of a DREAM department
m order tor us to have a earthquakes is creatinq a
In a press briefins. C)u-
ezon City Rep. Alfre;'V;-
gas aPPealed to congress
to expedite deliberaiions
on thr! ptoposed measures,
including his Disaster RF
silienci and Alertness
Management (DREAM)
Depararnent Bill.
Albay Rep. Joey Salce-
da also fileda similar bill,
sayrng it is important to
nave a separate depart-
ment that will take cfiarse
of addressinq concems arid
needs of the-people affect-
edsby the natural calami-
Vargas, an advocate of
disastei preparedness_ un-
derscoreil fie imoortance
of the departmeirt esoe-
cially that'the philiopiires
is higNy exposed to' hatu-
ral calamities and hazards
"Nature keeDs on re-
minding us of th6 n€cessity
"These succession of fore it's too late," said Var-
gas, a resident and a reDre.
sound sleep _knowing we 'scare and fhe talks ab6ut
are prepared tor anv di_ the Big One persists. To- sentative of Ouezon Ciw
where the West Vallev fault
saster" Vargas stress€d. day, even if'the affected
At least nine Deoole corrmunities struggle cuts through like a (nife.
to
were killed and dolens'in- bflng their lives btck to In his proDosal. the
DREAM Dipaitmeni will
iured when macnitude 5.4 normal, as dasses resume
and 5.9 quak"es within and the eleckicitv is re- be in-chargd of the intur-
governmental coordina-
hours of eaih other on Sat- stored, anxiety ahd dis-
urday morning, accordine tfess continue to cr€en in- tion from preparation. im-
to bulletins issued bn rh; side their verv souls, plementation' monitorine.
Philippine Institute of Vol- dence still *reckei,cbnJi- evaluation of disastenn?
canology and Seismolow everything iA their lives and climate resilience plans,
Drt prograrns and activitips
(Phivolis). on hol4"Varqas shessbd.
"The peoDle ftom thc Once approved thp
Vargas underscored the DREAM De'D'artment h,i1t
' 5th District' of Ouezon need for the qovernment
City, ioined the nalon in and theoeodlFto be nrc- absorb the National Dsas-
praying for the safetv of pared f6r ihe exoeited ter Risk Reduction and
our brothers in Batari*,, magnifude 7-2 earthouake Management Council
(NDRRMC), Office of the
Rep. Vargas said. to be generaH bv the'\dest Civil Defense and
Likewise, Vargas eaid, Vallet Fault which is ripe other rc-
the recent earthquakes lated bureaus for fastet
sholrld be treated a; a se. delivery of imanediate as-
A few yeals phiv- sistanc; needed
nous warining to the na_ olcs warned aback. bv the vic-
Dowerfrrl tims, cuftinq dowir the un-
tional goveriment, local quake, possibli,
government units and the magnituale of 7.2 io at the necessary' b-u:reaucatic red
people especially tho6e liv- erated by the be cen- tape.
West VJbv Presidenl Rodrieo Du-
ing along ihe fa ult line to be Fault which is
more yigilant lor the Do€si_ movement.
ripe fo'r terte, duiinq his Siate of
ble Big One rhat miqhr hit "It's a huqe undertal-
the Natio,"n Addre<c
Meho Manila and Xearby ing and we haie to start the (SONA), gave a maichins
order to -pass a measurE
Provrnces, real preparatbns now, be- ceating sitch deparblmt.
Pae.--lT-