La THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020
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Disaster warning system
THE eruption of Taal Voleano reminds Filipinos that
there’s that urgent need to upgrade the disaster warn-
ing and monitoring system of this impoverished but
natural resources-rich Southeast Asian nation.
‘ But while millions wallow in grinding poverty due to
the often occurrence of destructive natural disasters,
like typhoons, floods and earthquakes, we are fortu-
nate to have well-meaning public servants.
These officials now want the government to fast track
the acquisition of equipment needed to upgrade the Phil-
ippines’ monitoring and warning program for volcanic
eruption, earthquake and tsunami.
This followed complaints of residents of five South-
ern Luzon provinces on the lack of adequate warnings
related to the impact of the phreatic explosion of Taal
Volcano late Sunday afternoon.
But House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said
“we do not fault the Phivoles (Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology) for the lack of adequate
warnings on the impact of the...explosion.”
This is the reason why Congress included more than
221.48 million capital outlays in the P588.12 million
total budget of Phivoles for 2020, said the United States-
educated’House leader. _ a :
It is really difficult to predict the occurrence of vol-
seule crupdon and ened ee according to Ro-
mualdez, a lawyer and husband of Tingog party-list Rep.
Yedda Marie K. Romualdez of ee
The lady solon, chair of the House committee on the
welfare of children, said the Taal eruption underscores
the need for Congress to hasten the passage of the bill
creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).
Like the articulate Yedda Romualdez, Speaker Alan
Peter Cayetano, Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman party-
list Rep. Mikee Romero and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda
want the early approval of the bill setting up the DDR.
In the view of many, upgrading Phivoles’ disaster
warning system for voleanic eruption, earthquake and
tsunami and establishing the proposed DDR deserve
the all-out support of the Filipino people. Pag. yy