Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1566)
The primary purpose of Presidential Decree No. 1566 is to strengthen the Philippine disaster control capability and establish a national program on community disaster preparedness.
The Secretary of the Department of National Defense is the Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council.
Key policy principles include promoting self-reliance, utilizing local resources before seeking external aid, making local governments primarily responsible for disaster response, requiring documented emergency plans, and conducting regular drills especially at the barangay level.
The council is composed of the Secretaries of various departments including National Defense, Public Works, Social Services, Agriculture, Education, Finance, Labor, Justice, Trade, Local Government, Health, Natural Resources, Public Information, the Commissioner of Budget Commission, Presidential Assistants, Chief of Staff of the AFP, Secretary-General of the Philippine National Red Cross, and the Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense as Executive Officer.
Regional governments organize Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils with Regional Commissioners as chairpersons; local governments organize Provincial, City, Municipal, and Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils with respective local chief executives as chairpersons, responsible for coordinating disaster operations.
The Secretary of Labor is responsible for organizing disaster control groups in all factories and industrial complexes, utilizing their existing safety committees.
The Secretary of Education is responsible for organizing disaster control groups and reaction teams in all schools and institutions of learning.
Organizational and community drills must be conducted within 60 days after the decree’s effectivity and repeated periodically, supervised by the relevant department or agency.
Local government units must allocate funds for disaster preparedness, including organizing disaster councils, establishing facilities, equipping and training disaster action teams, in addition to maintaining a 2% reserve as provided under PD No. 477.
The Chairman may issue rules and regulations necessary to implement Presidential Decree No. 1566.