Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____________ 
Introduced by: 
HONORABLE KHYMER ADAN T. OLASO 
Representative, 1st District, Zamboanga City 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER RESILIENCE, DEFINING ITS 
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines’ experiences with natural disasters such as super typhoon Pablo (2012), 
the Bohol Earthquake (2013), and supertyphoon Yolanda (2013), among others, have shown that 
the existing laws, policies, resources, and institutional arrangements governing disaster 
management lacked responsiveness to the country’s requirements for disaster resilience. 
This Bill seeks to create an empowered, highly-specialized and responsive Department of 
Disaster Resilience (DDR) with clear unity of command, hereinafter referred to as the 
“Department.” which shall be primarily responsible for ensuring safe, adaptive, and disaster-
resilient communities. The proposed Department shall be founded on a disaster resilience 
framework underpinned by three (3) key result areas (KRAs): (1) D isaster Risk Reduction, (2) 
Disaster Preparedness and Response; and (3) Recovery and Buildin g Forward Better. 
The previously created National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (the 
Council) was under Republic Act No. 10121 was tasked to develop a framework which shall 
provide for a comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based 
approach to disaster risk reduction and management. The Council was tasked to perform policy 
making, coordination, integration, supervision, monitoring, and evaluation functions. The Office 
of Civil Defense (OCD), on the other hand, was mandated by the law to administer a 
comprehensive national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management program. The 
law was passed with the end in view of providing a more effective system towards achieving 
disaster resilience. 
However, years after the creation of the Council, and several major disasters after, it 
became apparent that the solution of creating a body composed of multiple offices of the 
government primarily responsible for disaster preparedness and response, was not optimal. Natural 
disasters have the capability to cause such far-reaching and impactful consequences that it has 
become clear that a comprehensive, specialized, and focused approach is the only way to move 
forward from the effects natural disasters. 
It is only through the creation of a highly specialized government agency, with all its 
resources fully focused on its mandate, that the events of past disasters can be avoided. The 
enactment of a law for the purpose of creating a highly-specialized agency that can focus on the 
effects of natural disasters and climate change, leaving other catastrophes such as man-made 
disasters under the purview of other government agencies in already imperative. This way, all the 
resources, knowledge, and skills of the Department can be focused towards achieving the goal of 
ensuring the safety and security of our communities from natural hazards. 
July 25, 2022
8:00 am
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This Bill is a response to the President's call. The Department of Disaster Resilience, once 
established by law, shall possess the necessary powers and functions, along with the technical 
expertise and government support to carry out the ideas and plans which our earlier laws failed to 
realize.  
As former Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arryo once said, “We can now look forward to the 
future with hope, knowing that the government is ready, better equipped and committed to exert 
its best effort to reduce the risks that come with natural disasters, to empower local communities 
to rise above the different vulnerabilities that surround them and to ensure that in the years to 
come,” with the creation of the Department of Disaster Resiliece. 
Immediate passge of this bill is earnestly sought. 
KHYMER ADAN T. OLASO 
Representative 
1st District, Zamboanga City 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 


Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____________ 
Introduced by: 
HONORABLE KHYMER ADAN T. OLASO 
Representative, 1st District, Zamboanga City 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER RESILIENCE, DEFINING ITS 
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
CHAPTER  I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Department of Disaster 
Resilience Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies and Principles. – 
(a) Duties of the State. The State shall carry out and harmonize the policies on disaster risk
and vulnerability reduction and management, environmental management, and climate change 
adaptation, and sustainable development to uphold the welfare of the people particularly the 
vulnerable sectors of society. 
The State shall uphold its commitment to the achievement of the sustainable development 
goals specifically, integrating and implementing policies and plans towards inclusion, resource 
efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and 
implement a holistic disaster risk management at all levels in line with the Sendai Framework for 
Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. 
The State shall uphold its commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on 
Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the 
atmosphere at a level that prevents  dangerous  anthropogenic  interference  with  the climate  
system,  achievable  within  a  time frame sufficient  to  allow the natural adaptation of the 
ecosystem to climate change, to ensure food production and food security, and to secure 
sustainable economic development. 
The State shall integrate and accelerate the implementation of the principles, and concepts 
of climate change, disaster risk and vulnerability reduction contained in the Paris Agreement of 
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Sendai 
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 
(APEC) Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR) framework, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable   
Development Goals  (SDGS), and the Philippine Development   Plan  (PDP)  2017-2022   in  
various  phases  of policy formulation, development  plans  and  investments,  poverty reduction 
strategies and other development tools, and techniques by all national and local agencies, 
institutions and instrumentalities of the government to enhance the country’s climate change 
adaptive capacity. 
It shall be the duty of the State to: 
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(1) Uphold the people’s constitutional right to life and property by minimizing, if not 
eradicating, the root causes of vulnerabilities to disasters, strengthening the country’s institutional 
capacity for disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management, and building the resilience 
of local communities to disasters including climate change impacts, and human-induced disasters; 
 
(2) Incorporate internationally accepted principles of disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction and management, and climate change adaptation, including universal principles and 
standards for humanitarian assistance, developing and implementing national, regional and local 
sustainable development and poverty reduction strategies, policies, plans and budgets, as part of 
the country’s commitment to overcome human suffering due to disasters; 
 
(3) Ensure a science-based in a whole-of-society approach and bottom-up   participation, 
representation, and decision-making in climate-disaster risk governance, risk assessment, risk 
reduction and risk management, and adopt a comprehensive, integrated, and proactive approach 
to lessening the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of disasters and climate change; 
 
 
(4) Promote and advance the implementation of a comprehensive Disaster Risk and 
Vulnerability Reduction Plan (DRVRP) that aims to strengthen the capacity of the national 
government and the local government units (LGUs), together with development partner 
stakeholders, build the disaster resilience of communities, and institutionalize arrangements and 
measures for reducing disaster risks, including projected climate risks, and enhance disaster 
preparedness and response capabilities at all levels; 
 
 
(5) Recognize the role of and work with international humanitarian and development 
partners especially those with established presence in the country; 
 
 
(6) Develop, maintain, and ensure the accessibility of climate and geospatial information 
and services to the public through Open Data, which means data that can be freely used, reused, 
and redistributed by anyone, subject to limitations on account of national security considerations. 
This may include the use of impact-based forecast models, and probabilistic hazard maps; 
 
(7) Ensure that disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and climate change adaptation 
measures are gender-, disability-, and vulnerability-senitive, and culturally-sensitive, recognizing 
indigenous knowledge systems and practices, and respecting human rights; 
 
 
(8) Recognize and strengthen the capacities of LGUs, communities and multiple 
stakeholders in mitigating and preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the impact of 
disasters through identification of local risk patterns, and decentralized powers, responsibilities, 
and resources at the regional and local levels; 
 
 
(9) Adopt and implement a comprehensive, integrated, efficient and responsive disaster 
risk and vulnerability reduction program that is incorporated in the development plan at various 
levels of government adhering to transparency accountability and other principles of good 
governance within the context of poverty alleviation and environmental protection; 
 
 
(10) Mainstream disaster risk and vulnerability reduction in government by ensuring risk-
informed planning, programming, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, and the use of 
quality management, accountability, and performance systems in measuring and improving the 
effectiveness and efficiency of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management processes 
across all government levels, including those offices which manage peace processes and confict-
resolution approaches, so as to minimize loss of lives and damage to properties and ensure that 
communities in conflict zones can immediately resume their normal lives at the conclusion of 
episodes of intermittent conflicts; 
 
(11) Adopt a disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management approach that is 
holistic, comprehensive, integrated, and proactive in lessening the socioeconomic and 


environmental impact of disasters including climate change, and promote the involvement and 
participation of all sectors and all stakeholders concerned, at all levels, specially the local 
community; 
 
(12) Prioritize the development of disaster prevention and mitigation measures involving 
all levels of society and government; 
 
(13) Adopt   risk   sharing   and   risk   transfer   mechanisms to ensure  the  appropriate,  
efficient,  and  timely  recovery  of  disaster-stricken   communities, especially for the poorest and 
most vulnerable; 
 
 
(14) Adhere to the principle of “Build Forward Better” in recovery and rehabilitation 
efforts by applying sustainable standards, programs, technologies, and techniques which enhance 
resilience against future hazards; 
 
 
(15) Recognize and respond to the differentiated concerns and needs of vulnerable groups 
such as women and girls, children and youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, urban poor, 
and indigenous peoples with respect to disaster risk reduction and management, at the same time, 
recognizing their inherent capacities to contribute to resilience; 
 
(16) Create an enabling environment for substantial and sustainable participation of civil 
society organizations (CSOs), private groups, volunteers and communities, and recognize their 
contributions to the disaster risk reduction and management efforts of the government; 
 
 
(17) Ensure the use of advanced science and the most up-to-date technologies in climate 
change adaptation, disaster risk, and vulnerability reduction and management through 
engagement, consultation, and employment with a regular department funding of academe or 
higher education institutions, such as the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, 
University of the Philippines Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards Center and other 
scientific  research   and  academic institutions   that  have  a track record and expertise recognized 
both locally and internationally as well as the capacity to implement the science and engineering 
requirements necessary for effective climate change adaptation, and disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction; 
 
(18) Ensure workers’ rights are proactively respected during the  disaster   preparedness   
and  response, and  actively engage workers’ and employers’ organizations to share expertise and 
capacities in disaster  risk  reduction  and climate change  adaptation programs; 
 
(l9) Ensure transparency and accountability in climate- disaster risk governance by 
facilitating access to financial records of public funds and disaster risk and vulnerability reduction 
and management data, and ensure the transparency of humanitarian assistance from all sources; 
 
(20) Adopt and manage a mechanism for the effective resolution of climate change, 
disaster risk, and vulnerability reduction and management related grievances; 
 
(21) Recognize familiar as the most basic unit of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction 
and management and climate change adaptation by developing the capacity of local institutions 
and providing technical assistance and financial support to the most vulnerable communities; 
 
(22) Ensure that the best possible assistance and services are delivered to individuals and 
families affected by disaster and emergency rehabilitation projects to guarantee the resumption of 
normal social and economic activities; 
 
(23) Establish and maintain the National Loss and Damage Registry; and 
 
 
(24) Mainstream gender and social inclusion in all aspects of the Department of Disaster 
Resilience work from planning, monitoring, to evaluation. 


 
(b) Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders. The commitment, goodwill, knowledge, 
experience, and resources of relevant stakeholders are critical to realize a safer, adaptive, resilient 
and inclusive Filipino community. Citizens shall have the shared vision and duty to provide 
support to the State in the implementation of policies and programs, particularly the Disaster 
Resilience Framework and Plan at the national, regional and local levels. 
 
 
(1) Civil society organizations, nongovernmental organizations, international 
nongovernmental organizations, private sector, practitioners of climate and disaster 
mitigation, organized voluntary work organizations and community-based organizations 
shall participate, in collaboration with public institutions, to, inter alia, provide specific 
knowledge and pragmatic guidance in the context of the development and implementation 
of normative frameworks, standards and plans for disaster risk and vulnerability reduction; 
engage in the implementation of local, national,  regional,  and global  plans and strategies;  
contribute  to and support  public  awareness, a culture of protection, prevention and 
conservation, and education on disaster risk; and advocate for resilient communities and 
an inclusive and whole of society risk reduction and management which shall strengthen 
the synergies across groups, as appropriate; 
 
(2) Women and girls shall contribute to and participate in effectively managing 
disaster risk and designing, resourcing, and leading implementation of gender sensitive 
disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management policies, plans, and programs; 
 
(3) Children and the youth as agents of change shall endeavor to actively contribute 
to disaster risk and vulnerability reduction, in accordance with legislation, national 
practice, and educational curricula; disaster rick reduction and management at all levels 
and processes of disaster risk  and  vulnerability reduction and anticipatory adaptation, 
including data gathering, planning, programming, budgeting, implementation, monitoring 
and evaluation; 
 
(4) For citizens having years of knowledge, skills on climate change adaptation and 
disaster risk reduction and wisdom are invaluable assets to reducing disaster risk, and shall 
therefore participate in the design of policies, plans and mechanisms, including those for  
early warning; 
 
(5) Persons with disabilities, through their evicting network or organizations, shall 
participate in activities related to assessment, programming, and the designs of policies, 
plans, and mechanisms; 
 
(6) Migrants shall contribute to the resilience of communities and societies using 
their knowledge, skills and capacities in the design and implementation of disaster risk and 
vulnerability reduction and climate change adaptation; 
 
(7) Indigenous peoples and Muslim Filipinos, through their practical experience 
and traditional knowledge, shall contribute to the development and implementation of 
policies, plans and mechanisms, including those for early warning; 
 
(8) Urban and rural poor shall contribute to resilience building as well as in the 
promotion of a more inclusive and transformative resettlement for informal settler   
families in reducing their vulnerability to threats of disaster and climate risks through state 
and non-state programs; 
 
(9) Farmers and fisherfolks shall contribute to the promotion and protection of the 
environmental resource management that will secure food and nutrition resilience through 
the integration of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction into sustainable development 
policies and planning; 
 


(10) Emergency responders, community practitioners, and organized volunteer 
organizations shall contribute to resilience by providing timely and efficient emergency 
response and providing training  on basic life support,  first aid,  and search and  rescue,  
in accordance  with  the standards provided  by  the Research, Education, and Training 
Institute of the Department; 
 
(11) Academic and scientific and research entities and networks are encouraged to 
focus their research efforts on disaster risk factors and scenarios, including emerging 
disaster risks, in the medium- and long-term; partner with government and increase 
research for regional, national and local application; support action by local communities 
and authorities: and support the interface between policy and science for decision-making; 
 
(12) Businesses, private sector financial institutions, professional associations, as 
well as philanthropic foundations together with financial regulators shall be encouraged to 
integrate disaster risk management, including business continuity, into business models 
and core business values and practices via disaster risk-informed investments, especially 
in micro, small and local, regional, and national levels in contributing to the raising of 
public awareness and understanding, and disseminate accurate disaster risk, hazard and 
disaster information, including on small-scale disasters, in a simple, transparent, easy-to-
understand and accessible manner, in close cooperation with national and local authorities; 
adopt specific disaster risk and vulnerability reduction communication policies; support, 
as appropriate, early warning systems and life-saving protective measures; and stimulate 
a culture of prevention and strong community involvement in sustained public education 
campaigns and public consultations at all levels of society, in accordance with national 
practices. 
 
 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act: 
 
(a) Adaptation refers to the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual 
or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial 
opportunities. 
 
(b) Assisting Actor refers to any Assisting International Actor and any Assisting Domestic 
Actor responding to a disaster in the country. 
 
 
(c) Assisting Domestic Actor refers to any not-for-profit entity established under domestic 
laws, which is responding to a disaster in the country. 
 
(d) Assisting International Actor refers to any foreign state, organization, entity or 
individual responding to a disaster within or transiting through the country to respond to a disaster 
in another country. 
 
(e) Build Forward Better refers to an approach to building and/or reconstructing an area 
or community, which entails  a  shift from simple recovery and restoration to safer,  more  adaptive, 
resilient, and inclusive communities. 
 
(f) Capacity refers to the combination of all strengths, attributes and resources available 
within a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or impacts of a 
disaster. Capacity may include infrastructure and physical means, institutions, societal coping 
abilities, as well as human knowledge, skills and collective attributes such as social relationships, 
leadership and management. Capacity may also be described as capability. 
 
 
(g) 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. They have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members 
or others, based on ethical, cultural, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations. CSOs 
include non-government organizations (NGOs), profesional associations, foundations, 


independent 
research 
institutes, 
community-based 
organizations 
(CBOs), 
faith-based 
organizations, peoples organizations, social movements, and labor unions. 
 
(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 variability or as a result of human activity as 
defined under Republic Act No. 9729, otherwise known as the “Climate Change Act of 2009”. 
These include 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 in land 
use. 
 
(i) Climate Change Adaptation refers to the adjustment in natural or human systems in 
response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits 
beneficial opportunities. 
 
(j) Climate Finance refers to finance that aims at reducing emissions, and enhancing sinks 
of greenhouse gases and aims at reducing vulnerability of, and maintaining, and increasing the 
resilience of, human and ecological systems to negative climate change impacts. 
 
 
(k)  Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CBDRRM) refers to a 
process of disaster risk reduction and management in which at risk communities are actively 
engaged in the identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risks in 
order to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their capacities, and where the people are at the 
heart of decision-making and implementation of disaster risk reduction and management 
activities. 
 
(l) Complex emergency refers to a form of human-induced emergency in which the  cause 
of the emergency as well  as the resistance to the afflicted is complicated by intense level of 
political considerations. 
 
 
(m) 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. 
 
 
(n) Dangerous Anthropogenic Interference refers to the effect in the climate system as a 
result of the increase of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere that leads to widespread 
climate change impacts such as widespread demise of coral reefs. 
 
(o) Disability refers to an evolving concept that results from the interaction between 
persons with impairments, societal barriers, as defined under Republic Act No. 7277, and 
attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society 
on an equal basis with others. 
 
(p) 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 or society to cope using its own resources. 
 
(q) Disaster mitigation refers to the lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of 
hazards and related disasters. Mitigation measures encompass engineering techniques and hazard-
resistant construction as well as improved environmental policies and public awareness, land use 
planning, and climate change. 
 
(r) 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 
hazard events or conditions. It includes preparedness for response such as contingency planning, 


stockpiling of equipment and supplies, the development of arrangements for coordination, 
evacuation, and public information, and preparedness for recovery such as procurement of land 
for resettlement sites. 
 
(s) Disaster Prevention refers to the outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards. It 
expresses the concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse impacts through action 
taken in advance such as construction of dams or embankments that eliminate flood risks, land-
use regulations that do not permit any settlement in high-risk zones, and seismic engineering 
designs that ensure the survival and function of a critical building in any likely earthquake. 
 
(t) Disaster Response 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 
includes disaster relief focused on immediate and short-term needs of the victims and the 
vulnerable. 
 
(u) Disaster Risk refers to the potential disaster losses in lives, health status, livelihoods, 
assets and services that could occur to a particular community or society in the future, and is 
determined by a combination of the vulnerability, capacity, exposure of persons and assets, hazard 
characteristics and the environment. 
 
 
(v) Disaster Risk Governance refers to the way 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 means 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. 
 
(w) Disaster Risk Management refers to the systematic process of using administrative 
directives, organizations, and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies 
and improved coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the 
possibility of  disaster. 
 
(x) Disaster Risk Reduction refers to the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks 
through systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through 
reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of 
land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events. 
 
(y) Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Reduction (DRVR) refers to the concept and practice 
of reducing potential loss of  life, injury, or destroyed or damaged assets or disruption which could 
occur to a system, society or a community in a specific period of time, determined probabilistically 
and conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes 
which increase the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets or system to the impacts 
of hazards through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of disasters all of 
which contribute to strengthening resilience and therefore to the achievement of sustainable 
development. 
 
(z) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System refers to a specialized 
database which contains, among others, information on disasters and their human, material, 
economic, and environmental impact, risk assessment and mapping, and vulnerable and 
marginalized groups. 
 
(aa) Early Warning System refers to the set of capacities needed to generate and 
disseminate timely and meaningful warning information to enable individuals, communities and 
organizations threatened by a hazard to prepare and to act appropriately and in sufficient time to 
reduce the possibility of harm or loss. A people-centered early warning system necessarily 
comprises four (4) key elements: knowledge of the risks; monitoring, analysis and forecasting of 


the hazards; communication or dissemination of alerts and warnings; and local capabilities to 
respond to the warnings received. The concept of “end-to-end warning system” emphasizes that 
warning systems need to span all steps from hazard detection to community response. Early 
warning systems include systems developed at the level of communities or based on indigenous 
knowledge. 
 
(bb) Ecosystem Management and Restoration refers to an integrated process to conserve, 
improve and restore the health of the ecosystem that sustains ecosystem services for human well-
being. 
 
(cc) Eligible Assisting Actor refers to any assisting actor that has been determined to be 
eligible to receive legal facilities as provided in this Act and its implementing rules and 
regulations. 
 
(dd) Emergency refers to unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially danger, demanding 
immediate action. 
 
(ee) 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. 
 
(ff) Exposure refers to the degree to which the elements at risk are likely to experience 
hazard evente of different magnitudes. 
 
(gg) Gender-Based Violence refers to violence that is directed against a woman because 
of her gender, or that affects women disproportionately. It includes acts that inflict physical, 
mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty. 
 
(hh) Geographic Information System (GIS) refers to a system used to capture, store, 
manipulate, manage and display all types of spatial or geographical data. 
 
(ii) Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) refers to an areas with 
marginalized population which is physically and socioeconomically separated from the 
mainstream society and characterized by physical factors, and isolated due to distance, weather 
conditions and transportation difficulties in ieland, upland lowland, landlocked, hard to reach and 
underserved communities; and/or socioeconomic factors such as high poverty incidence, presence 
of vulnerable sectors, communities in or recovering from situation of crisis or armed conflict. 
 
(jj) Hazard refers to a dangerous phenomenon, either natural or human-induced, that may 
cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihood and services, 
social and economic disruption, or environmental damage. 
 
(kk) Human-Induced Hazard refers to an event caused by humans and occurs in or close 
to human settlements or a particular environmental area. This can include environmental 
degradation, technological or industrial conditions, pollution, accidents such as high density 
events, industrial and transport accidents. Complex emergencies, armed conflict, situations of 
generalized or organized violence, and violation of human rights. 
  
(ll) Imminent Danger refers to a situation where, on the basis of official forecasts, a disaster 
will or is expected to occur in a particular geographical area and within an estimated period of 
time, and where necessary preparedness actions or financing are required. 
 
(mm) International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Period refers to the period which 
commences upon the issuance of a request for international disaster assistance or upon acceptance 
of an offer, and shall continue until terminated pursuant to guidelines set in the implementing rules 
and regulations. 
 


(nn) Internally Displaced Persons refer to persons or groups of persons  who have been 
forced or  obliged  to flee or  to leave their homes or places of habitual  residence  within  national 
borders, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict,   situations of 
generalized and/or organized violence, violations of human rights, implementation of 
development projects, or natural or human-induced disasters. 
 
(oo) International Personnel refers to the staff and volunteers of any assisting actor 
providing disaster relief or initial recovery assistance, being persons who are neither citizens of, 
nor domiciled in the Philippines prior to their recruitment by the international assisting actor. 
 
(pp) Land-Use Planning refers to the process undertaken by public authorities to identify, 
evaluate and decide on different options 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. 
 
(qq) Legal Facilities refer to special entitlements and exemptions that are made available 
to eligible assisting actors under this Act. 
 
(rr) Mitigation refers to effort to reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions or enhance 
greenhouse gas sequestration. 
 
(ss) National Continuity Policy refers to a policy aimed at the development of an 
organizational culture that has the ability to provide a minimum level of service during 
interruptions, emergencies, and disasters, and return to full operations quickly. 
 
(tt) National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework refers to the 
comprehensive, all hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based approach to 
disaster risk reduction and management. 
 
(uu) National Disaster Resilience Plan (NDRP) refers to the document to be formulated 
by the National Disaster Resilience Council (NDRC) and implemented by the Authority that sets 
out goals and specific objectives for reducing disaster risks together with related actions to 
accomplish these objectives. The NDRP shall provide for the identification of hazards, 
vulnerabilities, and risks to be managed at the national level; disaster risk reduction and 
management approaches and strategies to be applied in managing said hazards and risks; agency 
roles, responsibilities and lines of authority at all government levels; and vertical and horizontal 
coordination of disaster rick reduction and management in the pre- disaster and post-disaster 
phases. It shall be in conformity with the national disaster risk reduction and management 
framework. 
 
(vv) Natural Hazard refers to naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by 
rapid or slow onset events which can be geological such as earthquakes, ground rupture, 
liquefaction, landslides, tsunamis, sinkholes, and volcanic activity, hydrological and 
meteorological such as floods, severe winds, typhoons, storm surges, climatological variability 
such as extreme temperatures, El Niño, La Niña, forest fires, or biological such as disease, 
epidemics and insect/animal plagues. 
 
(ww) Open Data refer to facts and statistics that can be freely used, shared and built-on by 
anyone, anywhere, for any purpose. These must be available in bulk, should be available free of 
charge, or at least at no more than a reasonable reproduction cost. The information should be 
digital, preferably available by downloading through the internet, and easily processed by a 
computer. These must permit people to use, reuse, and redistribute, intermix with other data 
providers. These do not allow conditions to be placed on how people can use Open Data, but 
permit a data provider to require that data users credit them in some appropriate way, clarify if the 
data have been changed, or that new datasets created using their data are also shared as open data. 
 


(xx) Persons with Disabilities refer to individuals who have long-term physical, mental, 
intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full 
and elective participation in society on an equal basis with others. 
 
(yy) Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment refers to a process to evaluate a hazard’s level of risk 
given the degree of exposure and vulnerability in a specific area likely to be affected by an 
imminent hazard. It presents the possible impacts on the population and provides a basis to 
determine the appropriate level of response actions of government agencies from the national to 
the local levels. It is hazard-specific, area focused and time-bound. 
 
(zz) Post-Disaster Recovery refers to the restoration and 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”. 
 
(aaa) Private Sector refers to private corporations, households, non-profit institutions 
serving households, and other economic enterprises outside of government. 
 
(bbb) Public Sector Employee refers to all persons in the civil service. 
 
(ccc) Recovery refers to rehabilitation measures that ensure the ability of affected 
communities or areas to restore their normal level of functioning by restoring livelihoods and 
services, reconstructing damaged 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, adapt to, transform, accommodate, and recover from the effects of a hazard in a 
timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential 
basic structures and functions through risk management in such ways as to enhance their capacities 
to withstand current and future risk. 
 
(eee) Response refers to any effort to provide assistance or intervention during or 
immediately after a disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs of affected 
people and in the restoration of essential public activities and facilities. 
 
(fff) Risk Assessment refers to a methodology which includes risk assessment with 
mapping to determine the nature and extent of risk 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. 
 
(ggg) Probabilistic List Assessment refers to the simulation of those future disasters based 
on scientific evidence, which are likely to occur. As a result, these risk assessments resolve the 
problem posed by the limits of historical data. Probabilistic models “complete” historical records 
by reproducing the physics of the phenomena and recreating the intensity of a large number of 
synthetic events. Probabilistic Risk Assessment considers all possible scenarios, their likelihood, 
and associated impacts. It is characterized by inherent uncertainties partly related to the natural 
randomness of hazards, and partly because of incomplete understanding and measurement of the 
hazards, exposure, and vulnerability.  
 
(hhh) Deterministic Risk Assessment refers to an assessment that considers the possible 
disaster impacts of a single scenario. This is in contrast to probabilistic risk assessment which 
considers all possible scenarios, their likelihood, and associated impacts.  
 
(iii) Risk Transfer refers to the process of formally or informally shifting the financial 
consequences of particular risks from one party to another whereby a household, community, 
enterprise, or state authority will obtain resources from the other party after a disaster occurs, in 
exchange for ongoing or compensatory social or financial benefits provided to that other party.  
 


(jjj) State of Calamity refers to a condition involving mass casualty and/or major damage 
to property, disruption of means of livelihoods, roads, and normal way of life of people in the 
affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or human-induced hazard. 
 
 
 
(kkk) Sustainable Development refers to development that meets the needs of the present 
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 
 
(lll) Vital Facility Items refer to government risk reduction and preparedness equipment, 
accessories and other items such as radars, weather forecasting equipment, flood monitoring 
instruments, seismographs, tsunami warning systems, and automated weather systems. 
 
(mmm) 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. 
 
(nnn) Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups refer to those who are at risk due to poverty 
and other underlying risk factors including women, children, the elderly, differently-abled people, 
and ethnic minorities. 
 
(ooo) Whole-of-Society Approach refers to the meaningful participation and synergy of 
stakeholders that represent different interests in all aspects of climate change adaptation, and 
disaster risk reduction and management across all levels. 
 
(ppp) Whole-of-Government Approach refers to an approach that integrates the 
collaborative efforts of the government departments and agencies to achieve unity of e8ort toward 
a shared goal to broaden the government’s options, and increases efficiency to maximize all 
available resources in a collaborative effort. 
 
 
(qqq) Whole-of-Nation Approach refers to an approach that seeks to bring about a 
concerted effort towards national peace and security by creating consensus and understanding of 
security that is shared not just among core security forces and oversight government institutions, 
but also by civil society and all the nation’s communities. 
 
(rrr) Youth refers to those persons aged fifteen (15) to thirty (30) years old, as provided 
for under Republic Act No. 8044, otherwise known as “Youth in Nation-Building Act”. 
 
CHAPTER II 
DEPARTMENT OF DISASTER RESILIENCE 
 
 
SECTION 4. Creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience. - There is hereby 
created a Department of Disaster Resilience, hereinafter referred to as the Department. 
 
 
The Department shall be the primary government agency responsible for leading, 
organizing, and managing the national effort  to reduce  disaster  risk,  prepare  for  and respond  
to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and “Build Forward Better”  after  the occurrence of disasters. 
 
The Department shall oversee 
and 
coordinate 
the 
preparation, 
implementation,  
monitoring, and evaluation of disaster and climate change resilience plans, programs, projects, 
and activities, provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic 
approaches to disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation, 
to anticipatory adaptation strategies, measures, techniques and options. 
 
 
The Department shall augment the capacity of LGUS in collaboration with relevant 
national government agencies and other stakeholders to implement disaster risk reduction and 
management and climate change action plans, programs, projects, and activities. 
 
 
SECTION 5. Powers and functions of the Department. – The Department shall exercise 


and perform the following powers and functions: 
 
 
(a) Risk Reduction 
 
 
(1) Oversee, direct, and undertake programs and projects to identify,  assess,  
prioritize  and  localize  hazards  and  risks  in the country, in consultation with national 
government agencies, LGUs, communities, and stakeholders that shall be involved in 
disaster risk reduction efforts; 
 
(2) Monitor and ensure the integration of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction 
and management and climate change adaptation policies into national development plans; 
 
(3) Design and implement an incentive system for greater private and public 
investment, both local and national, in disaster risk reduction; 
 
(4) Oversee and ensure the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and 
disaster risk reduction in development planning, including disaster-proofing and climate-
proofing of land-use plans and the preparation of contingency plans; 
 
(5) Create an enabling environment for the design of relevant and appropriate risk-
sharing and risk-transfer instruments; 
 
(6) Create an enabling environment that shall promote broader multi-stakeholder 
participation and integrate climate change mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk and 
vulnerability reduction; 
 
(7) Coordinate directly with LGUs and private entities to address climate   
vulnerabilities and disaster risk assessment (CVDRA)  of regions  and provinces  at  the  
meso-scale,  cities  and municipalities at the micro-scale, and barangays at the meta-scale; 
 
(8)  Establish and monitor local and national capacity for disaster risk financing 
and insurance and other rick transfer strategies in coordination with the Department of 
Finance (DOF), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and the Land Bank of 
the Philippines (LBP); 
 
(9) Formulate the National Disaster Resilience framework, National Disaster 
Resilience Plan, and the National Continuity 
Policy; 
 
(10) Oversee and direct the comprehensive implementation of disaster risk 
reduction and chmate change adaptation and mitigation policies, plans, and programs, as 
embodied in the National Disaster Resilience Framework and National Disaster Resilience 
Plan; 
 
 
(11) Coordinate directly with LGUs and private entities to address Disaster Risk 
Assessment (DRA) of regions and provinces at the meso-scale, cities and municipalities 
at the micro-scale, and barangays at the meta-scale; and 
 
(12) Review and evaluate local disaster resilience plans and other local plans to 
eneure their consistency with the Climate- Disaster Resilience Framework and Plan. 
 
 
(b) Disaster Preparedness and Response 
 
 
(1) Oversee and maintain a national early-warning and emergency alert system that 
shall provide accurate, timely, and accessible information to national and local emergency 
response organizations and the general public; 
  


(2) Coordinate information-sharing and other risk reduction protocols following  
the principle of interoperability  among national government agencies and LGUS; 
 
 
(3) Establish and maintain a national humanitarian logistics system with a network 
of warehouses, transport, and resources, including response assets and disaster relief items, 
such as food and non-food items; 
 
 
(4) Exercise command and control over relevant government agencies, including 
government-owned and -controlled corporations, the Philippine National Police and other 
law enforcement agencies, during an imminent or actual disaster. Such command and 
control shaft include the authority to utilize available services, assets, equipment, 
personnel, facilities, and other resources; 
 
(5) Call on the reserve force, as defined in Republic Act No. 7077, otherwise 
known as the “Citizen Armed Force or Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act”, to 
assist in relief and rescue operations during disasters; 
 
(6) Work with the private sector and CSOs for assistance with regard to the use of 
facilities and resources for the protection and preservation of life and property; 
 
(7) Implement pre-disaster rick assessments, to include deployment of rapid 
assessment teams to gather information for precise actions as a basis for emergency 
preparedness and humanitarian response; 
 
 
(8) Organize, train, equip, and maintain a system of response capacity for search, 
rescue, and retrieval, and the delivery and distribution of relief goods; 
 
 
(9) Monitor and support LGUs in the management of evacuation centers and ensure 
the welfare and dignity of internally-displaced persons; 
 
 
(10) Procure goods and services during emergencies, in accordance with existing   
emergency procurement rules and regulations; 
 
 
(11) Issue special procurement rules and regulations for preparedness, response, 
and recovery activities, including those prompted by a declaration of a state of calamity or 
of an imminent disaster; and 
 
 
(12) Assist in mobilizing the necessary resources to increase the overall capacity 
of LCUs, specifically those with low income and situated in high-risk areas. 
 
(c) Rehabilitation and Recovery 
 
 
(1) Prepare, organize, lead, implement, and manage post-disaster assessment and 
recovery and rehabilitation programs, in coordination with the affected LGUs, national 
government agencies, and other stakeholders; 
 
 
(2) Implement the cluster approach to expedite reconstruction efforts and 
orchestrate and serve as the clearinghouse for the participation of assisting actors in such 
efforts; and 
 
(3) Ensure that the principle of “Build Forward Better” is applied to rehabilitation 
and recovery efforts. 
 
(d)    Other Powers and Functions 
 
(1) Provide or designate a secretariat to the Climate Change Commission; 
 


(2) Establish and monitor local and national capacity for climate-disaster risk 
financing and insurance and other risk transfer strategies in coordination with the 
Department of Finance (DOF), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and the 
Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP); 
 
(3) Coordinate information-sharing and other disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction and climate change adaptation protocols following the principle of 
interoperability among national government  agencies and LGUs  before,  during,  and 
after  a disaster.  
 
(4) Administer, oversee, and monitor the utilization of the National Disaster 
Resilience Fund (NDRF), the Disaster Resilience Support Fund (DRSF) for third (3rd) to 
sixth (6th) class provinces and municipalities, and other grants and donations for disaster 
risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation, unless otherwise specified; 
 
 
(5) Receive, administer, mobilize, and monitor and oversee the utilization of the 
National Disaster Resilience Fund, the Prevention, Mitigation, and Preparedness Fund for 
third (3rd) to sixth (6th) Class Provinces and Municipalities, and donations for disaster risk 
and vulnerability reduction and management and climate change adaptation,  unless 
otherwise specified; 
 
 
(6) Use of advanced science and technologies in disaster risk reduction and 
management by engaging, consulting with, employing and regularly funding the academe 
or higher education and research institutions such as the University of the Philippines 
Resilience Institute and the University of the Philippines Nationwide Operational 
Assessment of Hazards Center or other institutions that have a recognized and credible 
track record, as well as the capacity to conceptualize and implement the science and 
engineering requirements necessary for effective climate change adaptation and disaster 
risk reduction; 
 
(7)   Establish  a  disaster  resilience  information  system  to facilitate the creation 
of an integrated risk assessment platform that is built from  the inputs of government  and 
private  scientific and academic institutions, national government agencies and LGUs, 
local communities  and other stakeholders,  and is able to provide readily accessible and 
actionable information for purposes of risk governance and humanitarian action; 
 
 
(8) Develop the criteria and procedure for the enlistment of accredited community 
disaster resilience volunteers and institutions; 
 
 
(9) Create and continuously update, in consultation with stakeholders, a manual of 
operations for accredited community disaster reeilience volunteers and institutions; and 
 
(10) Perform such other functions as may be necessary for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
 
CHAPTER III 
GENERAL WELFARE AND EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
SECTION 6. General Welfare. — The Department shall exercise the powers expressly 
granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as the powers necessary, appropriate or 
incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion 
of the general welfare, such as the implementation of emergency measures including preemptive 
and forced evacuation, in anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of emergencies, hazards and 
disasters and only when there is imminent danger of loss of lives and/or damage to property. 
 
SECTION 7. Emergency Measures at the National Level. – The Department may require 
the assistance of law enforcement agencies and the uniformed services, such as the PNP and the 


AFP, as well as emergency responders, to assist in the implementation of emergency measures. 
 
 
SECTION 8. Emergency Measures at the Local Level. - 
 
 
(a) LGUs shall enact an ordinance on and implement through the Local Disaster Resilience 
Office (LDRO) the necessary and appropriate emergency measure8, including preemptive and 
forced evacuation, in anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of emergencies, hazards and 
dieasters, and only when there is imminent danger of lose of lives and/or damage to property. 
 
 
(b) Emergency measures, including preemptive and forced evacuation, shall be carried out 
in a manner that is humane, respectful of the dignity and culture of persons, without using 
disproportionate force, without discrimination, and with conscious attention to the neede of 
vulnerable and marginalized groups. 
 
 
(c) All measures shall be taken to inform the population, in a manner and language that 
they can understand, of the need for emergency measures and evacuation for their safety, as well 
as the location where they will be taken and for how long they are going to stay there. Adequate 
evacuation centers and transportation to and from the affected area shall be provided by the local 
government. 
 
 
SECTION 9. Hierarchy of Evacuation Measures. - 
 
 
(a) Preemptive evacuation shall be the preferred and primary mode of evacuation of people 
that will be affected by emergencies, hazards and disasters. 
 
(b) Forced evacuation shall be considered as an emergency measure of last resort that may 
be undertaken in anticipation of, during or after an emergency, hazard or disaeter and be carried 
out by the affected local government in accordance with a duly issued order  by  the local chief  
executive:   Provided,  That  in case  of the failure of the local government to appropriately issue 
such order, the forced evacuation shall be implemented  by the Department, which may  direct  
and compel the assistance  of law  enforcement  and other relevant national agencies to implement 
said emergency measure. 
 
 
During such forced evacuation, government officials may direct and compel the population 
to be affected or is currently affected by an emergency, hazard or disaster to relocate to safer 
locations for their own safety. 
 
SECTION 10. Release from Liability in Case of Refusal to Evacuate. - 
 
(a) Any person who willfully and deliberately disregards or oppose the order of forced 
evacuation issued by the local chief executive  or  the  Department,  releases  the  local  government 
or the Department from any liability for injury, death, damage to or loss of property attributed to 
said disobedience. 
 
(b) During evacuation, priority assistance shall be given to the vulnerable groups and 
persons who willfully comply with the order of forced evacuation. 
 
SECTION 11. Inspection and Implementation Powers. — The Department shall   have   
inspection, visitorial and examining authority over government and nongovernmental entities to 
ensure that all funds and assets allocated for disaster resilience are actually used for said purposes.  
The  Department  shall likewise  have the power  to  inspect  and  examine  the  status  of  projects  
and programs being undertaken in furtherance of disaster resilience efforts. 
 
Whenever it becomes necessary, the Department may assume responsibility over the 
implementation of and directly implement any program or project in anticipation of, during, and 
in the aftermath of emergencies, hazards and disasters. 
 


SECTION 12. Utilization of Private Property for Public Purpose. - The Department   
shall have the power to utilize any private property for urgent public purpose in anticipation of, 
during, and in the aftermath of emergencies, hazards and disasters and only when there is 
imminent danger of loss of lives and/or damage to property, subject to payment of just 
compensation in appropriate cases. 
 
SECTION 13. Emergency Powers. – Whenever it becomes necessary, the Department, 
subject to the approval of the President, may call on the AFP or the PNP, in coordination with the 
Secretary of National Defense and the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, to prevent 
or suppress lawless violence and ensure the protection and preservation of life or property in 
anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of emergencies, hazards and disasters. 
 
Whenever warranted by circumstances, the Department may call upon other agencies and 
instrumentalities of the government, as well as nongovernment organizations for the protection 
and preservation of life and/or property in anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of 
emergencies, hazards and disasters including private organizations, for assistance in the use of 
their facilities and resources. 
 
SECTION 14. Emergency Arrangements. - The Department shall have the power to 
negotiate, enter into, institutionalize and coordinate arrangements with any private person or 
juridical entity for the purpose of ensuring the adequate and prompt availability of all goods and 
services necessary in anticipation of, during, and in the aftermath of emergencies, hazards and 
disasters and only when there is imminent danger of loss of lives and/or damage to property. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 
 
SECTION 15. The Secretary. — The Department ahall be headed by a Secretary who 
shall be appointed by the President. 
 
 
SECTION 16.  Powers   and   Functions   of   the   Secretary.  - The Secretary of the 
Department shall exercise the following powers and functions: 
 
(a) 
Establish and promulgate policies, rules, and regulations for the effective and 
efficient operation of the Department; 
 
(b) 
Exercise executive direction over the operations of the Department and 
administrative supervision over its attached agencies; 
 
(c) 
Manage the financial and human resources of the Department; 
 
(d) 
Appoint officers and employees of the Department, except presidential appointees, 
in accordance with civil service law, rules, and regulations; 
 
(e) 
Exercise disciplinary authority over officers and employees of the Department in 
accordance with law; 
 
(f) 
Coordinate with other government agencies, the private sector, and CSOs on the 
policies, programs, projects, and activities of the Department, as may be necessary; 
 
(g) 
Advise the President on the promulgation of executive and administrative 
issuances and the formulation of regulatory and legislative proposals on matters pertaining to 
disaster resilience; 
 
(h)   
Serve as the Vice-Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission (CCC); 
 


(i) 
In coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, represent the Philippines 
in the climate change negotiations and articulate the national contribution to global, regional, and 
other inter-governmental disaster risk reduction and humanitarian platforms; 
 
(j) 
Call upon the AFP and the PNP to render assistance in disaster-affected areas; and 
 
(k)  
Promulgate such rules and regulations and perform such other functions as may be 
necessary or proper to attain the objectives of this Act. 
 
 
SECTION 17. Organizational Structure, Functions and Management. — The 
Department shall be composed of the following officials and offices: 
 
(a) The Secretary, as provided for under this Act; 
 
(b) Five (5) Undersecretaries, to be appointed by the President, who shall assist the 
Secretary in administering the affairs of the Department, one to be responsible for Resilience, one 
to be responsible for Policy and Governance, one to be responsable for Operations, one to be 
responsable for Administration and Finance, and the Senior Undersecretary. The Undersecretaries 
shall have functional and operational supervision over the bureaus, divisions, offices and units 
assigned to their respective functional areas; 
 
(c) Ten (10) Assistant Secretaries, to be appointed by the President, who shall assist the 
Secretary in administering the affairs of the Department to be responsible for overall staff 
supervision, Internal Audit, Administration, Disaster Resilience Fund Management, Fiscal 
Management, Operations, Mobilization, Plans and Programs, Legal, Project Management and 
Sustainable Development; 
 
 
(d)   Eleven  (11)  Service  Directors who shall head the following Services: the 
Administrative and Financial Management Service, the Logistics and  Resource   Management   
Service, the Operations Service, the Responders Management Service, the Policy Development 
and Planning Service, the Capacity-Building and Training Service, the Legal Affairs and  
Compliance Service, the Disaster Risk Reduction Service, the Climate Change Service, the 
Recovery and Reconstruction Service, and the Strategic Communications Service: 
 
(1) The Administrative and Financial Management Service shall provide the 
Department with economical, efficient and effective services relating to human resource 
management and development, financial management and general administration services 
to support civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management operations and 
functions. 
 
(2) The Logistics and Resource Management Service shall be responsible for the 
efficient and effective management of all the assets and resources of the Department; the 
efficient and elective gathering, maintenance and updating of a database of pertinent assets 
and resources belonging to any and all agencies and instrumentalities of the Government, 
as well as non-government and civic organizations in support of operational readiness for 
utilization by the Department; and the procurement of necessary assets and resources to be 
maintained and utilized by the Department. 
 
(3)  The Operations Service shall be responsible for formulating, implementing and 
monitoring the operational plans of the Department and ensuring its operational readiness, 
as well as the effective functional management of the Emergency Management Operations 
Center. 
 
(4) The Responders Management Service shall be responsible for the efficient and 
elective gathering, management, and updating of a national roster of individuals and 
groups from the civilian sector, volunteer organizations, uniformed services and the 
reserve force in support of operational readiness for utilization by the Department. 


(5) The Policy Development and Planning Service shall be responsible for 
providing responsive, efficient and effective services relating to research, planning, 
programming, budgeting, project development, and policy formulation of civil defense and 
disaster risk reduction and management projects and activities. 
 
(6) The Capacity-Building and Training Service shall be responsible for building 
and developing the capacity of the Department’s personnel, civil defense practitioners, 
communities and other stakeholders. 
 
(7) The Legal Affairs and Compliance Service shall provide legal advice to the 
Department; interpret laws and rules affecting the administration and operations of the 
Department; prepare and review contracts and instruments to which the Department is a 
party; interpret provisions of contracts covering work involving the Department; and 
monitor the compliance with regulatory and reportorial matters involving the Department. 
 
(8) The Disaster Risk Reduction Service shall be responsible for reducing disaster 
risks through systematic e8orte and programs of the Department to analyze and reduce the 
causal factors of disasters such as exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people 
and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness 
and early warning for adverse events which are all examples of disaster risk reduction. 
 
(9)  The Climate Change Service shall lead in the development and mainstreaming 
of evidence-based climate adaptation and mitigation policies of the Department through 
optimum coordination among key stakeholders towards achieving a climate-resilient and 
climate-smart Philippines with healthy, safe, prosperous, and self-reliant communities. 
 
(10) The Recovery and Reconstruction Service shall provide responsive, efficient 
and effective services relating to the formulation of standards for rehabilitation and 
recovery programs, projects, activities, and their subsequent implementation. 
 
(11) The Strategic Communications Service shall be responsible for the 
formulation  and  implementation of  the strategic communications  plans  and  programs  
of  the  Department; serve as the public affairs arm of the Department tasked with directing, 
supervising and controlling the Department's public information programs and activities, 
as well as establishing and maintaining rapport with the media and the general public; 
 
 
(e) Divisions, units and offices as may be created by the Department and whose officers 
and employees shall be appointed in accordance with civil service law, rules, and regulations; 
 
(f) The National Climate and Disaster Resilience Research, Education, and Training 
Institute under the Capacity-Building and Training Service, to be headed by a Director with the 
rank of Director IV; 
 
(g) Regional and other field offices of the Department that shall be established in each 
administrative region, each to be headed by a Regional Director with the rank of Director IV; 
 
(h) Bureaus that are under the supervision and control of the Department; 
 
(i) Seconded personnel from relevant agencies and detailed service from the uniformed 
services, as appropriate; and 
 
(j) Grievance desks in every region, which shall serve as a referral mechanism and shall 
work jointly with relevant agencies, to receive complaints from the public regarding violations of 
this Act. It shall assist the complainant in the gathering of relevant documentation and other 
evidence to support said complaint. The grievance desk shall facilitate the forwarding of the 
complaint to the appropriate office within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof, and shall provide 
timely feedback and updates regarding the status of the   complaint. The grievance desk shall use 


the best available technology to ensure that complaints are endorsed to the proper office and are 
addressed in a timely manner. 
 
CHAPTER V 
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION 
 
SECTION 18. Fiscal Management. – The Department shall manage all funds 
appropriated to it by Congress and from other sources. This shall include all donations, as 
contemplated under the succeeding paragraph, subject to the provisions of Section 3, paragraph 
(D) of Article IX, of the 1987 Constitution on the auditing powers of the Commission on Audit. 
 
 
SECTION 19. Donation. - (a) The Department shall have the power to receive donations 
and grants from any person, government institution, corporation, international organization and 
other similar entities, and the power to recommend the procurement of developmental assistance 
for the purpose of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management and climate change 
adaptation; 
 
 
(b) It shall be mandatory for the Department to acknowledge and certify the receipt of all 
Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) grants and donated funds and ensure their judicious 
management including their proper and accurate audit reporting to constituents; 
 
(c) The importation and donation of food, clothing, medicine and equipment for relief  and   
recovery and other disaster management and recovery-related supplies is hereby authorized in 
accordance with, Section 800, Chapter 1, Title 8, of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as 
the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)”, as amended, and the prevailing provisions 
of the General Appropriations Act covering national internal revenue taxes and import duties of 
national and local government agencies; 
 
All importations and donations under Section 11(c) of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise 
known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)” shall be considered as 
importation or donation to the Department, subject to the approval of the Office of the President. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT AND WHOLE-OF-NATION APPROACH 
 
 
SECTION 20. National Disaster Resilience Council. — (a) There is hereby created 
the National Disaster Resilience Council (NDRC), which shall serve as the policy advisory body 
to the Department on disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation, 
consistent with the policies and scope as defined in this Act. 
 
 
(b) The NDRC shall be chaired by the Secretary of Disaster Resilience and shall be 
composed of the following: 
 
(1) 
Secretary of Science and Technology; 
(2) 
Secretary of the Interior and Local Government; 
(3) 
Secretary of Social Welfare and Development; 
(4) 
Secretary of National Defense; 
(5) 
Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority; 
(6) 
Secretary of Health; 
(7) 
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources; 
(8) 
Secretary of Agriculture; 
(9) 
Secretary of Education; 
(10) 
Secretary of Energy; 
(11) 
Secretary of Finance; 
(12) 
Secretary of Trade and Industry; 
(13) 
Secretary of Transportation; 
(14) 
Secretary of Budget and Management; 


(15) 
Secretary of Public Works and Highways; 
(16) 
Secretary of Foreign Affairs; 
(17) 
Secretary of Justice; 
(18) 
Secretary of Labor and Employment; 
(19) 
Secretary of Tourism; 
(20) 
Secretary of Information and Communications Technology; 
(21) 
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; 
(22) 
Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education; 
(23) 
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; 
(24) 
Chief of the Philippine National Police; 
(25) 
Head  of  the  Presidential  Communications Operations Office; 
(26) 
Secretary-General of the Philippine National Red Cross; 
(27) 
Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights; 
(28) 
Executive Director of the Council for Welfare of Children; 
(29) 
Lead Convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission; 
(30) 
Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Women; 
(31) 
Chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council; 
(32) 
Chairperson of the National Council for Disability Affairs; 
(33) 
Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; 
(34) 
Chairperson of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos; 
(35) 
Chairperson of the National Youth Commission; 
(36) 
President of the Government Service Insurance System; 
(37) 
President of the Social Security System; 
(38) 
President of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation; 
(39) 
President of the Home Development Mutual Fund; 
(40) 
President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines; 
(41) 
President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines; 
(42) 
President of the League of Cities of the Philippines; 
(43) 
President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines; 
(44) 
President of the Liga ng mga Barangays; 
(45) 
Maximum of six (6) representatives from the academe and other relevant research 
institutions; 
(46) 
Maximum of six (6) representatives from the civil society organizations; and 
(47) 
Maximum of six (6) representatives from the private sector. 
 
(c) Composition — The Council is hereby organized into five (5) clusters, namely: 
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to be led by DOST, Disaster Preparedness to be led by DILG, 
Disaster Response by DSWD, Logistics led by DND, and Recovery and Sustainable Development 
led by NEDA. 
 
 
(d) Technical Management Advisory Group — The Department may constitute, as the 
need arises, a technical management advisory group from the different stakeholders, that shall 
coordinate and meet with the Department as often as necessary to effectively manage and sustain 
national efforts on disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and emergency management, and 
climate change adaptation and mitigation. 
 
(e) Guidelines for the Department of Disaster Resilience Fund (DDRF) and Local Disaster 
Resilience Fund (LDRF) — The Department shall provide the necessary guidelines and 
procedures on the DDRF and the LDRF releases as well as utilization, accounting and auditing 
thereof. 
 
 
SECTION 21. Monitoring, Reporting and Validation. –  
 
(a) Monitoring and Reporting. On or before the last quarter of the preceding year, member-
agencies of the National Disaster Resilience Council shall submit to the Department through the 
Council Secretariat their respective DDR annual work and financial plans (AWFPs) for the next 
year. The AWFPS shall be based on the DDR Plan. 


The member-agencies shall submit to the Secretariat quarterly progress reports of their 
implementation of the AWFPs within thirty (30) days from the end of each quarter. 
 
The Department is likewise accountable, liable and responsible for monitoring and 
requiring the appropriate implementation of remedial measures by member-agencies of the 
Council during a state of calamity. It shall have the authority and power to require reports from 
the appropriate member-agencies regarding implementation of such measures. 
 
(b) Validation. The Secretary shall require the submission of reports from LGUs to validate 
the progress reports of the Council member-agencies. Submission shall be through the local field 
offices of the DDR. 
 
 
Every two (2) years, the implementation of the Climate- Disaster Resilience Plan (CDRP) 
and utilization of the Local Disaster Resilience Fund (LDRF) of each province, LGUs, 
independent city shall be evaluated by the Regional Disaster Resilience Council (RDRC) based 
on appropriate criteria, such as the award, recognition, citation criteria for provinces, cities and 
municipalities, barangay and stakeholders. 
 
 
(1) The Regional Disaster Resilience Councils (RDRC) —  
 
The Regional Disaster Resilience Council (RDRCs) shall coordinate, integrate, supervise, 
and evaluate the activities of the LDRCs. It shall be accountable, responsible and liable for 
ensuring climate-disaster risk sensitive and inclusive regional development plans, and in case of 
emergencies shall convene the different regional line agencies and authorities, concerned 
institutions, developmental partners and multiple stakeholders. 
 
The Regional   Directors of the Department shall serve as chairpersons of the RDRCS and 
the Regional Directors of the DSWD, the DILG, and the NEDA shall serve as cluster heads. In 
the case of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Chief Minister   shall 
be   the RDRC   Chairperson.   In the case of Metro Manila, the MDRC shall be headed by the 
Chairperson of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). 
 
The RDRCS shall establish the RDRC Secretariat and operating facility to be known as 
the Regional Disaster Resilience Council Secretariat and Operations Center. The RDRCs shall be 
composed of concerned regional agencies, offices, LGUs and other multiple stakeholders. 
 
(i) 
LDRC Budgetary Requirements of LDRO — The budgetary requirements 
for personal services, maintenance and other operating expenditures, and capital outlay of 
the LDRO shall be sourced from the General Fund of the LGU, subject to Section 76 of 
Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the “Local Government Code of 1991, as 
amended. The enforcement of Sections 325(a) and 331(b) of Republic Act No. 7160, as 
amended, shall be waived to enable the LGUs to fund the initial year requirements for the 
creation of the minimum five (5) mandatory positions of the LDRO. 
 
Other maintenance and operating expenditures, and other capital outlay 
requirements of the LDRO in the implementation of disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction management and climate change adaptation programs shall be charged to the 
Local Climate-Disaster Resilience Fund of the LGUs; 
 
(ii) Establish linkage or network with other LGUs for disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction, climate change adaptation and emergency response purposes; 
 
(iii) Recommend through the LDRC, the enactment of local ordinances consistent 
with the requirements of this Act; 
 
(iv) Establish a Provincial, City, Municipal, and Barangay Climate and Disaster 
Resilience Operations Center; and 


(v)  Encourage Government-Owned and – Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) to 
establish their own Climate and Disaster Resilience Operations Center within their 
territories. 
 
SECTION 22. Synergy with Stakeholders. — The Department shall ensure seamless 
synergy and coordination with stakeholder, including CSOs, the academe, and the private sector, 
in relation to disaster resilience programs and projects and the development and promotion   of 
research, education, and training mechanism with relevant stakeholders. 
 
 
The Department shall establish a platform, paradigm, and mechanisms for convergence 
and coordination with stakeholders, including the development of standards, protocols, and 
procedures for collaboration for disaster resilience. 
 
SECTION 23. Establishment of Multi-Stakeholders Convergence Unit. - The 
Department, with the assistance of other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, shall 
establish a Multi-Stakeholders Convergence Unit (MSCU), which shall align the disaster 
resilience efforts of the private sector, CSOs, academe, and other stakeholders with the   
Department by assisting, coordinating, or providing services that strengthen public-private 
cooperation and coordination   in disaster resilience, including the following: 
 
 
(a) Establishment and implementation of business continuity practices to ensure the 
continued delivery of products and services, in the event of disasters; 
 
(b) Establishment and implementation of a National Continuity Policy to ensure service 
continuity during power and utilities interruptions, emergencies, and disasters and ensure the 
quick return to full operations; 
 
 
(c) Establishment, incorporation, and application of business continuity plans as part of 
the disaster resilience plans of local government units; 
 
(d) Facilitation or assistance in obtaining or processing incentives for the private sector 
or other nongovernment stakeholders; and 
 
 
(e) Preparation and facilitation of the issuance of appropriate guidelines for MSMEs 
relating to mechanisms on procurement and liquidity to create enabling environment for DDR. 
 
The MSCU shall establish a platform that includes, among others, a database for 
monitoring and coordinating efforts and resources of stakeholders. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
DISASTER RISK AND VULNERABILITY REDUCTION AND 
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION MAINSTREAMING, 
INTEGRATION AND CONVERGENCE 
 
SECTION 24. Integration of DRR and Climate Change Adaptation in the Climate and 
Disaster Resilience Framework and Plan. – The existing National Disaster Resilience 
Framework and plan and the National Climate Change Strategic Framework and Plan shall be 
enhanced by the Climate and Disaster Resilience Framework and plan which provided   for   the 
comprehensive probabilistic multi-hazards,  multi-scenario,  multi-sectoral, resilience-building, 
and community risk-based approach  and management of disaster and climate risk, and provide 
for the integration of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and climate change adaptation, as 
well as the mainstreaming in other sectoral policies. It shall be reviewed every three (3) years. 
 
 
The Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan shall provide for the following: (l) identification 
of the underlying factors of risk, or the nature   and  degree  of  hazards,  vulnerabilities, exposures 
and capacities, which need to be managed at the national level; (2) disaster risk and vulnerabilities 
reduction and management approaches and strategies to be applied in managing said hazards and 


risks; (3) agency roles, responsibilities, and lines of authority at all government levels; and (4) 
vertical and horizontal coordination of climate change adaptation, disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction and management before, during, and after a disaster. The Climate and Disaster 
Resilience Plan shall be in conformity with the framework. 
 
The Climate and Disaster Resilience Framework and Plan for climate-disaster risk 
governance, climate vulnerability assessment, risk assessment and risk management shall be 
formulated and jointly approved by the NDRC and the CCC. 
 
SECTION 25.  Ecosystem-Based Approach to Prevention and Mitigation, 
Rehabilitation and Recovery from Disaster. – The Department shall ensure the application of 
ecosystems-based approaches in disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and climate change  
adaptation, particularly through ecosystem management and restoration as defined in this Act, and 
ensuring that environmental and natural resource policies are risk-informed. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
CLIMATE AND DISASTER RESILIENCE RESEARCH, 
EDUCATION,   AND TRAINING INSTITUTE 
 
SECTION 26. Creation of the Climate and Disaster Research, Education, and Training 
Institute. —  
 
(a) Within one (1) year from approval of this Act, the Department shall establish the 
Climate and Disaster Resilience Research, Education, and Training Institute in collaboration with 
higher education institutions and private and state universities and colleges (SUCs) which shall be 
a world-class center of excellence for learning and research in the field of disaster risk and 
vulnerability reduction and management and climate change adaptation; 
 
(b)  The Climate and Disaster Resilience Research, Education, and Training Institute shall 
be headed by a Director. The organizational structure and staffing pattern shall be determined by 
the Department in consultation with the DBM and in accordance with civil service laws, rules, 
and regulations. 
 
(c)   The Climate and Disaster Resilience Research, Education, and Training Institute shall 
have the following functions: 
 
(1) 
Establish regional branches as well as provincial, city or municipal 
branches, if deemed necessary, to train individuals from the public and private sectors in 
the fields of disaster risk and   vulnerability   reduction   and   management,   climate 
change adaptation,  and  ecosystem  management  and  restoration, among others; 
 
(2) 
Develop and implement an inclusive and ladderized curricula on climate 
change adaptation, and disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management; 
 
(3) 
Develop research programs and a knowledge management system on 
climate change adaptation and disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management for 
the purpose of innovation and capacity-building and development; 
 
(4) 
Partner with public and private academic and research institutions, the 
private sector, civil society, community-based disaster risk and vulnerability reduction 
management and climate change adaptation practitioners, and other relevant sectors in 
developing 
research opportunities and programs on climate vulnerability and disaster 
risk assessment; 
 
(5) 
Establish a resource center for information, education and   communication   
materials, research, publications, best work practices, lessons identified and learned, and   


other  knowledge products on disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management, 
and climate change adaptation; 
 
(6) 
Consolidate and prepare information, education and communication and 
training materials or publications to assist disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and 
management, and climate change adaptation practitioners in the planning and 
implementation of their plans, programs, projects and activities; 
 
(7) 
Organize and recognize a community of climate change adaptation and 
disaster risk reduction and management practitioners; and 
 
(8) 
Accredit, recognize, monitor and evaluate climate change adaptation, 
disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management training institutions. 
 
 
(d) Financial Support to the Center: 
 
(1) 
The budget for the Climate and Disaster Resilience Research and Training 
Center shall be sourced from the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
(2) 
The Department shall assist in the establishment of Research and Training 
Centers at the provincial, city, and municipal governments, as appropriate. The funding 
for such local Climate and Disaster Resilience Research and Training Centers may be 
sourced from the eighty (80%) percent portion of the LDRF and other financial sources of 
the local government unit concerned. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
INTEGRATION, MAINSTREAMING 
CLIMATE AND DISASTER RESILIENCE INFORMATION,  
EDUCATION, AND COMMUNICATION CONVERGENCE 
 
SECTION 27. Climate and Disaster Resilience Information Management System 
(CDRIMS) — The Department shall establish a National and Regional Information Management 
System for Climate and Disaster Resilience. It shall constitute a physical central database of all 
disaster risk reduction and climate change data, including a geographic information system on 
geo-hazard assessments and climate risk. It shall be the repository of current and multi-temporal 
information for wide-scale disaster risk analysis and climate change vulnerability assessment. The 
CDRIMS shall at all times be made available to the Emergency Operations Center of the National   
and   Regional   Climate   and Disaster Resilience Council (NRCDRC) development partners and 
multi-stakeholders to access critical information and ensure that the collection processing, analysis 
and dissemination of information is timely, reliable and accurate to support overall decision 
making and effective coordination both at the national and subnational level. 
 
 
SECTION 28. Disaster Resilience and Climate Change Education and Training. —  
 
(a) The Department of Education, CHED, and Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA), in coordination   with  the National Youth Commission (NYC), 
the Department  of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of 
Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and other relevant 
agencies, developmental institutions, and non-government organizations shall integrate disaster    
risk  and  vulnerability   reduction and climate change adaptation education in the school curricula 
at all levels of education, from K to 12 to tertiary levels, including the early and adult learning 
programs, National Service Training Program (NSTP), and education  for children and persons 
with special needs, whether private or public, including formal and non-formal, technical-
vocational, indigenous learning, out-of-school youth courses and programs, and other channels of 
educational integration, including media, church, entertainment centers (malls), international and 
domestic airports and transport terminals. 


(b)   The Civil Service Commission (CSC), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), 
and other licensure bodies shall integrate disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management 
and climate  change adaptation questions in all professional and licensure examinations. 
 
(c)    In coordination with the Department and the Climate and Disaster Resilience 
Research, Education, and Training Institute shall develop a curriculum  for courses or subjects 
specific to disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management and climate change adaptation,  
and  shall  mandate all tertiary learning institutions to offer these subjects. 
 
(d) The Parents and Teachers Community Associations shall initiate, support, and 
participate in disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management and climate change adaptation 
related activities in schools and host communities. 
 
(e) The DepEd, the CHED, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA) and other developmental institutions, community-based practitioners and organized 
nongovernmental organizations shall formulate and institutionalize flexible learning options such 
as online modules, supplemental learning materials, resources and platforms, as part of its climate 
change adaptation, disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and governance, analysis, and 
management strategy. 
 
(f) The DepEd, CHED, TESDA, developmental institutions and community-based 
organizations ehaI1 regularly review, monitor, evaluate   and  report   to  the  Council   the  status  
of  integration, mainstreaming  and implementation of climate change adaptation, disaster risk and 
vulnerability reduction and management in public-private schools and other learning institutions. 
 
(g) The LDROS shall form formal partnerships with tertiary learning institutions within 
their respective jurisdictions to provide standard and ladderized training programs for LGU 
officials and other disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management and climate change 
adaptation. 
 
(h) The DRC, the RDRCs, the LDRCs, the LDROs, the BDRCs, and the Sangguniang 
Kabataan shall encourage community, specifically the youth, participation in disaster risk and   
vulnerability reduction and climate change adaptation activities, such a8 Information, Education 
and Communication (IEC) campaigns organizing quick response groups, particularly in identified 
disaster-prone areas, as well as the inclusion of DRVR-climate change adaptation programs as 
part of programs and projects of the Sangguniang Kabataan, youth organizations and community-
based disaster rick and vulnerability reduction management and anticipatory adaptation initiatives. 
 
(i) There shall be a mandatory training on climate change adaptation-DRVR for public and 
private sector employees, including teachers and Climate-Disaster Resilience Coordinators from 
both the public and private learning institutions, who shall be trained in emergency preparedness 
and response in compliance with the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 29. Standard Mechanism for Cascading Information, Education and 
Communication on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk and Vulnerability 
Reduction.   –  
 
(a)   The DRC shall promote and advocate a culture of resilience and responsible-
accountable, liable and responsible citizenship through information, education and   
communication   that   is   appropriate, integrated,  calibrated,  inclusive,  localized,  science-  and 
risk-based, gender, culture and disability sensitive and accessible using multimedia. Information, 
education, and communication on climate change adaptation and disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction management should be compelling but not alarming. 
 
(b)  The NDRC shall formulate a Strategic Risk Communications Plan to encompass the 
entirety of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and climate change adaptation to achieve the 
desired behavioral and attitudinal change towards responsible citizenship and culture of resilience. 


It shall serve as a reference on continuous awareness raising and education at all levels of the 
government and multiple stakeholders. 
 
(c) A Climate and Disaster Resilience Information Officer shall be designated at all levels 
of the Department to ensure implementation of the disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and 
management and climate change adaptation information, education, and communication 
campaign and shall serve as the primary coordinator for the dissemination of information, 
education, and communication on climate change adaptation and disaster risk and vulnerability 
reduction management. 
 
SECTION 30. Declaration of Imminent Disaster. — The DDR shall provide guidance 
and operating guidelines to LDRCs for the declaration of imminent disaster in their respective 
areas which shall allow them to implement preemptive measures and use their quick response 
funds in order to save lives and minimize damage to property, loss of livelihood and other assets. 
 
SECTION 31. Flash Appeal or Appeal for International Assistance. — Upon 
consultation with the NDRC and in cognizance of the urgency,  criticality   and  intensity  of  an  
imminent   risk,   the  DDR shall  issue  a  flash  appeal  to  the  family  of  nations,  under regional 
and multilateral conventions, for assistance in preparedness including preemptive measures, 
search, rescue and retrieval, relief, recovery, and reconstruction. 
 
CHAPTER  X 
CLIMATE AND DISASTER RISK INSURANCE 
AND INCENTIVES 
 
SECTION 32.  Climate and Disaster Risk Transfer, Insurance and Social Welfare. –  
 
(a) The Department shall oversee all climate and disaster risk-sharing and risk-transfer 
instruments and other related initiatives to ensure the protection of property and livelihood, both 
public and private. 
 
 
(b) The Department shall ensure the mandatory insurance of all assets and properties of 
national government agencies including government-owned or -controlled corporations, and those 
over which the government has insurable interest, as prescribed under Republic Act No. 656, 
otherwise known as the “Property Insurance Law”. The insurance shall be provided by any 
government insurance agency. 
 
(c) The Department shall oblige the LGUs the mandatory insurance coverage of assets, 
properties and livelihood of vulnerable and marginalized groups for unforeseen or contingent 
potential losses, damages and disruption from natural hazards and human-induced disasters 
chargeable against the LDRF. 
 
SECTION 33. Recognition and Incentives. — Unless otherwise provided, the 
Department shall establish an incentives program that recognizes outstanding performance of 
LDRC, NGOs, CSOS, private sectors, schools, hospitals, and other stakeholders in promoting and 
implementing significant disaster risk and vulnerability reduction management-climate change 
adaptation programs and innovations, and meritorious acts of individuals, groups or institutions 
during natural or human-induced disasters. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
PREPAREDNESS AND INTEGRATED EARLY WARNING 
 
SECTION 34. Standards for Disaster Preparedness Activities. –  
 
(a) The NDRC shall establish standards for disaster preparedness, contingency planning, 
localizing and operationalizing disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management, 


preparedness for disaster response, preparedness for early recovery, continuity of essential 
services, and other relevant preparedness activities. 
 
(b) LGUs shall identify safe or strategic sites, and establish evacuation centers with 
appropriate and adequate facilities in accordance with government-approved standards as 
provided under Republic Act No. 10821, otherwise known as the “Children’s Emergency Relief 
and Protection Act”, in order to avoid disruption of school classes and lessen the use of school 
buildings and facilities as evacuation centers. 
 
The LGUs shall immediately compensate schools used as evacuation centers. The schools 
may seek compensation on renovation or repairs of damaged facilities for such use. 
 
SECTION 35.  Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Risk Communication Standards. – 
 
 (a) There shall be a streamlined policy governing early warning systems and risk 
communication protocols to ensure effective and efficient measures to prevent, prepare for, 
respond to, and recover from possible risk caused by natural and human-induced hazards and 
climate risk. The NDRC shall issue policy and the Department shall oversee and monitor the 
implementation of this policy. 
 
(b)    The Department and all other concerned agencies with an integrated early warning   
and   information mandate shall collaborate with the local executives and officers to disseminate 
climate-disaster risk information through the involvement of LGUs, community-based 
organizations, CSOs, and other nongovernmental organizations. 
 
SECTION 36. Early Warning Mandate. –  
 
(a) The Department shall issue an integrated early warning for hydro-meteorological, 
geologic, or terrestrial phenomena to the appropriate government agencies or government-
accredited organizations for forecasting and early warning purposes. The Department shall 
recognize and proactively support local or indigenous modes of early warning systems and allow 
open access to real-time data from both local and international sources made available through 
various platforms such as websites, mobile applications, and social media to empower local 
communities and individuals. 
 
(b) The Department shall enhance and strengthen Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical 
and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Philippine Institute of 
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) mandates under Republic Act No. 10692 and 
Executive Order No. 128, Series of 1987, respectively. 
 
(c) The Department shall recognize and proactively support local or indigenous modes of 
early warning systems and allow open access to real-time data from both local and international 
sources made available through various platforms such as websites, mobile applications, and 
social media to empower local communities and individuals. 
 
(d)   Transmission of Early Warning.  A person who transmits early warning concerning 
the above-mentioned phenomena by means of signs in designs, colors, lights, or sound shall do so 
in compliance with the methods recognized or approved by the NDRC. 
 
(e) The NDRC at the national and subnational level shall consider the use of integrated 
early warning system to ensure it is consistent and locally contextualized with the communication 
protocol and safe evacuation procedure of the affected communities to achieve zero casualty, to 
zero death. 
 
(f) The Department shall consider working with other agencies or organizations on pre-
crisis information mapping of the humanitarian needs of the at-risk community that will enhance 
the overall prepositioning of resources at the national and local levels. 


CHAPTER XII 
DISASTER RESPONSE AND EARLY RECOVERY 
 
 
SECTION 37.  Declaration of State of Calamity. — The Department shall declare a 
cluster of barangays, municipalities, cities, provinces, and regions under a state of calamity, and 
the lifting thereof, based on the criteria set by the NDRC. 
 
 
The declaration and lifting of the state of calamity may also be issued by the local 
Sanggunian, upon the recommendation of the LDRO, based on the results of the damage 
assessment and needs analysis: Provided, That the Department, through the LDRC, may seek from 
the local legislative body or Sanggunian, the declaration of a   state   of   imminent   disaster   to 
enable   the   local   executives to implement preemptive evacuation and precautionary measures 
in order to save lives and minimize damage to property, loss of livelihood, and disruption of 
livelihood that require the use of funds and resources under the LDRF. 
 
SECTION 38. Emergency Management. — The respective Climate and Disaster 
Resilience Councils shall lead in preparing for, responding  to,  and recovering  from  the  e8ecte  
of  any disaster, upon due consideration to the economics of classification, capacity and 
vulnerability of the local governments concerned: 
 
(a) 
The Barangay Disaster Resilience Council (BDRC), if one barangay is affected; 
 
(b) 
The City/Municipal Disaster Resilience Councils (DRCs), if two (2) or more 
barangays are affected; 
 
(c) 
The Provincial Disaster Resilience Council (DRC), if two (2) or more 
cities/municipalities are affected; 
 
(d) 
The Regional Disaster Resilience Council (DRC), if two (2) or more provinces are 
affected; and 
 
(e) 
The NDRC, if two (2) or more regions are affected. 
 
SECTION 39. Humanitarian Assistance Action Center. - The DRC shall institutionalize 
a one-stop shop mechanism through the Humanitarian Assistance Action Center for the processing 
and release of goods, articles or equipment intended for humanitarian assistance and the 
processing of necessary documents for international assisting actors. The Humanitarian 
Assistance Action Center shall be managed by the Department and shall be composed of the 
following NDRC agencies: 
 
(a) 
Department of Finance - Bureau of Customs; 
(b) 
Department of Foreign Affairs; 
(c) 
Department of Social Welfare and Development; 
(d) 
Department of Health; 
(e) 
Food and Drug Administration; 
(f) 
Department of Agriculture; 
(g) 
Department of Energy; 
(h) 
Philippine National Police; 
(i) 
Philippine Coast Guard; and 
(j) 
Department of Justice - Bureau of Immigration. 
 
SECTION 40. Accreditation, Mobilization, and Protection of Disaster Volunteers and 
National Service Reserve Corps, CSOs and the Private Sector. - The government agencies, 
CSOs, private sector and LGUs may mobilize individuals or organized volunteers to augment their 
respective personnel complement and logistical requirements in the delivery of disaster risk 
reduction programs and activities. The agencies, CSOs, private sector, and LGUs concerned shall 
take full responsibility for the enhancement, welfare and protection of volunteers, and shall submit 


the list of volunteers to the Department, through the LDROs, for accreditation and inclusion in the 
database of community disaster volunteers. 
 
A national roster of Accredited Community Disaster Resilience Volunteers (ACDRVs) 
and institutions, National Service Reserve Corps, CSOS and the private sector shall be maintained 
by the Department through the LD ROs. Accreditation shall be done at the municipal or city level. 
 
The mobilization of volunteers shall be in accordance with this Act and implementing 
guidelines to be formulated by the NDRC. Any volunteer who died or was injured while engaging 
in any of the activities defined under this Act shall be entitled to compensatory benefits and 
individual personal accident insurance as may be defined under the guidelines. 
 
SECTION 41. Reporting of Humanitarian Assistance. — The concerned LGU shall 
submit a report to the Department, all domestic or international humanitarian assistance received 
and distributed within its area of responsibility. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
 
SECTION 42. International Humanitarian Assistance. - The Department shall 
promulgate guidelines on international humanitarian assistance, including the initiation, entry, 
facilitation, transit, regulation, and termination thereof, as well as those involving international 
disaster relief and personnel assisting international actors, visa waiver, recognition of foreign 
professional qualifications, entry of international disaster goods and equipment, and exemption 
from port duties, taxes and restrictions. 
 
SECTION 43.  Assessment of the Need for International Humanitarian Assistance. –  
 
(a) Immediately after the declaration of a state of calamity by the sanggunian of an LGU 
or by the Department, as the case may be, the Department shall determine as to whether domestic 
capacities are likely to be sufficient to attend to the needs of affected persons for international 
humanitarian assistance. This determination may also be made by the President, prior to the onset 
of an imminent disaster. 
 
(b) In the event the Department determines that domestic response capacities are not likely 
to be sufficient due to the impact of the disaster, the Department shall recommend to the President 
that a request be made for international humanitarian assistance. 
 
(c) A determination that domestic capacities are likely to be sufficient and that 
international humanitarian assistance is therefore unnecessary may be reviewed and rescinded by 
the Department, with the approval of the President, at any time, in light of prevailing 
circumstances and available information. 
 
SECTION 44. Request for International Humanitarian Assistance. — The President 
may request for international humanitarian assistance upon the advice of the Department. Such 
request may be specifically directed to particular assisting international actors, or it may be a 
general request directed to the international community. 
 
SECTION 45. Humanitarian Assistance Action Center. - The Department shall 
institutionalize an interagency one-stop shop mechanism called through the Philippine 
International Humanitarian Assistance Reception Action Center (PIHARAC) for the processing 
and release of entry and facilitation of goods, articles or equipment, and services of international 
relief workers for the provision of international humanitarian assistance, and the processing of 
necessary documents for assisting international actors. 
 
 
 


CHAPTER XIV 
OFFER AND FACILITATION  
OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
TO FOREIGN STATES 
 
 
SECTION 46. Offer and Facilitation of International Humanitarian Assistance to 
Foreign States. - In the event of a disaster occurring in a foreign state for which international 
humanitarian assistance is required, the Department may offer, facilitate and provide international 
humanitarian assistance to such foreign state, which shall be subject to guidelines to be 
promulgated by the Department for the purpose. 
 
SECTION 47. Accreditation. — The Department, in coordination with relevant 
government agencies and organizations, shall provide and facilitate the necessary training and 
accreditation to the respective government personnel to be deployed for such offer, facilitation 
and provision of international humanitarian assistance to a foreign state. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
LEGAL FACILITIES 
FOR ELIGIBLE ASSISTING INTERNATIONAL ACTORS 
 
SECTION 48.  Guidelines for Coordination of International Humanitarian Assistance. 
— The DRC shall issue comprehensive guidelines on the initiation, entry, facilitation, transit and 
regulation of international relief goods and personnel, as well as eligibility guidelines to utilize 
the legal facilities for assisting international actors provided hereunder. 
 
SECTION 49. Visa Waiver. — Eligible assisting international actors shall be entitled to 
waiver of entry visa requirements, including any associated fees or charges, to perform Disaster 
Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance work for their sponsoring entities without the requirement 
to seek a separate residence or work permit. 
 
SECTION 50. Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications. —  
 
(a) Eligible assisting international actors wishing to deploy international personnel for 
tasks requiring legal recognition of their foreign professional qualifications shall certify the 
validity of those qualifications under the law of the country where they were obtained and the 
competence of their personnel for the tasks envisaged. 
 
(b) The Department shall establish the guidelines and scope for recognition of foreign 
professional qualifications for disaster response and early recovery. 
 
(c) Recognition of qualifications shall remain valid until the end of the International Initial 
Recovery Period, absent individual criminal conduct or other professional misconduct sufficient 
to bar the individual from professional practice in the country. 
 
SECTION 51. Recognition of Foreign Driving licenses. – Foreign driving licenses of 
eligible assisting international actors shall be accorded temporary recognition during the 
International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Periods. 
 
 
SECTION 52. Facilitation of Access. - The international personnel of eligible assisting 
international actors shall be allowed access to disaster-affected areas and persons requiring 
Disaster Relief or Initial Recovery Assistance, subject to coordination requirements as mandated 
by the Department and limitations based on national security, public order or public health, 
weighed in the context of the urgency of the disaster needs. They shall be permitted to provide 
their goods and services directly to affected persons. 
 
 
 


A. ENTRY OF INTERNATIONAL DISASTER GOODS AND EQUIPMENT 
 
SECTION 53. Customs Facilitation and Priority Treatment. – The Department shall 
facilitate the rapid importation or consignment of goods and equipment by eligible assisting actors 
and shall accord them priority treatment in handling. 
 
SECTION 54. Duty of Compliance by Eligible Assisting Actors. —In order to benefit 
from the aforementioned legal facilities, eligible assisting international actors shall: 
 
(a) Declare that all the goods and equipment they seek to import under this Act are 
exclusively for Disaster Relief or Initial Recovery Assistance and that they comply with any 
relevant standards under Philippine laws; and 
 
(b) Pack, classify and mark their consignments in accordance with the requirements 
described in this Act and its implementing rules and regulations. 
 
 
SECTION 55. Exemption from Import Duties, Taxes and Restrictions. — Consignment 
of goods and equipment by or on behalf of eligible assisting international actors shall benefit from: 
 
(a) 
Exemption from all duties and taxes; 
 
(b) 
Waiver of economic prohibitions and restrictions except for categories of special 
goods and equipment that may be indicated by the Department; and 
 
(c) 
Clearance without regard to the country of origin or the country from which the 
goods have arrived, subject to monitoring for reasons of public health and security. 
 
B. EXPEDITED ENTRY AND USE RESTRICTIONS FOR SPECIFIC 
INTERNATIONAL DISASTER GOODS AND EQUIPMENT 
 
SECTION 56. Simplification of Documentation Requirements. –  
 
(a) Consignment of goods and equipment sent by or on behalf of eligible assisting 
international actors shall be cleared or released on the basis of a simplified goods declaration 
providing the minimum information necessary for the Bureau of Customs to identify the goods 
and equipment and subject, when deemed necessary, to completion of a more complete declaration 
within a specified period. 
 
(b) The requirements for the declaration for all imports of goods or equipment by or on 
behalf of eligible assisting international actors and any supporting documents relating to said 
consignment, release and clearance of goods or equipment shall be simplified and lodged without 
fee. 
 
SECTION 57. Telecommunications Equipment. — Eligible assisting international actors 
shall be permitted to import telecommunications equipment for the purpose of Disaster Relief or 
Initial Recovery Assistance without restrictions, except as required by NDRC guidelines and other 
laws for purposes of national security or public order. The NDRC shall provide guidelines for the 
manner of use of telecommunications equipment as well as a waiver of licensing requirements or 
fees. 
 
SECTION 58.  Medications. — Eligible assisting international actors shall be permitted 
to import and transport medications and medical equipment for the purpose of Disaster Relief or 
Initial   Recovery   Assistance   so   long   as   they   conform   to the implementing rules and 
regulations to be provided by the NDRC. 
 
SECTION. 59.  Food. - Food imported by eligible assisting international actors for 
disaster relief and recovery shall be admitted pursuant to expedited procedures set out by the DRC. 


 
SECTION 60.  Imported Vehicles. – The granting of local registration and plates for 
vehicles imported by eligible assisting international actors shall be expedited. 
 
C. PERMITTED DISPOSITION OF EQUIPMENT AND UNUSED GOODS 
 
SECTION 61. Disposition of Equipment and Unused Goods. — The    DRC shall provide 
for the guidelines for retention, re-exportation, donation and disposal of unused goods and 
equipment after the termination of Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance operations. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
RECOVERY 
 
SECTION 62.  Standards for Recovery. - The Department shall observe internationally 
accepted standards for recovery, planning, programming and implementation of the recovery 
process and shall: 
 
(a) Improve the community’s physical, social and economic resilience, con8iatent with the 
principle of “Build Forward Better"; 
 
(b) Use locally-driven and centrally-supported processes based on legal mandates with 
supplementary capacity support when requested; 
 
(c) Redirect development outside danger zones to minimize loss of lives and structures 
resulting from typhoons, flooding, landslides, and other hazards; 
 
(d) Employ outcome-driven planning and implementation; 
 
(e) Maximize use of private-public sector partnership where possible; 
 
(f) Consider local conditions such as culture, security situation, and existing capacities of 
communities in identifying programs and projects; 
 
(g) Ensure access to public transport, physical and mental health services, markets, 
schools, sustainable livelihoods, and other public services in planning for settlement areas; and 
 
(h) Ensure restoration of peace and order and recovery of government functions. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
REMEDIAI. MEASURES UNDER STATE OF CALAMITY 
 
SECTION. 63. Remedial Measures under State of Calamity. - Upon the declaration of a 
state of calamity, the following remedial measures shall be immediately undertaken by concerned 
government agencies both of national and local levels: 
 
(a) Imposition of price ceiling on basic necessities and prime commodities by the National 
Price Control Council, as provided for under Republic Act No. 7581, otherwise known as the 
“Price Act”, as amended by Republic Act. No.10623; 
 
(b) Monitoring, prevention and control by the Local Price Coordinating Council of 
overpricing/profiteering and hoarding of prime commodities, medicines and petroleum products; 
 
(c) Programming/reprogramming  of  funds  for  the   repair  of critical  facilities  or  public  
infrastructures  that   are  vital  for  the quick  delivery  of  humanitarian  assistance,  to  reduce  
further  threat to   lives  and   arrest  further  deterioration   of  properties   and loss of  livelihoods  
in  the   affected  communities,   following   the “Build Forward Better” principle: 
 


(1)     Grant   of   no-interest   loans   by   government   financing or lending 
institutions to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups or individuals; and 
 
(2) Local tax exemptions, incentives or reliefs under such terms and conditions as 
may be deemed necessary by the affected LGU. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
PROCUREMENT 
 
SECTION 64. General Rule on Procurement. — Any procurement of goods, services, 
consultancy or infrastructure for disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and climate risk, whether 
at the national or local level shall conform to the provisions and implementing rules and 
regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as “Government Procurement 
Reform Act”, as amended. 
 
SECTION 65. Emergency Procurement. - In order to expedite disaster response and early 
recovery, the procurement or lease of equipment and delivery of goods and services through 
emergency procurement or purchase at site shall be allowed. Periods of action on procurement 
activities may also be waived for the same purpose and conditions. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALTIES 
 
 
SECTION 66. Prohibited Acts. - Any public official, private person, group or corporation 
who commits any of the following prohibited acts shall be liable and be subjected to the criminal 
and administrative penalties as provided for in Section 67 of this Act, without prejudice to the 
imposition of other criminal, civil and administrative liabilities under existing laws. 
 
 
(a) Prohibited Acts of Public Officials — The following acts, if committed by public 
officials without justifiable cause, shall be considered as gross neglect of duty: 
 
(1) Dereliction of duties which leads to destruction, loss of lives, critical damage 
of facilities and misuse of funds; 
 
(2) Failure to create a functional LDR office within six (6) months from the 
approval of this Act; 
 
(3) Failure to appoint a permanent local disaster resilience officer within six (6) 
months from the approval of this Act; 
 
(4) Failure to prepare and implement a Contingency and Adaptation Plan for 
hazards frequently occurring within their jurisdictions; and 
 
(5) Failure to formulate and implement the LDRP with the corresponding budget 
allocation. 
 
Sexual exploitation and abuse, and other forms of sexual misconduct to the a8ected 
population or at-risk communities shall be punishable under existing criminal and 
administrative laws. 
 
(b)    Prohibited Acts of Public Officials and Private Persons or Institutions  —  
 
(1) Delaying, without justifiable cause the delivery or improper handling or storage of aid 
commodities, resulting to damage or spoilage: 
 


(2) Withholding the distribution of relief goods due to: (a) political or partisan 
considerations; (b) discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, or gender; and (c) other 
similar circumstances; 
 
(3) Preventing the entry and distribution of relief goods in disaster-stricken areas, including 
appropriate technology, tools, equipment, accessories, disaster teams or experts; 
 
(4) Buying, for consumption or resale, from disaster relief agencies any relief goods, 
equipment or other aid commodities which are intended for distribution to disaster affected 
communities; 
 
(5) Buying, for consumption or resale, from disaster affected persons, relief goods, 
equipment or other aid commodities received by them; 
 
 
(6) Selling of relief goods, equipment, or other aid commodities which are intended for 
distribution to disaster victims; 
 
(7) Forcibly seizing relief goods, equipment, or other aid commodities intended for or 
consigned to a specific group of victims or relief agency; 
 
(8) Diverting or misdelivery of relief goods, equipment, or other aid commodities to 
persons other than the rightful recipient or consignee; 
 
(9) Accepting, possessing, using or disposing relief goods, equipment or other aid 
commodities not intended for nor consigned to them; 
 
(10) Misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment, or other aid commodities by: 
 
(i) 
Either covering, replacing or defacing the labels of the containers to make 
it appear that the goods, equipment, or other aid commodities came from another agency 
or persons; 
 
(ii) 
Repacking the goods, equipment, or other aid commodities into containers 
with different markings to make it appear that the goods came from another agency or 
persons or was released upon the instance of a particular agency or persons; and 
 
(iii) 
Making a false verbal claim that the goods, equipment or other aid 
commodities in their untampered original containers actually came from another  agency  
or persons or was released  upon the instance of a particular agency or persons; 
 
(11) Substituting or replacing relief goods, equipment, or other aid commodities with the 
same items or of inferior/cheaper quality; 
 
(12) Illegal solicitations by persons or organizations representing others as defined in the 
standards and guidelines set by the NDRC; 
 
(13) Deliberate use of false or inflated data in support of the request for funding, relief   
goods,   equipment, or other aid commodities for emergency assistance or livelihood projects; 
 
(14) Stealing, taking, or possessing of any of the equipment, accessories and other vital 
facility or items or any part thereof; 
 
(15) Selling or buying stolen equipment, accessories, and other vital facility or items or 
any part thereof; 
 
(16) Tampering with or stealing hazard monitoring and disaster preparedness equipment 
and paraphernalia; 


(17) Attempting to commit any of the above-mentioned prohibited acts; and 
 
(18)  Benefitting  from  the  proceeds  or fruits of  any  of  the above-mentioned  prohibited  
acts knowing  that  the proceeds or fruits are derived from the commission of the prohibited acts. 
 
SECTION 67. Penalties.  - The following penalties shall be imposed on any individual, 
corporation, partnership, association or other juridical entity that commits any of the prohibited 
acts in the preceding section: 
 
(a) Imprisonment of not less than twelve (12) years but not more than fifteen (15) years or 
a fine of not less than One million pesos  (P1,000,000.00)  but  not   more   than   Three   million   
pesos (P3,000,000.00), or both imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the court, shall be 
imposed upon any person found guilty of violating subsections (b)(1) to (b)(16), as well as the 
confiscation or forfeiture in favor of the government of the objects and the instrumentalities used 
in the commission of the prohibited acts; 
 
(b) Imprisonment of not less than six (6) years but not more than eight (8) years or a fine 
of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) but not more than One million Pesos 
(P1,000,000.00), or both imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the court, shall be imposed 
upon any person who attempts to commit any of the prohibited acts in the preceding section, in 
violation of subsection (b)(17) thereof; 
 
(c) Imprisonment of not less than two (2) years but not more than six (6) years or a fine of 
not less than Two hundred thousand pesos   (P200,000.00)   but   not   more  than   Five   hundred 
thousand pesos (P500,000.00), or both imprisonment and fine at the discretion of the court, shall 
be imposed upon any person found guilty of unlawfully benefiting from the proceeds or fruits of 
any of the   prohibited   acts   in   the   preceding    section,   in  violation   of subsection (b)(18) 
thereof; 
 
(d) Perpetual disqualification from public office aside from the penalty  of fine or  
imprisonment  or  both,  shall be  imposed if the offender is a public officer, and confiscation or 
forfeiture in favor of  the government  of  the objects  and  the instrumentalities used in the 
commission  of  any  of the prohibited  act in  the preceding section; 
 
(e)   If the offender is a corporation, partnership or association, or other juridical entity, 
the penalty shall be imposed upon the officer or officers of the corporation, partnership, 
association or entity responsible for the violation without prejudice to the cancellation or 
revocation of these entities’ registration, license or accreditation issued to them by any licensing 
or accredited body of the government. If such offender is an alien, the person shall, in addition to 
the penalties prescribed in this Act, be deported without further proceedings after service of the 
sentence; 
 
(f) Payment of the full cost of repair or replacement of the government risk reduction and 
preparedness equipment, accessories and other vital facility or items, or any part thereof, which is 
the object of the crime shall likewise be imposed upon any person who shall commit any of the 
prohibited acts in the preceding section; and 
 
(g) The prosecution for offenses set forth under the preceding section shall be without 
prejudice to any criminal liability for violation of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as 
the “The Revised Penal Code", and other existing laws, as well as the imposition of applicable 
administrative or civil liabilities. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
APPROPRIATIONS 
 
 
SECTION 68.  Appropriations.  - (a) The amount needed for the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year’s unexpended appropriation of all agencies 


herein absorbed, transferred, and attached to the Department. Thereafter, the amount needed for 
the operation and maintenance of the Department shall be included in the General Appropriations 
Act. 
 
(b)   National Disaster Resilience Fund (NDRF). The utilization and allocation of the 
entire NDRF (Calamity Fund) and its quick response fund component shall be managed by the 
Department except as provided for by specific laws. 
 
 
(c) Local Disaster Resilience Fund (LDRF). Not less than seven percent (7%) of the 
estimated revenue from regular sources shall be set aside as the LDRF to support disaster rick and 
vulnerability reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation programs, projects   and   
activities.   The LDRC shall monitor and evaluate the use and disbursement of the LDRF based 
on the LDRP as incorporated in the local development plans and annual work and financial plan. 
Upon the recommendation of the LDRO and approval of the sanggunian concerned, the LDRC 
may transfer the said fund to support the disaster risk and vulnerability reduction   and climate 
change adaptation work and initiatives of other LDRCs that are declared under a state of calamity. 
 
(1) Of the amount appropriated for LDRF, twenty percent (20%) shall be allocated 
as Quick Response Fund (QRF) or standby fund for prepositioning of goods and relief   
and early recovery programs in order that the situation and living conditions of people in 
communities or areas stricken by disasters, epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be 
normalized as quickly as possible. 
 
(2) Of the annual appropriation for the LDRF, eighty percent (80%) shall be 
appropriated for climate change adaptation, disaster risk and vulnerability reduction, 
prevention, adaptation and mitigation programs, projects and activities focusing on both 
institutional capacity building of vulnerable communities and risk-reducing infrastructure. 
The NDRC shall pass a resolution to set the priority allocations and govern and trigger the 
acceleration and implementation of this section. 
 
(3) Of the amount appropriated for the Disaster Resilience Fund, twenty percent 
(20%) shall be allocated as Quick Response Fund (QRF) or standby fund for 
prepositioning of goods and equipment and relief and early recovery programs in order 
that the situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by 
disasters, epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be normalized as quickly as possible. 
 
(4) All departments/agencies and LGUs that are allocated with LDRF shall submit 
to the Department their monthly statements on the utilization of LDRF and make an 
accounting thereof in accordance with existing accounting and auditing rules. 
 
(5) All departments, bureaus, offices and agencies of the government are hereby 
authorized to use a portion of their appropriations to implement projects designed to 
address disaster risk and vulnerable reduction-climate change adaptation activities in 
accordance with the DRP and the guidelines to be issued by the DRC in coordination with 
the Department Budget and Management (DBM) and Commission on Audit (COA). 
 
Unexpended LDRF shall accrue to a trust fund solely for the purpose of supporting 
disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation activities of the 
LDRCS within the next two (2) years. Any such amount still not fully utilized after two 
(2) years shall revert back to the general fund and will be available for other social services 
to be identified by the local sanggunian. 
 
The NDRC shall issue guidelines on the utilization and release of LDRF in 
coordination with other concerned government agencies. 
 
(d) Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness Fund for third (3rd) to sixth (6th) class 
provinces and municipalities. There shall be in the annual General Appropriations Act an amount 


allotted solely  for  the use of third  (3rd) sixth (6th) class provinces and municipalities for the 
purpose of augmenting their LDRF with respect to plans, programs, projects, and procurement for 
climate change   adaptation,   disaster   risk  prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. The 
requirements to avail of this fund shall be laid down in the rules and regulations to be promulgated 
by the Secretary. 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SECTION 69. Transfer and Attachment. —(a) The applicable powers, functions, fund, 
and appropriations of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Climate   Change Office (CCO), 
Geo-Hazard Assessment and Engineering Geology Section of the Mines and Geoscience Bureau  
(MGB),   Health   and   Emergency   Management   Bureau of the Department  of Health  (DOH),  
the Disaster  Response Assistance and Management  Bureau  (DREAMB)  of  the  DSWD,  and  
the Bureau of Fire Protection are hereby transferred to the Department. 
 
(b) The disaster risk reduction and management functions, assets and personnel of the 
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) currently under the DND, are hereby transferred to the Department, 
and the civil defense functions shall remain with the DND; 
 
(c) The existing organizational and administrative systems and processes of the transferred 
OCD shall serve as the core organization of the Department. 
 
(d) The Climate Change Office of the Climate Change Commission shall continue its 
functions under Republic Act No. 10174 under the Department. 
 
(e)   The following agencies are hereby attached to the Department: 
 
(l) 
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services 
Administration (PAGASA); arid 
 
(2) 
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). 
 
(f) The employees of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) shall remain as a distinct entity 
within the Department including their uniformed personnel status and benefits. 
 
The Department shall, by virtue of this Act, be subrogated to all the rights and assume all 
the liabilities of the agencies absorbed under this Act, and all their funds, records, property, assets, 
equipment, and such personnel as necessary, including unexpended appropriations or allocations. 
All contracts and liabilities of the said agencies are hereby transferred to and assumed by the 
Department and shall be acted upon in accordance with the Auditing Code and other pertinent 
laws, rules, and regulations. 
 
 
SECTION 70. Separation Benefits of Officials and Employees of Affected Agencies. — 
National government employees displaced or separated from the service as a result of this Act 
shall be entitled to separation pay and other benefits in accordance with Republic Act No. 6656, 
and other existing laws, rules or regulations: Provided, That  those  who  are  qualified  to  retire  
under  existing retirement laws  shall  be  allowed   to  retire  and  receive  retirement  benefits  to 
which they may be entitled under applicable laws and issuances. 
 
 
SECTION 71.   Magna Carta for DDR Personnel. - Qualified employees of the DDR, 
LGUs and its attached units shall be covered by Republic Act No.  8439, known as the “Magna 
Carta for Scientists, Engineers,   Researchers   and   Other S & T Personnel in the Government”, 
and Republic Act No. 7305, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta of Public Health Workers”. 
 
 
 


CHAPTER XXII 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
 
 
SECTION 72. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Department, in consultation 
with concerned stakeholders, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective 
implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SECTION 73. Congressional Oversight Committee. - There shall be created a 
Congressional Oversight Committee on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience to monitor and 
oversee the implementation of the provisions of this Act. The Committee shall be composed of 
six (6) members from the Senate and six (6) members from the House of Representatives with the 
Chairpersons of the Committees on National Defense and Security of both the Senate and the 
House of Representatives as joint Chairpersons of this Committee. 
 
 
The five (5) other members from each Chamber are to be designated by the Senate   
President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The minority shall be 
entitled to pro rata representation but shall have at least two (2) representatives from each 
Chamber. 
 
SECTION 74. Review. - Five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act, or as the need 
arises, the Congressional Oversight Committee shall conduct a systematic evaluation of the 
accomplishments and impact of this Act,  as well as the performance  and organizational structure 
of its implementing  agencies,  for purposes of determining remedial legislation. 
 
SECTION 75. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force 
and effect. 
 
SECTION 76. Repealing Clause. —  
 
(a) Republic Act No. 10121, otherwise known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction 
and Management Act of 2010,” is hereby repealed. 
 
(b)   The following provisions are hereby amended or modified, accordingly: 
 
(1) Section 30 of Executive Order No. 128, Series of 1987, Reorganizing the 
National Science and Technology Authority; 
 
(2) Section 6 of Republic Act 6975, otherwise known as the ‘Department of the 
Interior and Local Government Act of 1990”; 
 
(3) Sections 3(d) and 5 of Republic Act No. 9729, otherwise known as the “Climate 
Change Act of 2009”, as amended by Republic Act No. 10174; 
 
(4) Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10639, otherwise known as “The Free Mobile 
Disaster Alerts Act"; and 
 
(5) Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10692, otherwise known as “The PAGASA 
Modernization Act of 2015”. 
 
(c) All other laws, decrees, executive orders and issuances, proclamations, rules and 
regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof that are inconsistent with the provisions of this 
Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
 
 
  


SECTION 77. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,