Go welcomes the creation of a task force for post-typhoon rehabilitation

President Rodrigo Duterte was accompanied by Senator Christopher Go during his inspection of the areas affected by the typhoon on Sunday, November 15, 2020 (photo from Senator Christopher Go’s office).

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Christopher “Bong” Go welcomes President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent announcement of the creation of an interagency task force to accelerate the recovery and rehabilitation of areas affected by the recent series of typhoons.

In a statement released Monday, Go assured the public that a government-wide approach is being implemented to address the needs of typhoon survivors and ensure normalcy is restored as soon as possible in the typhoon-hit areas.

Meanwhile, the army and other uniformed government personnel continued search and rescue operations for the typhoon survivors.

“All agencies are ready to help all those affected and will continue to provide them with food, water, medicine and other relief assistance, including financial aid,” he said in Filipino. “Efforts are being made to restore electricity, communications and water in the affected areas.”

“You can trust that we will do everything we can to help you recover from this ordeal,” he added. “Your government will not let you down and it will always serve you. Let’s do bayanihan. “

A day earlier, on Sunday, Go joined the president in an aerial inspection of areas affected by the typhoon, such as the cities of Enrile, Iguig and Solana in Cagayan province. The president also spoke briefly with affected residents and there was a briefing with national and local officials in the city of Tuguegarao.

Later that day, Duterte and Go went to Camarines Sur for an aerial inspection of the cities of Minalabac and Bula and a briefing at the provincial capitol with key cabinet members and local officials.

“My office continues to provide additional assistance to our affected compatriots, especially those in need of medical assistance,” Go said.

‘All hands in the deck’

The Philippines has been hit by a series of typhoons in just two months in addition to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But throughout these crises, Go said the government had shown that it was above the board.

“Our government is in action. The president is in charge and participated in the planning and preparation process, ”Go said.

“We recorded fewer deaths, evacuated more people, warned a significant number of the population, and maintained security and order in communities compared to similar calamities in the past,” he added, explaining that government efforts continue to improve in terms of disaster preparedness. and answer.

Go stressed, however, that the government should do more.

“In addition to providing help, we also need to make sure that everything we do is in sync, coordinated and well done,” he said. “I cannot emphasize this enough: the government must act as one to ensure that the delivery of assistance is timely, effective and responsive.”

It recognized the crucial role that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) plays during disasters.

But he said the NDRRMC would need help implementing and monitoring post-disaster recovery.

“This is where the recovery and rehabilitation working group will come in,” he said. “It has a clear mandate and capacity to implement programs until our compatriots can rise again. This won’t stop until the job is done. “

Long term solution

However, in the long term, the country would need to create a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) to handle all these responsibilities.

Therefore, he repeated his call to his colleagues in the Senate to pass the measure he introduced last year: Senate Bill No. 205, or the Disaster Resilience Act of 2019, which would create the department.

“If my fellow legislators have reservations about this, let’s talk about this in the Senate,” he said. “We are all willing to listen and work together to find a solution to all this. The important thing is that we act without delay because what is at stake is the lives of the Filipinos.

Meanwhile, he appealed to the executive department to increase disaster funding for local government units, especially those trying to control the spread of COVID-19 while struggling to recover from other calamities.

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