President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Congress to approve bills aimed at strengthening the Philippines' resilience against disasters, ensuring water and food security, protecting the environment, and promoting good governance. This came after his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in which he stressed the need to work together to achieve the administration's targets.
Among the important proposals are the National Land Use Act for the proper use of the country's land and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Act for water security. The administration also wants to amend the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act to further strengthen the capacity of the NDRRMC and OCD in dealing with disasters and hazards.
In addition, the President encourages Congress to pass four laws related to environmental protection and climate resilience: excise tax on single-use plastics, Blue Economy Act, waste-to-energy bill, and amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act to strengthen the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Also among the priorities are the passage of the New Government Auditing Code and the Budget Modernization Act. In addition, the President wants to amend the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act to make assistance to the poor and farmers more effective.
According to DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., the country will overcome the disaster and the effects of climate change through science, technology, and discipline. He mentioned the use of innovative technologies such as doppler radars, landslide sensors, mobile command vehicles, and AI-powered forecasting tools to improve disaster preparedness and response.
