Baguio City: Former senator and 2025 senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has proposed shifting the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) directly under the Office of the President to enhance the country’s disaster response framework. Speaking at the ‘Konsultahang Bayan: A Caucus for Good Governance Beyond Elections’ event at Citylight Hotel in Baguio City, Lacson advocated for this structural change to facilitate more efficient coordination with various government departments and agencies.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lacson emphasized that having the OCD under the President’s direct control would remove bureaucratic delays, especially in the approval of rehabilitation plans and the timely release of funds. He argued that the move would provide the OCD with the necessary authority and access to executive channels, which are currently limited under its attachment to the Department of National Defense (DND).

Lacson, who previously served as the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery from 2013 to 2015, drew from his experiences with post-Yolanda recovery efforts to support his proposal. He highlighted that the current structure places an undue burden on the OCD, expecting it to lead disaster response operations without adequate executive authority.

The event in Baguio City served as a platform for collaborative discussions among local and national stakeholders, focusing on institutional reforms to improve public service delivery beyond election cycles.