IN response to the ongoing crisis created by the war in the Middle East, the Senate on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution “strongly urging” the executive branch to develop a national contingency framework for the Philippines, so that the country can more effectively manage such shocks. Such resolutions from either chamber of Congress are often expressions of sentiment with little substance, but this measure, Senate Resolution (SR) 343, is an impressive exception that the administration should take seriously.
SR 343 was co-sponsored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, and co-authored by 22 senators, so the entire Senate was on board with this one, even the missing-in-action Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who is in hiding from an imagined arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court but still managed to have his name attached to the measure.
In his speech advocating for the passage of the resolution, Cayetano said the proposed framework aimed to strengthen coordination among the national government, local government units and the private sector through a “whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach.” He added: “The problem today is that when a crisis becomes too big, it affects not only one country but entire regions because we are now a global village.”
Cayetano also said preparedness and proper response to large-scale crises could also present opportunities. “Every crisis has winners and losers,” he said. “Let’s not miss opportunities. This contingency framework is meant to prepare us not only for the challenges but also for the opportunities that arise from global changes.”
All of that, of course, is typically vague windbaggery, and it is unfortunate that was all that was reported in the media. The details of the resolution are quite impressive and are certain to be encouraging to the public, particularly at a time when there is universal worry over the impact of the war on everyone’s financial well-being.
What the SR 343 is requesting is that the administration, “through the appropriate national government agencies concerned with national security, energy, foreign affairs, economic planning and social protection,” develop and submit within 15 days a comprehensive National Contingencies Plan “that will establish a permanent National Contingency Framework for the Philippines and provide clear mechanisms for anticipating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from major domestic and international crises, utilizing a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach.”
SR 343 specifies that, at a minimum, the plan should include the following eight features. The first on the list is a National Crisis Coordination Structure clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of national government agencies, local government units and relevant institutions during national emergencies. The resolution also calls for a clear categorization of national crises, including energy supply disruptions; armed conflicts affecting Filipinos abroad; large-scale overseas Filipino worker (OFW) evacuations; global supply-chain disruptions; natural disasters; pandemics and public health emergencies; cyberthreats; and major economic shocks. Next is planning for the establishment of strategic national reserves of critical commodities such as fuel, food staples, fertilizers and essential medical supplies. OFW crisis protection and repatriation systems, which already exist, would also be part of the National Contingencies Plan.
Taking note of the current major problem facing the country, the resolution also calls for the establishment of energy security and supply diversification strategies. Finally, SR 343 calls for “whole-of-nation” coordination with the private sector, civil society organizations and local communities; national crisis simulation and preparedness exercises; and improved communication protocols to ensure timely and accurate information to the public and to Filipinos overseas during crisis situations.
As a final note, the resolution directs the appropriate Senate committees to conduct hearings to assess the plan, and suggests that it could result in the enactment of a National Crisis Management Act to institutionalize a permanent national contingency framework.
An understandable reaction to this might be that these are measures that should have been taken long before the current crisis, as the Philippines through the years has not lacked in calamitous events to serve as inspiration for this kind of work on the part of the legislature. That does not make the proposal any less valid now; better late than never, as the saying goes. As SR 343 is merely a Senate resolution, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not obliged to act on it or even to respond. It would be the height of folly, however, if he does not. We believe that he and his administration know that, and will act quickly to develop a version of the framework recommended by the resolution.
