Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has renewed his call for the establishment of an Emergency Response Department (ERD) in response to recent volcanic smog from Taal Volcano, saying the country needs to be prepared for geological hazards and climate-related threats.
“We have to seriously consider establishing an Emergency Response Department or we’ll leave our kababayan defenseless in the face of climate change,” he said on Monday, August 19.
The senator’s renewed call follows a recent report from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) that said Taal Volcano emitted 3,355 tons of sulfur dioxide—a common sign of volcanic activity.
Taal Volcano is currently at Alert Level 1, indicating potential hazards such as small steam explosions, minor earthquakes, light ashfall, and the release of volcanic gases.
Senate Bill No. 66, also known as the ERD Act, reflects Cayetano’s commitment to advancing government measures for improving disaster resilience. The senator has consistently pointed out the Philippines’ vulnerability to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change.
Cayetano also stressed the importance of creating a streamlined and responsive ERD, which would operate “24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
“We may not be able to stop disasters but we can empower ourselves with knowledge, training, and the right infrastructure to cope with disasters so many lives would not be lost and there would be less devastation,” he said.
“The ultimate goal of this proposed legislation is to uphold the value of human life and the dignity of every person by efficiently and effectively addressing humanitarian emergencies, including disasters,” he added.
The ERD bill, filed by Cayetano in July 2022, is still pending for review by the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification, and Reconciliation.