Policy and Legislative Agenda

Infrastructure

Proposed Legislation/Key Actions to Enforce Existing Laws/Policy Issuances Rationale

Strong enforcement of the Republic Act 6541: National Building Code of the Philippines, particularly Section 1.01.07: Unsanitary, Unsafe, Hazardous, or Dangerous Sites.

Amendment in the DENR-EMB Circular No. 2015-008 for the online processing of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for government infrastructure projects.

Institutionalization of the Universal Access Fund (UAF) for broadband services in the country.

Development and institutionalization of a Regional ICT Infrastructure Plan for Western Visayas. Formulation of guidelines by DPWH, DICT, DOE and LWUA for accommodating utilities within the highway right-of-way. It should have provisions for the development of underground utility boxes for communication and power lines. Amendment of the General Insurance Fund Guidelines under the Property Insurance Law (RA 656) Several infrastructure projects implemented in the region were built on unsanitary, unsafe, hazardous, or dangerous sites including the coast, riverside, mountainside or near a cliff, beside a huge poultry farm, and on flat low-lying lands that are easily flooded. The strong enforcement of this law will ensure that all public infrastructure is built in the safe zone. The current online processing of ECC does not require the conduct of an actual site validation before the approval and issuance of the same. The amendment will require the conduct of site validation to establish the correctness of the documents submitted and ensure that there are no technical errors or manipulation done given the advancement in technology and editing software. This would call on all telecom operators to contribute 0.25% of gross revenue automatically into the UAF under the draft bill titled ‘An Act Institutionalizing a Universal Access Fund’, to be used to boost the development of broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. The plan will improve the functionality and resiliency of the wireless and wireline infrastructure and ensure the availability of mobile and internet connectivity services.

Apart from ensuring traffic safety, putting the utility lines underground, with proper protection, will ensure that the utility services are available during and even after a typhoon and other disasters.

The amendment will focus on providing the local government units with more cost-effective coverage and customized policy for quick disaster payouts. The improved guidelines should offer a catastrophe risk insurance facility to provide immediate liquidity as well as improve existing traditional insurance products to cater to the needs for emergency reconstruction and early recovery.

Social Services

Proposed Legislation

Department Order on the provision of cash grants for early recovery

Comprehensive Local Sustainable Transport and Active Mobility Code

Amendments to the provisions of RA 7305

Local ordinances on the establishment and maintenance of human milk banks and appropriating funds thereof. Full implementation of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Rationale

The immediate provision of cash grants is necessary for the early recovery of those severely affected by calamities, especially the poorest and most vulnerable populations.

Beneficiaries shall be economically empowered for them to be able to have appropriate control of limited resources to recover from the impacts of the recent calamity, deal with possible future shocks and prevent chronic poverty. A comprehensive policy in support of the use of Light Mobility Vehicles will be able to engage more individuals in active and sustainable transport. Sustainable transport and active mobility can aid affected individuals and families in recovering financially, in dealing with post-disaster trauma, and in helping build sustainable localities. Providing safe public spaces for transport will create more avenues for individuals to consider this mode of transport. The problems of having a limited number of frontline workers need attention especially when communities faced multilayered catastrophes such as being battered by a superstorm while living amid a pandemic. To prevent the out-migration of medical workers and to encourage the younger population to augment the medical workforce, an increase in the monetary benefits of medical and dental personnel, hospital utility workers, drivers of medical facilities, nutritionists, and laboratory staff needs to be increased. These include the salary, risk allowance, overtime pay, night differential and hazard pay of medical personnel, hospital utility workers, drivers of medical facilities, nutritionists, and laboratory staff. Fully-equipped human milk banks shall be established in district hospitals in the region to ensure that newborns and infants are provided with sufficient nutrition especially in post-disaster settings

Comprehensive, properly disaggregated and updated data shall aid evidence-informed planning and timely decision-making. It shall also be able to provide systematic identification of the affected populations for the immediate provision of gender-responsive, peace-promoting and culture-sensitive interventions post-disaster.

Proposed Legislation

Local ordinances on the creation of Evacuation Center Management Councils (ECMCs) at the city/municipal level and Evacuation Center Management Teams (ECMTs) per evacuation center The ECMCs shall provide timely, genderresponsive, peace-promoting, environment-friendly and culture-sensitive policy recommendations; develop action plans; establish inclusive feedback mechanisms; and develop monitoring and evaluation systems.

The ECMTs shall be responsible for the overall management of their respective evacuation centers in the context of disasters and beyond, taking into account the abovementioned strategies.

Rationale

Housing and Settlement

Proposed Legislation Rationale

Department Memorandum Circular to assess and expand the functionality of Local Housing Boards

The functions of Local Housing Boards shall not only be limited to clearing operations but to helping rebuild sustainable, safe, resilient and gender-responsive communities. Monitoring and Evaluation functions should also be considered in their functions. “No Build Zones” ordinances Local Government Units shall ensure that the building of residential, recreational and businessrelated structures in all hazard-prone areas in their localities shall strictly be prohibited.

Agriculture and Fisheries

Proposed Legislation

Institutionalizing regional development of locallysourced food packages for distribution during disaster relief operations

Enhancing local capacities and providing funds for the operationalization and maintenance of agriculture information systems

Enjoining LGUs to provide budget allocation for payment of insurance premiums of farmers and fisherfolks

Rationale

Ensure availability of nutritious products in the form of meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) food packs with extended shelf life which can be produced and sourced locally for distribution during times of disaster. This endeavor shall support local supply chains, increase income and add value to existing agriculture and fishery products. Regular updating of databases on agri-commodities (i.e. crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries), agrifishery machinery, infrastructures and irrigation facilities as well as a registry of farmers and fisherfolks shall guide the preparation of more responsive and socially inclusive plans for the agriculture sector LGUs particularly with high risk to hazards should allocate funds for insurance premiums of farmers and fisherfolks whose farms and livelihoods are usually affected during extreme weather conditions

Proposed Legislation

Institutionalizing regional development of locallysourced food packages for distribution during disaster relief operations Ensure availability of nutritious products in the form of meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) food packs with extended shelf life which can be produced and sourced locally for distribution during times of disaster. This endeavor shall support local supply chains, increase income and add value to existing agriculture and fishery products.

Rationale

Livelihood and Business Development

Proposed Legislation

Policy and Regulation on Climate and Disaster Risk Insurance for MSMEs

Rationale

MSMEs lack adequate risk management mechanisms that protect them from climate and disaster risks. Unlike in agriculture, there are only very few microinsurance products available for MSMEs offering protection against disasters. Policy and regulation on climate and disaster insurance for MSMEs shall provide the enabling mechanism for the development of more affordable insurance products and their regulation thereof to enhance MSME capacity to mitigate losses in times of natural disasters.

Tax Relief or Business Permit and Licensing Fees Moratorium Recommending the temporary suspension of business, taxes, permits and licensing fees in the aftermath of typhoons and other natural disasters.

Financing Payables Moratorium

Recommend to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas the temporary/ short-term suspension of monthly accounts payable of affected enterprises on both commercial and government financing institutions in areas affected by typhoons and other natural disasters. Access to Financial Sources Recommend to the BSP the opening of a new financing window by the institution for the affected MSMEs hardly hit by Odette

Cross-Sectoral

Proposed Legislation

Harmonized Guidelines on PDNA-RRP formulation Need to develop harmonized guidelines aligning sectoral classifications under the PDNA policy guide and the NEDA Rehabilitation and Recovery Guide to ensure cohesive analysis of damages, losses and needs and proper identification of rehabilitation and recovery interventions.

Rationale

Proposed Legislation Rationale

Build-Back-Better Manual Develop a harmonized guidelines on the observance of the build-back-better principle in all rehabilitation and recovery interventions to ensure effective implementation of post-disaster programs, projects and activities in line with international principles of disaster resilience and recovery. Enforcement of Presidential Decree No. 1067 Ensure strict enforcement of laws on water easements per Presidential Decree No. 1067 covering banks or rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural areas, and 40 meters in forest areas.

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.