SUPORTADO ni Speaker Martin G. Romualdez ang panukala na ilipat sa ilalim ng Office of the President (OP) ang National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Naniniwala si Romualdez na mas magiging mabilis ang paghahanda sa mga paparating na kalamidad at pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng mga biktima kung ang NDRRMC ay direktang nasa ilalim ng tanggapan ng Pangulo.

“It simplifies the flow of responsibility and directives to the more than 30 departments, agencies and organizations sitting in the council,” sabi ni Romualdez.

Ang NDRRMC ay kasalukuyang nasa ilalim ng Department of National Defense-Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

“Like many nations, we have no choice but to prepare for these eventualities. Our situation is even peculiar, because we are visited by an average of 20 tropical storms every year. We have to streamline our disaster responses and the management of risks to natural calamities,” dagdag pa ni Romualdez.

Ang NDRRMC ay itinayo sa ilalim ng Republic Act (RA) No. 10121 o the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

Ang Council ay pinamumunuan ng kalihim ng DND.

Ang kalihim ng Department of Interior and Local Government ang vice chairperson for disaster preparedness, ang kalihim ng Department of Social Worker and Development (DSWD) ang vice chairperson for disaster response, ang kalihim ng Department of Science and Technology ang vice chairperson for disaster prevention and mitigation, at ang director general ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) ang vice chairperson for disaster rehabilitation and recovery.

Mga miyembro naman ng Council ang mga kalihim ng Departments of Health, of Environment and Natural Resources, of Agriculture, of Education, of Energy, of Finance, of Trade and Industry, of Transportation, of Budget and Management, of Public Works and Highways, of Foreign Affairs, of Justice, of Labor and Employment, at of Tourism.

Ang kinatawan ng OP sa Council ay ang Executive Secretary.