Funds of the Office of the President,

Section 23. Role of Special Purpose Service Cooperatives. The Cooperative
Development Authority and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bureau of
Working Conditions shall foster the establishment of service cooperatives for the specific
purpose of providing outsourced emergency and disaster resilience, adaptation, mitigation,
response and relief services. These special purpose service cooperatives may be
contracted by cities and municipalities to augment EDMD and FRT personnel whenever
their mayors deem urgent and necessary. These special purpose service cooperatives
may also provide their outsourced services to non-government organizations, civic groups,
corporate foundations, and charitable groups. These special purpose service cooperatives
may also be contracted to perform specialized rescue operations with qualified, certified,
and accredited specialists.

Section 24. Role of Microfinance Agencies and Lending Cooperatives. The Small
Business Corporation is hereby mandated to establish, operate, and sustain a Business
Recovery and Continuity Lending Program for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises,
prioritizing farmers, fisherfolk, agribusiness, retail, and service enterprises.

The Cooperative Development Authority shall foster the participation of lending
cooperatives, through concessional loans, waived service charges, and waived penalties,
during post-disaster Services Continuity and Local Economic Recovery of communities
and local governments.

Title Four
Post-Disaster Services Continuity and Local Economic Recovery

Section 25. Limited Emergency Powers of Local Chief Executives. Subject to the
jurisdictional limits and administrative borders of their local government units and for no
longer than sixty (60) days during a declared state of calamity, emergency, or public health
emergency, local chief executives are hereby authorized the following limited emergency
powers:

a) Implement the approved Local Services and Business Continuity Plan;


b) Ensure the availability of essential goods, in particular food and medicine, and other
basic commodities and prime commodities, by adopting measures as may
reasonably be necessary to facilitate and/or minimize disruption to the supply chain,
especially for basic commodities and services to the maximum extent possible;

©)

Enforce measures to protect the people from hoarding, profiteering, injurious
‘speculations, manipulation of prices, product deceptions, and cartels, monopolies
or other combinations in restraint of trade, or other pernicious practices affecting the
supply, distribution and movement of food, clothing, hygiene and sanitation
products, medicine and medical supplies, fuel, fertilizers, chemicals, building
materials, implements, machinery equipment and spare parts required in
agriculture, industry and other essential services, and other articles of prime
necessity, whether imported or locally produced or manufactured;

d

Ensure that donation, acceptance and distribution of food, health, and other
disaster and emergency relief items intended to address the state of calamity or
public health emergency are not unnecessarily delayed and that health products for
donation duly certified by the regulatory agency or their accredited third party from
countries with established regulation shall automatically be cleared: Provided, That
this shall not apply to health products which do not require a certification or
clearance from Food and Drug Administration (FDA);

e) Regulate and limit the operation of all sectors of transportation through land, sea or
air whether private or public;

f) Conserve and regulate the distribution and use of power, fuel, energy and water,
and ensure adequate supply of the same;

9

Move statutory deadlines and timelines for the filing and submission of any
document, the payment of taxes, fees, and other charges required by law, and the
grant of any benefit, in order to ease the burden on individuals under state of
calamity or community quarantine;

h

Direct all banks, quasi-banks, financing companies, lending companies, and other
financial institutions, public and private, including the Government Service
Insurance System Social Security System and Pag-ibig Fund, to implement a
minimum of a thirty (30)-day grace period for the payment of all loans, including but
not limited to salary, personal, housing, and motor vehicle loans, as well as credit
card payments, falling due without incurring interests, penalties, fees, or other
charges, persons with multiple loans shall likewise be given the minimum thirty
(30)-day grace period for every loan;

i) Provide for a minimum of thirty (30)-day grace period on residential rents falling due
within the period of the enhanced community quarantine, without incurring interests,
penalties, fees, and other charges;

j) Undertake the procurement of the following as the need arises, in the most
expeditious manner, as exemptions from the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184 or
the "Government Procurement Reform Act" and other relevant laws:

1. Goods and services for social amelioration measures in favor of affected
communities;


2. Lease of real property or venue for use to house health workers or serve as
quarantine centers, medical relief and aid distribution locations, or temporary
medical facilities;

3. Establishment, construction, and operation of temporary emergency, medical, and
educational facilities;

4. Ul S, telecommunications, and other critical services in relation to operation of
disaster relief centers, quarantine facilities, medical and aid distribution centers and
temporary medical facilities; and

5. Ancillary services related to the foregoing.

Section 26. Fortuitous Events. No person shall be responsible for fortuitous events and
effects of such events, which, could not be foreseen, or which, though foreseen were
inevitable, except in cases specified by the law, or when it is otherwise declared by
stipulation, or when the nature of the obligation requires the assumption of risk.

Fortuitous events include the following:

War,
Martial Law;
Devastating or destructive national emergencies;
Public health emergencies;
. Natural calamities;
Insurrection;
Acts of public enemies;
Riots;
Strikes;
Fire, wildfire, chemical leaks, and oil spills;
Any law, order, regulation, direction or request of the Philippine Government;
Power and water service outages;
. Massive, system failure of information; communications technology, and financial
technology systems;
. Electronic or computer-aided hacking, intrusion, or sabotage; and
. Other circumstances beyond the control of a party or parties to an agreement.

grav oseseo0cM

os

Section 27. Prohibited Acts. The following acts are prohibited in the contexts and
circumstances of this Act:

20

a. Engaging in hoarding, profiteering, injurious speculations, manipulation of prices,
product deceptions, and cartels, monopolies or other combinations in restraint of
trade, or other pernicious practices affecting the supply, distribution and movement
of food, clothing, hygiene and sanitation products, medicine and medical supplies,
fuel, fertilizers, chemicals, building materials, implements, machinery equipment
and spare parts required in agriculture, industry and other essential services, and
other articles of prime necessity, whether imported or locally produced or
manufactured;


b. Refusal to prioritize and accept contracts for materials and services necessary to
tespond to disasters and public emergency;

c. Refusal to provide the grace periods provided under the preceding Section;

d. Individuals or groups creating, perpetrating, or spreading false information on social
media and other platforms, such information having no valid or beneficial effect on
the population, and are clearly geared to promote chaos, panic, anarchy, fear, or
confusion; and those participating in cyber incidents that make use or take
advantage of the current crisis situation to prey on the public through scams,
phishing, fraudulent emails, or other similar acts;

e. Failure to comply with reasonable limitations on the operation of certain
transportation sectors or sectors, whether land, sea or air, be it private or public;
and

f. Impeding access to roads, streets and bridges; putting- up prohibited
encroachments or obstacles; and maintenance of illegal constructions in public
places that have been ordered to be removed.

Title Five
Concluding Provisions

Section 28. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act
shall be funded as follows:

a. For the national government entities, the amount shall be charged against existing
appropriations for the purpose of the departments, bureaus, offices, and agencies
concerned. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continuous
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations
Act,

b. For local govemment units, the amount shall be charged against their respective
funds, subject to the provisions of Sections 325 and 331 of Republic Act No. 7160
or the "Local Government Code of 1991"; and

c. For government-owned or -controlled corporations and their subsidiaries, the
amount shail be charged against their respective corporate funds.

Additional funding shall also be sourced from concessional foreign loans, technical grants,
and other official development assistance from multilateral and other sources, and from
two (2) percent of the gross revenues of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
(PCSO) and of the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

In the event that the foregoing sourcing of funding are insufficient, the National
Government is hereby authorized to issue long-term bonds in the domestic and
international financial markets.

Section 29. Mandatory Review. The Department of the interior and Local Government,
together with other concerned agencies shall conduct a mandatory review of this Act and
its implementation every five (5) years to determine continuing relevance, applicability, and
effectiveness, and submit its reports to Congress.

21


Section 30. Suppletory Application of Relevant Laws and Regulations. Relevant law
and regulations, except those which has been repealed, revised, modified, and amended,
shall have suppletory application to this Act and shalll include, but not be limited to the
following laws, as amended, and their implementing rules and regulations, as amended:

a. Republic Act 7160: Local Government Code of 1991;

b. Republic Act 10121; Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of
2010

c. Republic Act 11201: Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development
Act;

d. Republic Act 6957 and Republic Act 7718: The Build Operate and Transfer Law and
The Amended BOT Law;

e. Republic Act 7581: The Price Act; and

f. Republic Act 9184; Government Procurement Reform Act

Section 31. Interpretation. If there is conflict between a provision of this Act and a
provision of any other law, this Act shall govern unless the other law specifically cites or
amends the conflicting provisions of this law.

Section 32. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The concerned implementing national
agencies, cities, municipalities, and barangays shall promulgate the pertinent
implementing rules and regulations of this Act not later than sixty (60) days from its
effectivity. Non-compliance with this provision shall result in the immediate reduction or
withholding of national annual appropriations by at least five (5) percent based on the
current fiscal year. Every three (3) years after this Act takes effect, the amounts stated in
Section 15 shall be automatically adjusted by the Department of Budget and Management
to account for inflation and its erosion effect on purchasing power.

Section 33. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended,
or modified accordingly.

Section 34. Separability Clause. if any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional
or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 35. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a
newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette.

Approved,

22