Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES are, YUL_1 1 2019
Quezon City
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bit no. 2948

‘ Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito 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 frorn 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 stimulating the local economy of the disaster
area or site rather than make in another victim of the shock that a disaster brings with it.

«Money should flow around the affected local economy in terms of these purchases that
would benefit the local constituents affected by disasters, crises, tragedies or emergencies.

The immediate passage of this bill is highly prayed.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 2049

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito 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

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

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

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. 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.

2. 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.

’ 3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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 Welfare and Development shail 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 thirty (30) days afer its publication in the Official
Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,