New agencies pushed vs disasters

MANILA, Philippines — A senior administration official lamented the absence of implementing rules and regulations for the government’s newest agency, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Planning (DHSUP), nearly a year after President Duterte signed it into law.

“We do not yet have a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) but we should already have a DHSUP which was given certain mandates on disaster resilience and recovery, particularly those relating to housing concerns,” Rep. Ron Salo of party-list Kabayan and author of the DHSUP said.

“Ten months is more than enough time for the implementing rules and the reorganization of the government housing sector into the new DHSUP. In fact, Republic Act 11201 provides a six-month deadline for the transition,” he complained.

Last month, a joint panel of the House of Representatives approved the bill creating a DDR – which has been pending since the 17th Congress from June 2016 to June 2019 – as the primary agency responsible leading government efforts before, during, and after disasters.

House Bill 1151 creating the DDR is undergoing deliberations at the lower legislative chamber.

“It is already four months after that deadline, which is in violation of the express provision of the law,” he pointed out, adding that “we do not yet have a DHSUP secretary, nor do we have any semblance of the new department taking shape.”

Salo noted that DHSUP has “disaster preparation and recovery mandates” as per RA 11201 which could have started, and where the secretary could have focused on “disaster response and recovery operations for residential areas.”