The 7.0-magnitude quake in northern Luzon should motivate the government to strengthen measures to mitigate damages from major disasters, Senator Loren Legarda stressed.
In the wake of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Luzon Wednesday (July 27), Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call to strengthen the country's programs for disaster preparedness.
“Let’s strengthen our preparedness to disaster risk, whether it’s human induced or not. Retrofitting old infrastructure and building right at first sight will help in preventing disaster loss," she said in a statement Thursday (July 28).
In November 2021, the World Bank approved the Fourth Disaster Risk Management Policy Loan with a Catastrophe-Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT-DDO) of $500 million for the Philippine government.
This line of credit is intended to strengthen the country’s institutional and financial capacity to manage risks from climate change, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks.
After Typhoon Odette and the declaration of State of Calamity by then President Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Finance (DOF) applied for a $200 million drawdown in December 2021 and January 2022.
The Philippines still has $300 million from the DRM Standby Loan Facility of the World Bank, which can be utilized for coordination and relief operations considering the aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
“Let us invest in where it truly matters so our development gains would not be wasted come another disaster,” Legarda stressed.
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