Photo credit: PCO

In a significant shift toward proactive disaster management, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed a new law enabling the government to declare a state of imminent disaster before a calamity strikes. This new measure, Republic Act No. 12287, or the "Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act," aims to protect communities by allowing for crucial preparations and emergency actions to be carried out in advance.

The newly signed law institutionalizes the concept of anticipatory action, allowing national and local authorities to mobilize resources and implement preparedness measures based on scientific forecasts. Upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the President can now declare a state of imminent disaster for areas projected to face severe, catastrophic impacts from an impending event.

This declaration empowers government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to take immediate steps, such as issuing public advisories, pre-positioning relief goods, mobilizing response teams, and conducting pre-emptive evacuations. This marks a departure from the traditional, reactive approach of waiting for a disaster to hit before declaring a state of calamity.

The law specifies that a pre-disaster risk assessment must show a highly probable and severe hazard with a lead time of at least three to five days, giving authorities a critical window to act. It also mandates that LGUs integrate these anticipatory measures into their regular disaster plans and budgets.

Proponents of the law, including the Office of Civil Defense and members of Congress, have hailed it as a historic step forward, particularly for a country that is consistently ranked among the most vulnerable to natural disasters. By empowering a more proactive and preventive approach, the new law aims to minimize the loss of life and property and strengthen the nation's overall resilience against the increasing threats of climate change.