Marcos eyes placing NDRRMC under OP

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Tuesday he is eyeing to place the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) under the Office of the President to streamline disaster response efforts.

Marcos made the remark during his visit to Tacloban City for the 9th anniversary commemoration of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Marcos emphasized the need to enhance disaster response measures and rehabilitation projects following the destruction brought by recent typhoons.

“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 told reporters.

“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,” he added.

The administration continues to refine the procedures and processes to respond quickly during calamities, said the President.

“We can only do more in terms of actual bringing the assistance, putting the infrastructure together, and making sure that the LGUs are functioning, there is communication, that there is power,” Marcos said.

“This can be done if — now there’s the NDRRMC and they are the ones who are tasked to do this. But I think it would be equally, if not a more robust system, if we put it under the Office of the President. So that’s what we are planning to do in the near future,” he added.

At present, the NDRRMC is under the Department of National Defense (DND). It is responsible for ensuring protection and welfare during times of disasters and emergencies.

The NDRRMC, which is composed of various government, non-government, civil sector and private sector organizations, is vested with the overall policy-making, coordination, integration, supervision, monitoring and evaluation functions focusing on disaster risk reduction and management.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is the implementing arm of the NDRRMC.

Meanwhile, Marcos assured residents of Tacloban City that the government would continue to prioritize its recovery, including the completion of the resettlement of the displaced families and the provision of support to affected businesses.

Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the country on November 8, 2013 and claimed more than 6,000 lives. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News