Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson has proposed a streamlined disaster response mechanism, an updated Building Code, and a national hazard mapping program to better address disasters.
Lacson, who previously served as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR), suggested transferring the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) directly under the Office of the President.
“We should move the OCD from the Department of National Defense to the Office of the President. This change will eliminate the usual bureaucratic red tape,” he stated during a meeting in Baguio City attended by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, along with experts and representatives from various sectors advocating for good governance.
Lacson explained that placing the OCD under the Office of the President would allow for more effective coordination with all departments and agencies, as it would be under the direct control of the President.
“The President has a direct alter-ego in this arrangement,” he said.
Lacson recounted his experience as PARR while coordinating post-Yolanda recovery efforts, noting that he struggled with limited authority—similar to the OCD’s current challenges of lacking sufficient authority and access to executive channels.