Marcos highlights shift from reactive to predictive disaster response

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said his administration has shifted to predictive disaster response, establishing a nationwide disaster response infrastructure network targeted to expedite the delivery of relief and assistance to calamity-hit communities.

In his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos on Monday said the national government has extended assistance to 600,000 families affected by the recent earthquakes in Visayas and Mindanao, amounting to at least P3 billion worth of assistance.

“We have moved on from the reactive approach. Now, we’re not only proactive, but predictive as well, aided by digital tools,” the President said in his speech.

“The strategies of public-private supply chains, hubs-and-spokes warehousing, automated production, and wide-scale pre-positioning of food and non-food supplies in LGUs have proven their efficacy,” he said.

According to Marcos, the government has established a nationwide disaster response infrastructure network composed of primary disaster resource centers in Luzon and Visayas, with another planned for Mindanao, as well as 15 hubs, 76 spokes, and 919 last-mile facilities across the country.

“Because of this robust system, delivery of emergency nourishment and relief to target areas is now made possible within 24 hours,” he said.

The President further said the government is ready to deploy Mobile Energy Systems to provide emergency power in areas affected by disasters, to be complemented by the Government Emergency Communications System and the country’s first satellite-to-mobile service, which he said would help ensure uninterrupted telecommunications during crises.

“Dahil mayroon na tayong konsepto ng State of Imminent Disaster, hindi na natin hihintayin na mangyari ang sakuna. Aagapan natin ang paghahanda at pagresponde,” Marcos said.

(Because we now have a concept of State of Imminent Disaster, we will no longer wait for crisis to strike, we will prepare and swiftly respond.)

“And so, taking all these lessons to heart, our overarching mission and all our conscious efforts henceforth must not be to simply uplift, but to ensure security and self-sufficiency of our nation and of our fellow Filipinos,” he added.

Marcos also said that aside from the 137 evacuation centers built all over the country, the government will begin building Ligtas Pinoy Centers, starting in areas frequently hit by typhoons such as Bicol, Eastern Samar, Bukidnon, and Davao de Oro.

"Ang mga gusali na ito ay dinisenyo upang kayanin ang mga malubhang kalamidad, tulad ng super-typhoon na 340 kilometers per hour ang lakas ng hangin, at magnitude 8.4 na lindol," he said.

"Ganoon din dapat ang taas ng kalidad at tibay ng lahat ng mga pribadong imprastraktura. Ang lahat ng gusali sa ating bansa ay dapat handa, at kayang manatiling matatag at nakatindig laban sa anumang banta ng sakuna at kalamidad.

(These buildings are designed to withstand severe disasters, such as super typhoons with wind speeds of up to 340 kilometers per hour and earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.4.)

(The same standard of quality and durability should apply to all private infrastructure. Every building in our country must be prepared and capable of remaining strong and standing firm against any threat posed by disasters and calamities.)

Marcos called on Congress to look into the possibility of amending the National Building Code, so that it complies with modern standards.) —LDF, GMA News