Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2192

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

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 or 9 years ago. It is
designed instead 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
feposed 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 mimics or heeds the call of PHIVOLCS chief, Director Renato U. Solidum, Jr. 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,
OND 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 @ possible 7.2 magnitude in July 2013, that might occur in the West Valley Fault along the


easter side of Metro Manila but such fault runs 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
immediately execute an official draft of the recovery and reconstruction strategy plan before
such earthquakes happen



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2192

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito 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 by 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 Act.’

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 PHIVOCS and for other purposes.

Sec. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its approval, publication in the
Official Gazette, and in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,