DAVAO CITY — Two lawmakers in the House of Representatives are pushing for a measure that will mandate the government to adopt a streamlined relief system that is “secured, expedient, and responsive” to the needs of disaster victims.
On Friday, Davao City First District Representative Paolo Duterte and Benguet Representative Eric Yap filed House Bill 4809, which aims to provide free freight services to duly registered relief organizations for the transportation of emergency relief goods and donated articles to areas that are declared under a state of calamity by the President or by the local government units.
The lawmakers said that the measure is necessary, as the country is nestled in the Pacific Ring of Fire and is hit by at least 20 destructive typhoons every year.
“This is critical given that the country’s geography is an archipelago, mainly requiring common carriers, freight forwarders, freight companies, and other logistics companies to collect, sort, store, transport, and deliver relief goods, including those donated by international and local donors to areas declared in a state of calamity in the most economical, reliable, speedy and secured manner,” Duterte said.