Nationalista President Senator Manuel Villar Jr. believed the government was totally unprepared when the two major typhoons, Ondoy and Pepeng, hit the country and proposed for a total review on the relevant disaster agencies’ procedures and resources be conducted.

“I believe that the destruction that storms and floods brought in the country could have been prevented, or at least alleviated had the concerned departments were doing their jobs properly,” Villar said.

In a radio interview, Villar previously said that allotment for a bigger budget is not the problem; more funds needs to be implemented.

He said, “We need to provide more funds for the pertinent agencies, one of which is PAG-ASA that lacks modern equipment that could better forecast the weather and volume of rain.”

Villar added: “The disaster coordinating agencies also lack monetary funds. Even rubber boats are not sufficient in these kinds of search and rescue operations.” In fact there were a miniscule number of rubber boats provided by the government; the country duly needed support and resources from other countries.

An assessment on the said departments and agencies is essential since there have been incidents where proposed bills and projects are delayed, debated upon, and are left to become mere proposals. It is time that no anomaly or procrastination will occur,’’ he said.

Villar lamented the wrong priorities of the government adding that most are too concerned with other endeavors that the basic necessities of the state, like security, become delayed and eventually forgotten. This was displayed during the typhoon disasters where there was significant shortage of resources for rescue operations, and even the efforts of private sectors and individual donors proved to be more effective.

Another issue Senator Villar added was the rehabilitation efforts of the government are virtually non-existent.

He said: “I also see that the government doesn’t have any prepared rehabilitation programs for the Filipinos who lost their homes and belongings due to the typhoon.

These people need support so they could rise up again from their losses in possessions, houses, and even loved ones. Who else will they ask help from but their government.”