Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas was optimistic that approval of his bill that would establish the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management would be fast-tracked during the 18th Congress.

“Sa tingin ko itong DReAM department should be a law immediately. We’d like to invoke Section 48 and 52 of the House rules na kapag pumasa na siya on third reading, siguro by the vote of the majority ay pwede na talagang ma-fast track ito,” Vargas said in a press conference.

“Tutal certified as urgent naman ito, and if the majority leader and the Speaker choose, pwedeng-pwede talagang mapabilis ito.”

The actor-turned-politician filed House Bill 2001, or the proposed “Disaster Resiliency and Alertness Management (DReAM) Department Act of 2019.”

A similar measure was approved on final reading by the House of Representatives in the 17th Congress, but the Senate failed to pass the initiative due to lack of time.

Vargas said that, with the number of disasters the country experiences each year, there was a need to establish the department, which would synchronize the government’s disaster resiliency and response efforts.

“This is long overdue na sa Pilipinas; Seven-thousand-one hundred-and-seven islands at lagi tayong may sakuna, lagi tayong  may kaba. Sa tingin ko with a DReAM Department ay makakatulog na tayo nang mahimbing,” the representative pointed out.

Read More: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/702741/rep-vargas-confident-over-fast-tracking-of-disaster-resilience-dept-bill/story/?amp