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Legarda urges gov't: Focus on COVID-19, mainstream disaster resilience

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/life/11/11/20201111-ulysses-sanjose-camarines.jpg"/><figcaption>A man carries a child to safety as a rescue team from the local government helps a family trapped in floodwaters in Barangay Boclod in San Jose, Camarines Sur on Wednesday. <em>San Jose LGU photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The proposed departments of water and disaster resilience are relevant but not urgent as government must focus on the pandemic after a series of typhoons brought widespread flooding in Luzon, a lawmaker said Thursday.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/25/20/senators-seek-creation-of-water-agency-after-record-floods">Senators seek creation of water agency after record floods</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/25/20/creation-of-water-department-pushed-after-severe-luzon-flooding">Creation of water department pushed after severe Luzon flooding</a></li></ul><p>Antique Rep. Loren Legarda, who has authored bills for the creation of both agencies, said she was willing to &quot;set it aside for now&quot; and urged government to mainstream disaster risk reduction.</p><p>&quot;During this COVID-19 pandemic all our resources must be focused to a sustainable recovery both in economic, livelihood and health of our people. I am willing to set it aside for now because COVID-19 has slowed down and changed everything,&quot; she told ANC&#x27;s Headstart.</p><p>&quot;It does not mean these departments are not relevant. In the meantime, we must mainstream climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/20/government-needs-to-mainstream-disaster-resilience-jalad">Government needs to mainstream disaster resilience: Jalad</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/29/20/strengthen-ndrrmc-instead-of-creating-new-disaster-department-senators-told">&#x27;Strengthen&#x27; NDRRMC, instead of creating new disaster department, Senators told</a></li></ul><p>Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon earlier said government does not have the budget to create new agencies and urged lawmakers to focus next year&#x27;s spending plan on the health and social sector as the pandemic persisted.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/23/20/drilon-nixes-new-agencies-wants-2021-budget-to-focus-on-health-social-sector">Drilon nixes new agencies, wants 2021 budget to focus on health, social sector</a></li></ul><p>&quot;It will be a disaster because what we need are additional disaster or calamity funds, not additional bureaucracy. For every department you create you spend one and a half billion in terms of salary and MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses) and you add to the bureaucracy,&quot; he said.</p><p>Legarda, however, said whether the body that would be created was a council or a new agency depends on its leaders.</p><p>&quot;Whether you are an NDRRM council…or if it’s a new department, hindi &#x27;yan sa form, sa istruktura. Nasa mga pagpapatakbo &#x27;yan. Of course nand&#x27;yan ang mandato, ang pondo,&quot; she said.</p><p>(It&#x27;s not about the form, the structure but the officials. Of course mandate and funds are given.)</p><p>&quot;I would not want to raise false hopes of our people, if it’s not funded, if it’s not populated with the brightest minds, it will just be ink on paper.&quot;</p><p>Government should also prohibit logging and quarrying in protected areas and watersheds as the country only has less than 1 million hectares of primary forest left out of its total land area of 30 million hectares, Legarda said.</p><p>&quot;Watersheds are known to all of us and protected areas have been legislated. Sa tingin ko, I may sound too idealistic, &#x27;pag watershed, &#x27;pag protected area, talagang protektahan,&quot; she said.</p><p>(In my opinion, I may sound too idealistic, but watersheds and protected areas should be really guarded.)</p><p>&quot;It is up to science to decide which areas would be allowed to be quarried, to be mined.&quot;</p><p>Legarda also said she filed a resolution in February calling for the declaration of climate emergency.</p><p>&quot;Just 3 points on the drivers of climate change: Ecosystems decline, rural vulnerable livelihood, and weak governance. &#x27;Pag yang tatlong yan, &#x27;pag yan ay mangyari, &#x27;yan ay nagdudulot ng kamatayan at sakuna na nangyari sa atin,&quot; she said.</p><p>(If these 3 happen, these will cause death and disaster that happened to us.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dfa-9a4-sc4?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>A staunch environmentalist and former chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee, Legarda said investing in disaster risk resilience is imperative, but this is not limited to budget allocations.</p><p>She cited the example of Bangladesh, where &quot;indigenous and low-cost&quot; early warning systems tell everyone of forthcoming disasters and advise them to evacuate if necessary.</p><p>She also reminded agencies that information must be communicated to the public early and in a manner that is easily understandable.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-QbCyoMCG_k?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The proposed departments of water and disaster resilience are relevant but not urgent as government must focus on the pandemic after a series of typhoons inundated Luzon, a lawmaker said Thursday.</p>

The proposed departments of water and disaster resilience are relevant but not urgent as government must focus on the pandemic after a series of typhoons inundated Luzon, a lawmaker said Thursday.