Battling COVID-19 and Disasters: Task Force Bureaucracy during Emergencies in the Philippines
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Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused significant adjustments in the landscape of public governance in the Philippines. While the world was focused on the pandemic, the Philippines had to simultaneously address the impacts of disasters such as volcanic eruption and strong typhoons. In response, the government resorted to the use of “Task Force”, a military concept wherein a unit is designed to work on a single activity. This paper aims to answer the research question: how does the Philippine government operationalize task forces during emergencies such as COVID-19 and other disasters? Using secondary research as methodology, it examines the reconfigurations in the national government in terms of leadership, structure, human capital, policies and practices for disaster management. It analyzes the strengths and challenges of drastic reinventions in public administration and governance while in the middle of a crisis situation wherein all sectors are affected and their implications for the post-pandemic period.
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S. PEREZ, Joe-Mar.
Battling COVID-19 and Disasters: Task Force Bureaucracy during Emergencies in the Philippines.
Policy & Governance Review, [S.l.], v. 9, n. 2, p. 230-249, apr. 2025.
ISSN 2580-4820.
Available at: <https://journal.iapa.or.id/pgr/article/view/1237>. Date accessed: 21 may 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.30589/pgr.v9i2.1237.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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NDRRMC Memorandum No. 93. (2020). Interim Guidelines on the Management of the NDRRMC Emergenc y Operations Center during COVID-19 Pandemic.
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Nepomuceno, P. (2022). NTF Covid-19 transfers functions t o NDRRMC . Retr ieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1179393
Nepomuceno, P. (2023). Task force created on Oriental Mindoro oil spill. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196565
NTF. (2021). National Action Plan against COVID-19 Phase IV.
Parrocha, A. (2020). Duter te extends term of task force overseeing Yolanda rehab. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1116785
Parrocha, A. (2021). Duterte signs EO renaming OPAPP to OPAPRU. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20211229103737/https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1164046
Placido, D. (2017). Duterte orders creation of 'Task Force Bangon Marawi'. Retrieved from https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/03/17/duterte-orders-creation-of-task-force-bangon-marawi
Pocalla, D. (2014). Task force on emerging in fectious diseases formed. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/06/03/1330458/task-force-emerging-infectious-diseases-formed
Pueyo, T. (2020). Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance: What the Next 18 Months Can Look Like, if Leaders Buy Us Time. Retrieved from https://www.exemplars.health/-/media/files/egh/narrative-pdfs/sri-lanka/challenges/61-coronavirus-the-hammer-and- the-dance--by-tomas-pueyo--medium.pdf
Quinones, M. T. (2020). PRRD signs EO creating the "Build Back Better Task Force". Retrieved from https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/prrd-signs-eo-creating-build-back-better-task-force
Republic Act 10121. (2010).
Reuters. (2022). Philippines confirms community transmission of Omicron, cases hit record. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/philippines-confirms-community-transmission-omicron-cases- hit-record-2022-01-15/
Robinson, C. D. (2020). The U.S. Navy's task forces: 1–199. Defence and Security Analysis, 36(1), 109-110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14751798.2020.1712028
Rocamora, J. A. (2024). PBBM creates task force for Bataan oil spill. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1229919
The LawPhil Project. (2014). Retrieved from https://lawphil.net/executive/execord/ eo2014/eo_168_2014.html
The Philippine Star. (2014). Task force on emerging infectious diseases formed. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/06/03/1330458/task-force-emerging-infectious-diseases-formed
Tupas, E., & Cabrera, R. (2024). PNP creates task force vs illegal POGOs. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/07/21/2371774/pnp-creates-task-force-vs-illegal-pogos
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Villanueva, A. (2020). DENR leads ‘Tayo Ang Kalikasan’ campaign. Retrieved from https://manilastandard.net/?p=318347
Villanueva, R. (2024). DOH task force vs communicable diseases created. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/08/25/2380370/doh-task-force-vs-commu nica ble-diseases-created
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