Parañaque City 2nd District Representative Brian Yamsuan is urging House leaders to include the proposed Magna Carta for Public Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Workers among the priority measures of the 20th Congress.
“DRRM workers often risk their lives to save others. They are indispensable, not only to our disaster preparedness, response, and recovery operations, but also to our efforts to build more resilient communities. We will discuss the proposed Magna Carta with the Speaker [Faustino “Bojie” Dy III] and our Majority Leader [Sandro Marcos], possibly before Congress resumes session on January 26,” Yamsuan said.
He said consultations with stakeholders will follow to refine the proposal.
“We will also meet with key representatives of the public DRRM sector to find out what still needs to be done to make the Magna Carta more responsive to their needs,” he added.
Yamsuan is the author of House Bill 5239, which seeks to improve working conditions and institutionalize benefits for public DRRM personnel, following appeals from disaster workers, including those led by Bryant Wong of the Pasig City DRRM Office.
The lawmaker also backed a long-overdue review of the Philippine DRRM Act, passed 15 years ago, to assess its effectiveness and identify reforms needed to strengthen community-level disaster response.
“DRRM workers, while exposing themselves to significant risks, including physical danger, psychological stress, and occupational health gaps, especially during disaster response operations, face the challenge of insufficient benefits. Our proposed measure seeks to address these inadequacies by institutionalizing measures that will promote their welfare,” Yamsuan said.
Under HB 5239, public DRRM workers would be entitled to hazard pay, protective equipment, free vaccinations and medicines, compensation for work-related injuries and illnesses, overtime and night-shift pay, leave benefits, allowances, and legal assistance. The bill also proposes a Public DRRM Workers’ Education Trust Fund for the dependents of workers who die in the line of duty.
The measure defines public DRRM workers as government employees engaged in prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery.
HB 5239 is currently with the House Committee on Disaster Resilience, while counterpart bills have been filed in the Senate by Senators Loren Legarda and Jinggoy Estrada.