Senator Bong Go has once again pushed for the establishment of a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), aiming to improve the country’s approach to disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response.

Reintroducing the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience Act of 2025, Go seeks to create a centralized agency that will consolidate all disaster-related functions currently spread across various government bodies.

Go had filed a similar measure in the 19th Congress. This time, he emphasized the urgency of forming “a more centralized and empowered structure… to address the country’s vulnerability to natural and human-induced disasters.”

Under the proposed law, the DDR would be granted emergency powers to ensure timely and effective disaster response.

The senator argued for the need to shift away from a fragmented disaster response system, calling for “a full-time department solely focused on building disaster resilience.”

“It is only through the creation of a highly specialized government agency, with all its resources fully focused on its mandate, that the events of past disasters can be avoided,” Go said.

He further stated, “Natural disasters can cause such far-reaching and impactful consequences that it has become clear that a comprehensive, specialized and focused approach is the only way to move forward from the effects of natural disasters.”

Go also pointed out shortcomings in the current system under Republic Act 10121, which created the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), noting its multi-agency nature leads to operational challenges.

The bill proposes a DDR that will adopt a whole-of-society approach by working closely with other national agencies, local governments, civil society groups, communities, and international partners to lead and manage comprehensive disaster resilience efforts nationwide.