09 June 2025
PRESS RELEASE
PH first in the region and in the world
Jinggoy: ‘Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster’ bill, a critical step in shifting from reactive to preventive approach
A groundbreaking measure that establishes the concept of anticipatory action to reduce the impacts of forecasted hazards before they occur – that’s how Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada described Senate Bill No. 2999, the proposed Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act, which was approved on third and final reading on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Estrada, principal author and sponsor of SB 2999, said the measure marks a critical step toward shifting from reactive disaster management to a proactive and preventive approach, laying the groundwork for a safer and more disaster-resilient Philippines.
“If all goes well, the Philippines will be the first in the region — and in the world — to legislate anticipatory action,” Estrada said in thanking colleagues for the passage of the bill.
“Having the highest disaster risk in the world for three straight years and having lost so many lives and assets to super typhoons, landslides and flash floods, it is incumbent upon us legislators to identify and plug the policy gaps in our disaster management framework. We believe that this bill offers the needed access to resources and solid legal basis for government officials, specially the LGUs, to proactively address impending natural calamities based on scientific forecasts and comprehensive risk assessments,” the veteran lawmaker added.
Under SB 2999, the State of Imminent Disaster may be declared by the President or local chief executives upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) or its regional counterparts.
Unlike the existing State of Calamity, which is declared after a disaster has occurred, the measure proposes a mechanism to declare a State of Imminent Disaster based on scientific assessments and projections.
This preemptive declaration allows authorities to immediately mobilize resources and implement life-saving measures, Estrada said.
The Senate leader further explained that the NDRRMC has already acknowledged the need for such a mechanism as early as 2022 through Resolution No. 7, which called for the institutionalization of advance declarations in disaster protocols.
“Stakeholders—both local and international—have long supported this concept. It is also aligned with the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and is found in our own National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan 2020–2030,” he said.
The bill is backed by inputs from key agencies such as the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), PAGASA, and international organizations like the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
During committee hearings, stakeholders emphasized that the absence of a national policy on anticipatory action has caused hesitancy among local government units (LGUs) to allocate resources, due to concerns over potential disallowances by the Commission on Audit (COA).
“Let us turn our top ranking in the World Risk Index into an opportunity to become a trailblazer in instituting pioneering policies on disaster management and disaster resilience,” said Estrada.