A study is batting for the enactment of laws on pre-disaster recovery planning (PDRP) which is a key component of recovery and rehabilitation of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM). Dr. Ebinezer Florano of the University of the Philippines said the Republic Act (RA) 10121, otherwise known as the Philippine DRRM Act, can be amended to include PDRP. "PDRP is a proactive process of anticipating future recovery issues, developing a scenario-based recovery plan and building the capacity to improve recovery outcomes – all before a disaster happens,” he said in a study released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
Florano said there are already government entities abroad which have used PDRP, including those in Japan and some Latin American countries. He said there is also a need to require all government agencies to draft their own continuity plans through a new law or amendment to RA 10121. Florano said post-disaster recovery efforts are focused on reviving the economy, infrastructure , agriculture and tourism, among others. "Little or no attention at all is given to revive governance institutions like the seats of government, the various government offices, legislative council offices, etc.
These are essential offices for the implementation of recovery programs, plans, and projects; hence, there is need for continuity plans for them,” he said. Apart from the institutionalization of the PDRP, the study recommended that the poor be relocated from dangerous areas to safer places and provide alternative sources of livelihood with proper consultation. "Before a disaster strikes, they should be relocated, which is more cost-efficient than providing rescue operations with relief goods every time there is a calamity,” he said.
