SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday proposed a two-pronged system to facilitate relief efforts in typhoon-hit provinces — initial post-disaster needs assessment to pinpoint areas on which to prioritize relief efforts and an appeal on the international community for relief assistance.

He said this formula will ensure that those affected by Typhoon Odette will get aid.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense who served as Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery said these will complement the steps taken by the government to address the situation.

“It is imperative that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, through the Office of Civil Defense, expedite the submission of their initial PDNA, in order to have an accurate data-driven information on the ground so the national government can prioritize relief, rehabilitation and recovery efforts and assistance to the hardest hit communities,” Lacson said.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs may also call on the international community of nations for relief assistance just like how they responded to Haiyan eight years ago,” he added.

The senator lauded the designation of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista as interim crisis manager but stressed that the NDRRMC should convene soonest to make sure that the agencies involved in relief work are on the same page.

“In calamities like this, putting somebody overall in charge is the best and right thing to do,” he said.

During his stint as PARR, Lacson put together the Yolanda Comprehensive Reconstruction Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan to serve as a basis for immediate government interventions.

“This is beyond a policy or a legislative issue already. The issue of implementation is a big factor, too. We have to systematically approach the way we plan, prepare, deploy, recover and rebuild from any disaster – whether natural or man-made,” he said.