Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano took to Facebook to emphasize the importance of year-round disaster preparedness.
Cayetano made the point in a livestream during a recent meeting of Taguig City officials to coordinate the city’s response to Typhoon Inday.
The Taguigeño senator shared how the City has been working “year-round” to ensure preparedness for any disaster and mitigate risk.
“Ito ay emergency meeting para sa preparation sa landfall. But the message is not that we’re preparing, but that we’re prepared,” the veteran legislator said. “Iba ang paghahanda, iba ang handa na.”
The husband of Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano cited the city’s comprehensive and year-round approach to disaster management, including clearing waterways, checking roof safety, strictly enforcing building and land-use regulations, and warning against illegal electrical connections that may cause fires.
The seasoned lawmaker also emphasized that good disaster management programs require both capable leadership and public participation.
“Kahit anong galing ng leader, kung ‘yung constituents, kung ‘yung mga taumbayan hindi nagko-cooperate, wala rin mangyayari.”
“I want to thank ‘yung constituents natin kasi kahit anong galing ng leader, kung ‘yung constituents, kung ‘yung mga taumbayan hindi nagko-cooperate, wala rin mangyayari,” he said.
Cayetano has long pushed for stronger national disaster preparedness. In the 20th Congress, he filed as one of his priority measures Senate Bill No. 105 or the proposed Emergency Response Department Act to create a dedicated department that would work year-round to plan for, respond to, and help communities recover from disasters.
He first filed a similar measure in 2013 after Super Typhoon Yolanda and has since been consistently renewing the said proposal.
“Kailangan pagdating sa pagmi-mitigate ng mga disasters at saka pagdating sa rehabilitation, may isang natuturo, may isang accountable, at isang nakatutok talaga dyan,” Cayetano earlier said.
Nonetheless, he honored the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and other disaster responders in Taguig and across the country for their dedication.
“Let me honor not only the NDRRMC, but every single group that has been meeting, not only today, but others over the weekend, depending on the area, especially in the north,” Cayetano said.
He called for prayers for national renewal, noting that flooding is caused by environmental abuse and worsened by corruption in flood control infrastructure.
“Kung ano ang itatanim, ‘yan din ang aanihin.”
“Kung ano ang itatanim, ‘yan din ang aanihin. So kung may massive urbanization, kung saan-saan nagtatambak, reclamation, mga estero, mga riverbeds, tapos mayroon pang graft and corruption sa ghost flood projects, [babaha talaga],” Cayetano said.
“Pray that there’s a real change, repentance, renewal, reformation in our country,” he concluded.
