Marcos said that as typhoons become much stronger and calamities more destructive, pursuing much-needed reforms to make the country more proactive and responsive to disasters become more imperative.
“We will put the national disaster response team under the Office of the President. And I think that we are headed in that direction because of the weather that we are suffering now from the effects of climate change,” Marcos said during his visit to Tacloban City for the commemoration of the 9th anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda.
“I think that overall, we can say that the disaster response has been a good one. However, I believe that there are ways that we can make it even more streamlined,” the President pointed out.
The NDRRMC, whose main task is to ensure protection and welfare of the people in times of disaster and calamities, is currently under the Department of National Defense. Its implementing arm is the Office of the Civil Defense.
Super Typhoon Yolanda, tagged as the “most powerful storm that made landfall in the country,” struck the Philippines, particularly the Eastern Visayas in 2013, leaving over 6,000 people dead and billions worth of damage to property, including residential houses.
The government has since implemented the Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan and provided affected families with food assistance, cash-for-work programs, and Emergency Shelter Assistance.
During the commemoration ceremony held at the Yolanda Memorial Mass Grave at the Holy Cross Memorial Garden, Marcos assured the people of Tacloban that the government would continue to prioritize its recovery, especially the completion of the resettlement of the displaced families and the provision of support to affected businesses. (SunStar Philippines)