Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, reiterated his call for a dedicated disaster rehabilitation agency, stressing that communities hit by calamities need sustained rebuilding efforts once relief operations end.
Cayetano's appeal follows Davao quake visit
Cayetano made the appeal after visiting communities affected by the earthquake in Davao Region, Sarangani, and General Santos City on June 23. “What we want is to strengthen rehabilitation. The government is good at relief, but rehabilitation does not receive enough attention,” he said.
According to Cayetano, the nation has seen rebuilding efforts disrupted by new emergencies. He cited the 2013 Bohol earthquake, whose rehabilitation was overtaken by Super Typhoon Yolanda the same year, as well as subsequent crises like the Marawi siege and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pattern shows need for focused agency
He noted that this pattern demonstrates the need for an agency focused on sustaining rehabilitation programs even as public attention shifts to the next disaster. “We have to have a separate entity that focuses solely on rehabilitation. Our agencies are good, but they become scattered when there is no one specifically tasked,” he added.
Cayetano is the author of Senate Bill No. 105, which aims to establish an Emergency Response Department that would lead disaster management from risk reduction to rehabilitation through a science-based and people-centered approach.
