The House of Representatives is set to hold its plenary session on Wednesday at the Batangas City Convention Center in a bid to listen “directly” to the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption.

During his opening speech at the resumption of the session on Monday, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House leadership made the proposal since the Batangas City Sports Coliseum, which was turned into one of the biggest evacuation centers for the affected families, is beside the convention center.

“The proposal is that we move to become a Committee of the Whole and listen to different representatives from all over Laguna, Cavite, Batangas; listen to the first responders, listen to those who are directly affected,” Cayetano said.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez raised the motion on the conduct of the session in Batangas City and was subsequently approved by the plenary.

“In view of the unanimity in spirit, and the consensus arrived at by the leaders of the House at your office, and at your instance, we move to hold the session this Wednesday at the Batangas City Convention Center at 1 p.m.,” Romualdez said.

Cayetano said he has already tasked the House Committee on Disaster Management, chaired by Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, to consolidate all efforts for the recovery and rehabilitation of the affected people from Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite.

“We want to come up with a feasible, strategic and comprehensive rehabilitation plan and assign whether it is one person, one agency or one department that will be fully accountable,” he said.

Cayetano earlier promised that the House would fast-track the passage of a measure proposing the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience. (PNA)