MANILA, Philippines — Several senators on Tuesday underscored the need to improve disaster preparedness measures in the country following the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck parts of Luzon on Monday. Senator Sonny Angara said the earthquake manifested the need to have an independent agency focusing on disaster management. ADVERTISEMENTCiting Senate Bill 1994 or the Disaster Resilience Act filed in 2018, Angara said the agency will be called the Department of Disaster Resilience, which will be tasked to spearhead efforts to ensure disaster resilience in the country. He added that local government units also need to be empowered for better disaster response measures. “After the shock of this earthquake, let us work to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience of our communities.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 23, 2019 06:56 UTC