Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

• The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (RA 10121) aims to strengthen the country's disaster risk reduction and management system, providing a national framework and institutionalizing a national plan.
• The law emphasizes the importance of reducing the adverse impact of disasters through preparedness and empowers local government units to use 70% of their calamity fund for risk reduction and 30% for immediate response activities.

Disaster Risk Management Activities

• A. Before the disaster: Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness
• B. During the disaster: Emergency reliefs and responses
• C. After the disaster: Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction

Disaster Preparedness

• A set of measures undertaken in advance to better respond and cope with the immediate aftermath of a disaster
• Objective: Reduce the loss of life and livelihoods
• 5 steps of disaster preparedness: 1. Prevention, 2. Mitigation, 3. Preparedness, 4. Response, 5. Recovery

Disaster Risk

• The potential loss of life, injury, or destroyed or damaged assets which could occur to a system, society, or community in a specific period of time
• Determined probabilistically as a function of hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity

Hazard, Exposure, Vulnerability, and Capacity

• Hazard: An event that has potential for causing injury/loss of life or damage to property/environment
• Exposure: The degree to which the element at risk is likely to experience hazard events of different magnitude
• Vulnerability: Characteristics and circumstances of a community, system, or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard
• Capacity: The combination of all strengths and resources available within the community, society, or organization that can reduce the level of risk or effects of a disaster

Increasing Disaster Impacts

• A combination of population growth and development, along with the influence of human-caused climate change
• Increased vulnerability due to demographic changes, environmental degradation, poverty, and rapid urbanization and unplanned development

The Philippines and Disaster Risk Reduction

• The Philippines is highly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and needs its own disaster risk reduction management program
• Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013 was a Category 5 disaster, with a wind speed of 315 km/h, rainfall of 281.9 mm, and a death toll of 6,300, highlighting the need for effective disaster preparedness and management.