Manila, Jan.

17 -- Senator Christopher Lawrence Go has called on fellow lawmakers in the upper chamber to give the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) a chance, even as he underscored the importance of such agency to respond to disasters.

During his visit to the fire victims here on Friday, Go reiterated the need for a dedicated body to effectively manage disaster response and recovery.

"I am calling on my fellow senators--let us not wait for another calamity to happen," he said.

"We need to have an in-charge or point person who can easily address any given situation, not only on post rehab but also on preparing for proactive measures," he added.

Under the proposed law creating the agency, he said the DDR secretary will be tasked to coordinate with other government agencies for faster response during calamities.

Go cited the Taal Volcano eruption, whose sudden rise alert level made it more dangerous for the affected residents if response was not immediately organized.

"If we have already the DDR secretary, coordination will easily be launched among the various agencies and prepare necessary interventions," he said, adding the agency would report directly to the President.

Go distributed relief assistance to the fire victims in Purok 2, Bryco Compound Barangay 5-A here, after a fire broke out in the area.

The fire destroyed PHP46 million worth of properties and rendered some 457 families or 2,285 persons homeless.