The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is at full throttle to ensure the earthquake resilience of the country’s infrastructure with the creation of its Earthquake Resiliency Program Management Office (ER-PMO).
Pursuant to Executive Order No. 52 series 2018 entitled "Creating the Program Management Office for Earthquake Resiliency of the Greater Metro Manila", DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar formed the DPWH ER-PMO through a Department Order 75 dated July 10, 2019 that will serve as an integrated department approach in addressing earthquake resiliency problems.
“We need to fast track the implementation of interventions to make sure that our infrastructure can not just withstand earthquake but also protect the people in the event of an earthquake particularly ‘The Big One’ that is anticipated to hit any time in Mega Manila,” said Secretary Villar.
The Resiliency Office is led by Secretary Villar with Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain for Technical Services as Alternate; and with the Directors of Bureau of Maintenance and Unified Project Management Offices (UPMO) as Deputy for Operations and Support, respectively.
Under the DO, a technical steering committee was also formed to collect and review situational reports, oversee the accomplishment of regional operations, and create policy decisions while a separate support services committee was tasked to formulate long and medium-term resiliency development plans and ensure funding source for the whole program.
Secretary Villar also announced the creation of three (3) Regional Operations Group headed by the Undersecretaries for Regional Operations to conduct Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of vital infrastructure in the provinces and collaborating with the local government units in mitigating risks.
To assist DPWH ER-PMO, several agencies were identified to serve as support agencies, namely: National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); Department of Finance (DOF); Department of Budget and Management (DBM); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC); Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS); and Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB).