Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano expressed deep sympathy for disaster victims and urged the swift passage of Senate Bill No. 105 which he filed to create an Emergency Response Department (ERD), saying lives depend on stronger protection in times of crisis.
“Let us come together in prayer and solidarity with our kababayan. Disasters do not choose time and place, at ang Pilipinas ay isa sa pinaka-vulnerable sa mga sakuna. That’s why it’s our shared duty to prepare, be vigilant, and to always put the safety and welfare of every Filipino first,” Cayetano said.
“It’s our shared duty to prepare, be vigilant, and to always put the safety and welfare of every Filipino first.”
“Big hug sa mga taga Quezon. Of course po, prayers pa rin po sa mga taga Mindanao, lalo po Davao area at lahat po ng area na tinamaan ng earthquake sa Cebu, doon sa reeling pa sa ating mga bagyo,” the veteran legislator added.
This followed a series of powerful earthquakes in recent days.
Most recently, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Surigao del Sur at 10:32 PM on October 11, just hours after a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Cabangan, Zambales at 5:32 PM the same day.
A day earlier, on October 10, Davao Oriental was rocked by massive tremors measuring magnitude 7.4 and 6.8. Prior to that, on October 9, a magnitude 4.8 quake was recorded in La Union.
Just a week earlier, Cebu and parts of Visayas were rocked by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on September 30. Weeks priori, the combined effects of the southwest monsoon (habagat) and three tropical cyclones–Mirasol, Nando, and Opong–left at least 26 people dead and nearly 2.8 million affected across the country.
Cayetano, who has consistently emphasized disaster preparedness and community resilience, said the recent disasters highlight the urgency of creating a stronger and centralized emergency response system.
The senator noted that the steep cost of calamities, both in lives and in economic losses, demands institutional reform through the establishment of a unified emergency response agency.
“From 2018 to 2022, disasters and incidents caused by natural hazards caused P226 billion worth of damage and losses. In 2023 alone, natural hazards caused P24.49 billion in total damages,” he said.
Cayetano stressed that better coordination and preparedness are not only about saving lives but also about avoiding billions in wasted resources that the government spends on relief and rehabilitation after every calamity.
He described the proposed measure as a “science-based, people-centered” institution that would oversee disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in a unified manner.
It would also absorb key functions such as the 911 Nationwide Emergency Hotline system to ensure faster coordination and response.
“We may not be able to stop disasters, but we can empower ourselves with knowledge, training, education, equipment, tools, and the right infrastructure.”
“We may not be able to stop disasters, but we can empower ourselves with knowledge, training, education, equipment, tools, and the right infrastructure to cope with disasters so many lives would not be lost and there would be less devastation,” he said.
Cayetano added that while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has hardworking personnel, its current structure limits the speed and coordination of disaster response.
“God forbid that the ‘Big One’ hits Metro Manila, and it can also hit Mindanao, Metro Cebu, or Baguio City. Not only should we consider the preparedness,” he said.
“We can’t have an ad-hoc response to disasters every time. We have to have one department in charge of this and systems in place para ready to respond tayo lagi,” Cayetano added.
His statement also comes ahead of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) last October 13, which serves as a global reminder to strengthen preparedness, improve early warning systems, and build resilience against disasters.
