‘Disaster-in-chief’

With just two days before December, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian considers the year 2025 as “one of the most disaster-prone years” in the Philippines to date.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

As the head of the national government agency overseeing relief and rehabilitation of disaster-stricken areas, Gatchalian must personally go to every ground zero of these major incidents. That is, as much as humanly possible, whenever and wherever any disaster occurs in the Philippines.

So it should be no surprise why Gatchalian is always seen around with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM). The DSWD chief accompanies the Chief Executive, conducting onsite visits of disaster-stricken areas and handing out relief to victims and survivors. Doing these tasks on the ground is nothing new though to the DSWD secretary. Living up to the DSWD’s heart-shaped logo, he quipped he must personify the “empathy and compassion” of the government to the disaster victims.

The Philippines is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, or countries in the earthquake belt, Gatchalian pointed out. Our country is also ranked among the Top 5 countries where most calamities occur in this part of the world, he added. The DSWD secretary bewailed “the series of unfortunate events” that happened this year in our country, from volcanic eruptions to earthquakes and super typhoons that cut across our country. This is not to mention fire, armed conflicts and other man-made disasters.

It is not as if Gatchalian is complaining, but is just citing facts of disaster events that have happened and continue to happen, such as the deadly magnitude 6.9 earthquake last Sept. 30 that opened up sinkholes in some parts of Cebu. As of this writing, Gatchalian is monitoring the DSWD relief operations for those affected by Typhoon Verbena that has caused flooding anew in Cebu and Bacolod.