With Mindanao and the rest of the country being battered by disasters, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go on Thursday reiterated the “urgent” need for the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) agency.

In an interview here, Go said the DDR would assist the government in disaster preparation, coordination, and immediate assistance, particularly in times of calamity where loss of life, injury, and property damage are anticipated.

Go was in this city as a special guest at the International Childhood Cancer Day and World Health Organization Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer’s 5th Philippine anniversary held at the SMX Convention Center.

“There should be a Cabinet secretary that will focus on the area hit by a calamity. He or she will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the prepositioning of goods and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for evacuation,” he said at the sidelines of the event.

Go noted that the country remains highly vulnerable to multiple hazards being geographically located within the typhoon belt and the “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes, flooding, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, droughts, and landslides pose serious risks.

“Since we are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, disasters keep coming back. One factor also is climate change,” Go added.

With proper coordination between the LGUs and agencies, the lawmaker said aid, rehabilitation, and other disaster interventions will be delivered faster.

He vowed to push for the proposed bill that remains pending at the committee level, deeming it necessary for the country. (PNA)