Vice President Sara Duterte has urged local leaders to step up and take a more active role in disaster preparedness, warning that waiting passively for emergencies to strike is no longer acceptable in a country as disaster-prone as the Philippines.
“Unang-una, we are a disaster-prone country. Pero, taon-taon na lang para bang nag-aantay lang tayo ng kalamidad at ng emergency,” Duterte said during an ambush interview in The Hague, Netherlands on Monday.
Duterte emphasized that every local government unit (LGU) must develop and implement effective disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) plans. She stressed that readiness—from government infrastructure down to individual households—can spell the difference between loss and survival.
“Paniguraduhin natin na handa tayo lagi,” she said, citing common scenarios where floods ruin household items due to the lack of proper drainage and planning.
She also noted the importance of both project implementation and personal responsibility: “Kailangan maghanda. Kailangan natin magkaroon ng plano, magkaroon ng mga projects at magkaroon ng implementation ng mga proyekto at magkaroon ng kahandaan sa personal natin ng mga properties.”
Reflecting on her time as mayor of Davao City, Duterte recalled working with a Dutch consultant sent by a non-government organization to assess and recommend practical solutions to the city’s urban planning issues, including flooding. She could not recall the name of the NGO or the consultant but praised their contributions, saying, “Truly, he gave common sense solutions to the problems of the city.”
If she were to become president, Duterte said she would bring in more experts and engineers from other countries—particularly the Netherlands—to help address the country’s long-standing flooding problems.
