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Proposed changes in disaster management law to breed abuse, corruption, say groups

Tuesday, 22 March 2011 00:00

By BENCYRUS ELLORIN
Correspondent

FACED by the horrific scenes in Japan after the March 11 magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami, Filipinos are now haunted by questions on their own country's readiness to deal with a catastrophe like that. But even as the law which provides the framework for disaster risk reduction and management gets to see the light of day, some lawmakers want to zap the essence of RA 10121 or the Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Act of 2010.

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas and Negros Oriental (2nd district) Rep. George P. Arnaiz, have filed in the 15th Congress House Bill 3813 which seeks to amend Sec. 21 of RA 10121. Civil society organizations advocating DRRM are mobilizing against the move to amend the law ahead of regional consultations on the measure starting this month. The Northern Mindanao consultation is scheduled on March 23 in Cagayan de Oro and March 24 for Caraga in Butuan City.

Office of Civil Defense director for Region 10 Carmelito Lupo encouraged DRRM stakeholders to participate in the consultations which would also get inputs for the National DRRM Framework Plan. Sec. 21 of the DRRM Law mandates that the local DRRM fund (LDRRMF), formerly known as calamity fund, be appropriated to the effect that 30 percent is set aside for disaster quick response and 70 percent as development fund to finance projects for prevention, mitigation and community readiness to disaster, like early warning systems, disaster resilient livelihood, health and evacuation systems.

The same section also provide that "unexpended LDRRMF shall accrue to a special trust fund solely for the purpose of supporting disaster risk reduction and management activities of the LDRRMCs within the next five years" and "any such amount still not fully utilized after five years shall revert back to the general fund and will be available for other local services to be identified by the local sanggunian."
The DRRMnet, a coalition of DRRM advocates nationwide, criticized HB 3813 for being "driven by self-interest and abetting corruption."

In the pre-DRRM Act period, the unexpended calamity fund can be reverted back to the general fund and can be used as gifts to local government employees. The DRRMnet said this practice is dangerous and that Sec. 21 of the DRRM Act is intended to stop this practice. It said local governments in some instances refuse to declare calamities even if direly needed so that the fund will be unexpended and then given as huge financial perks to local government employees, usually at the end of the year.

The group said some local governments give as much as P100,000 in gifts and bonuses to employees and funds used are from savings from the calamity fund. "There is a need for local governments to be educated on this very significant provision that its an investment and cost efficient wise to prevent a disaster event to happen. Again, there is corruption in disasters and the old 5% calamity fund prior to RA 10121 is subjected to a lot of corruption," said Mark Fernandez, DRRM specialist of the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction.

"We need to ensure that a funding from the LGU has to be allocated for both DRR and Climate Change Adaptation initiatives which includes all the processes from risk assessment and analysis, action planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation," he added. Proponents of HB 3813 "would rather use this unspent money for bonuses of government employees than prepare for the eventuality of a disaster. And when disaster strikes, they would for mercy from the national government, relief organizations and donor agencies," said Andres Tionko of the Panay Rural Development Center Inc.

Cervantez said that there is a need to integrate development in disaster risk reduction "simply because the more developed we are, the more resilient the people and communities become to disasters." The DRRMnet vowed to campaign against HB 3813 and call on government for the full implementation of the DRRM Act of 2010.