House to hold Wednesday session at Batangas City Convention Center

The House of Representatives is holding its session on Wednesday at the Batangas City Convention Center to listen to the plight of individuals and families who were displaced due to the eruption of Taal Volcano.

During the resumption of its session on Monday after a month-long recess, the chamber adopted the motion of Majority Leader Martin Romualdez to hold their session at the convention center.

In his privilege speech, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano urged his fellow lawmakers to come up with long-lasting and reliable solutions to address the effects of disasters and calamities.

More importantly, Cayetano said what House members should do is to listen to grievances of those who were directly affected by the eruption.

"The leadership of the House is proposing that we hold our session on Wednesday in the Batangas City Convention Center," Cayetano said.

According to Cayetano, one the biggest evacuation centers in Batangas is the sports coliseum located beside the convention center.

"The proposal is that we move to become a Committee of the Whole and listen to different representatives from all over Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, listen to the first responders, listen to those who are directly affected," he added.

Cayetano earlier said the House is prioritizing the approval of the measure seeking to create the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).

The DDR is envisioned to be the government agency "responsible, accountable, and liable for leading, managing, and organizing national efforts to prevent and reduce disaster risks, prepare for and respond to disasters, and recover, rehabilitate, and build forward better after the destruction."

Apart from this department, Cayetano said the House will also push for the immediate passage of the bills on the proposed Department of Filipinos Overseas and the Department of Water Resources. — RSJ, GMA News