Former Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda has hailed the signing of the new law, Republic Act (RA) 12287 or the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act — a disaster preparedness strategy pioneered and first tested in Albay — has now become a national policy that could save more lives across the country during times of disasters.
President Marcos signed RA 12287 last September 12. It institutionalizes anticipatory actions as part of the country’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management system. The policy traces its roots to the pioneering “Zero Casualty Doctrine” initiatives of Albay, among others, when Salceda served as its provincial governor from 2007 to 2016.
“This doctrine of anticipatory action, that you prepare, not when disaster strikes but when it becomes imminent, was pioneered in Albay that has repeatedly proven effective in saving countless lives. Preparation during a state of imminent disaster is at the heart of Albay’s Zero Casualty Doctrine,” Salceda explained.
The former lawmaker and governor said Abay first implemented the concept in September 2007 under a joint memorandum circular issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
RA 12287 authorizes the President and local government units’ chief executives to declare a state of imminent disaster in areas forecasted to be hit by severe hazards, enabling the government to mobilize resources, issue advisories, and conduct preemptive evacuations even before a disaster strikes
It allows the President and local officials to declare a “State of Imminent Disaster” upon the recommendations of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and its respective regional counterparts, after conducting pre-disaster risk assessments which indicate the expected impact of a disaster, and prepare, with sufficient lead time, which may range from three to five days to initiate anticipatory action interventions.
Upon the declaration of State of Imminent Disaster, the national government and concerned local government units may use resources and mechanisms to implement anticipatory actions within the identified allowable lead time.
As the pioneering province to adopt the doctrine, Albay has repeatedly proven that preemptive risk reduction measures were effective. In 2009, Salceda declared an alert-level status over Mayon Volcano’s imminent eruption and mobilized anticipatory measures before its eruption happened — evacuating residents in identified risk areas which saved many precious lives.
“That was useful because the high alert level status, while already dangerous and needing mobilization of calamity funds, did not at that point qualify for the normal metrics of what is an actual calamity,” Salceda pointed out.
RA 12297 also reflects provisions Salceda had earlier pushed in his proposed Department of Disaster Resilience bill, which sought to institutionalize anticipatory actions nationwide when disaster becomes imminent.
“I am grateful to Congress and to President Marcos for enacting this law, because a concept so crucial to disaster planning, pioneered in Albay, will now finally help other provinces also prepare better,” Salceda
said, adding that RA 12287 proves that Albay’s innovations in disaster risk reduction — anchored on its “Zero Casualty Doctrine” — can shape national policy.
“Albay has long served as the laboratory of the Philippines for disaster risk reduction. This law is proof that lessons learned from the province can shape national policy. I look forward to seeing it save more
lives across the country,” Salceda stressed.
