Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (Photo courtesy of DND)
MANILA – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) would serve as the "bridge" between concerted national government assistance and the local government units in times of calamities and emergencies.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. made this remark when asked what the agency is doing to beef up the country’s disaster preparedness and resiliency during the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) briefing held at the Hilton Hotel Manila, Pasay Wednesday.
"On our part what we want to be is the bridge between concerted national government assistance and efforts in all these aspects and the local government units. That is what the OCD is all about. So, it’s a matter of marshaling and coordinating all efforts," he added.
Teodoro also lauded the efforts of Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian whose agency also has a major role in preparedness and response and rehabilitation.
"So, what the OCD is doing is to (increase) its coordinative functions to get as reliable and timely information and analyze this in as much a real-time situation or scenario as possible for concerted efforts of the national government. In case a local government unit cannot cope with a natural or a man-made disaster," the DND chief explained.
Teodoro, also the chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, also noted that the OCD, along with the rest of the national government, continues to partner with national and international humanitarian agencies to advocate for the best practices in disaster risk reduction.
"That being said, in the DND Proper, the Armed Forces of the Philippines too are tasked – big share – of helping our people in times of crisis and in terms of delivering basic goods and services when communities are isolated as we see now," he added.
Teodoro also said that great strides have been made by the DND's partner agencies with the primary responsibility for preparedness and resiliency.
This includes the Department of the Interior and Local Government because local government units under it act as first responders in times of calamities.
He added that the Department of Science and Technology, through the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), has done a lot in terms of predictive capabilities for natural calamities.
Teodoro also said the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are also sparing no effort in terms of ensuring disaster mitigation and resilience.
"To add to that, the coordination between the DSWD, of course, anchored on the much improved predictive capabilities of PAGASA and Phivolcs has allowed us to adequately plan beforehand and marshal our resources more efficiently in order to serve our people in a faster manner. And it is a testament to the close coordination between cabinet members that we are able to function this efficiently," he added. (PNA)
