A CONGRESSMAN on Monday said Congress could amend the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) charter to include disaster management among its mandates, helping improve inter-agency coordination and disaster mitigation efforts.
Party-list Rep. Rodolfo M. Ordanes also said including disaster management responsibilities under the DILG would be cheaper instead of creating a new, standalone executive agency.
“We do not need a new department to take charge of disaster risk reduction and management (DRMM). We only have to amend the Charter of the Department of the Interior and Local Government by including a DRRM mandate and line bureau with DRRM responsibilities,” Mr. Ordanes said in a statement.
“This way, the DILG Secretary is going to be directly responsible and accountable. The DILG Secretary can coordinate and manage DRRM of all (local government units). Any of the DILG bureaus and offices can be given specific DRRM tasks,” he added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
