Manila, Aug. 26 -- The new head of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) formally assumed command of the disaster response agency on Tuesday.

Undersecretary Harold Cabreros took his oath as OCD administrator before Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in a ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

A DND statement said Cabreros replaced OCD officer-in-charge and concurrent deputy administrator for administration, Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.

Alejandro was named OCD officer-in-charge in June after then-OCD chief Ariel Nepomuceno was appointed Bureau of Customs commissioner.

Teodoro expressed confidence in Cabreros' leadership and capabilities to steer the country's comprehensive civil de...