for the promotion and protection of women’s human rights investigate violations of the law 84.
It is also mandated to monitor compliance and recommend appropriate measures to concerned
government agencies including the recently issued Recommendations from CEDAW Committee
last July of 2016, as follows:
“(a) Consistently prioritize the protection of women’s rights, in
particular protection from gender-based violence, in situation
analyses, needs assessments and interventions relating to disaster
risk reduction, preparedness and response to natural disasters, as
well as in the mitigation of the negative impacts of climate change;
(b) Ensure the full and meaningful participation of women, including
those who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, in
designing, implementing and monitoring relevant legal and policy
frameworks;
(c) Regularly assess the effectiveness of relevant legal and policy
frameworks in protecting women‟s rights with clear baselines and
measurable indicators, and provide information on the
achievements made in the next periodic report”85.
Table 1 Selected National and Sectoral Policies of the Philippines for the Provision of Humanitarian Assistance and Protection
Services
Sectors
Disaster
Philippine Laws and Policies
Republic Act 10121 or the ‘Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act’ (PDRRMA)
of 2010:
An act to strengthen the Philippine disaster risk reduction and management system, and
promoting the institutionalization of its framework and plan. Under this law the NDRRMC is
mandated to uphold people’s rights to life and property by: “addressing the root causes of
vulnerabilities to disasters, strengthening the country's institutIonal capacity for disaster risk
reduction and management and building the resilience of local communnities to disasters
including climate change impacts”86; “adheres to and adopt the universal norms, princlples. and
standards of humanitarian assistance and the global efforts on risk reduction as concrete
expression of the country's commitment to overcome human sufferings due to recurring
disasters”87; “incorporates internationally accepted principles of disaster risk management in the
creation and implementation of national, regional and local sustainable development and poverty
reduction strategies, policies, plans and budgets”88; “develop and strengthen the capacitles of
vulnerable and marginalized groups to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the
effects of disasters”89; and other comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and
community-based approach to disaster risk reduction and management to ensure the safety and
resiliency of the nation90.
In addition, this law spells out the roles of members of the NDRRMC 91 as well as their counterpart
at the regional, provincial, city, and municipal levels 92. During Disaster Response, the overall
agency responsible is the DSWD. While the Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery is headed byt
the NEDA93. The law provides Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (LDRRMO) in
every province, city, and municipality; also BDRRMO a Barangay level which shall be responsible
for setting the direction, development, implementation and coordination of disaster risk
management programs within their territorial jurisdiction94. One mandate of the BDRRMC – an
act that shall be authorize by the LDRRMC – is that “the punong barangay shall facilitate and
ensure the participation of at least two (2) CSO representatives from existing and active
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
See: The Republic Act 9710 or the ‘Magna Carta of Women’ (MCW), Section 44.
See: Committee Recommendations on CEDAW for the 7th & 8th Philippine Report.
Republic Act 101211 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, Section 2 (a)
Ibid. Section 2 (b)
Ibid. Section 2 (c)
Ibid. Section 2 (n)
Ibid. Section 6 (a)
Ibid. Section 5 (a-jj)
Ibid. Section 12 (a)
See: The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) 2011‐2028 of the Philippines
See: Republic Act 101211, Section 12 (a)
11