Disaster resilience bill refiled

A SENATOR on Tuesday said he had refiled a bill that seeks to create a government agency for disaster preparedness and a network of food banks.

In a statement on Tuesday, Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito Estrada said that he had refiled the Disaster Resilience Bill that seeks to create a government agency that coordinates, enhances, and expedites operations related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

He had also refiled the Disaster Food Bank and Stockpile Bill, which seeks to create local food and non-food stockpiles to ensure urgent relief and humanitarian assistance for families displaced by natural calamities and emergencies.

“Disaster resilience begins long before the typhoon hits or the ground shakes. It starts with smart planning, readiness, and rapid response capabilities,” he said. “These two proposed laws aim to address the gaps that often lead to avoidable loss of lives, hunger, and delayed recovery.”

The Philippines, which lies along the typhoon belt in the Pacific, experiences about 20 storms each year.

It also lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike. — Adrian H. Halili