Philippines Disaster Risk & World Risk Index

• The presentation will cover the health implications of disasters in the Philippines.
• It will also focus on the country's disaster risk profile and the DRRM system.

Philippine Disaster Risk Profile

• The Philippines experiences an average of 20 earthquakes per day.
• There are 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines.
• The Philippine coastline spans 36,289 kilometers.
• The Philippines faces 20 to 30 typhoons annually.
• From 1900 to 2014, storms were the most frequent natural disaster with 314 occurrences, followed by floods at 136.
• Volcanoes had the fewest occurrences at 25.
• Earthquakes in the Philippines occur an average of 20 times per day.
• The Philippines is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
• The Magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nueva Ecija on July 16, 1990, caused 1,200 casualties and millions in damages.
• There are 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines, according to PHIVOLCS.
• Luzon has the island has the most volcanoes with 33, Mindanao has 20, Visayas 15, Sulu 1 and the north of Luzon has 6.
• The Philippines has the fourth longest coastline in the world at 36,289 km (22,548 miles).
• Coastal communities are threatened by coastal flooding from rising sea levels, storm surges, and high tides Coastal flooding threatens
• The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons per year.
• Pollution from coastal areas and marine waters degrades ecosystems and lowers environmental quality.
• The Integrated Coastal Management system, as a policy framework for sustainable coastal development, was implemented by the Philippines in 2006.
• The Philippines signed the Da Nang Compact in 2015 to scale up ICM.
• Beaches like Boracay are closed by the government to clean up waters and to improve sewage disposal.
• Mangrove forests are being converted into fishponds, resorts, and residential and industrial estates reducing natural habitats for fish.
• Mangrove conversion, overfishing, coastal habitat destruction, and illegal fishing contribute to a decrease in available fish.
• Typhoon season peaks from July to October, accounting for nearly 70% of all typhoons.
• Located in the Pacific Typhoon Belt, the Philippines encounters one-third of the world's tropical cyclones.
• Northern Luzon and eastern Visayas are the most frequently impacted areas of the Philippines by tropical cyclones.
• Intense winds, heavy precipitation, storm surges, and landslides caused by tropical cyclones can cause devastating damage and loss of lives.
• The Philippines ranked first in the World Risk Index for the third year in a row in 2024 evaluating the degree of vulnerability to disasters for 193 countries.
• The WRI report ranks the highest risks due to frequent typhoons, earthquakes, floods, and considers a countries ability to adapt and cope.
• The COVID-19 pandemic and storms like Super Typhoon Goni have intensified challenges due to the combination of natural disasters and the pandemic, economic and mental health issues.
• The WorldRiskIndex indicates the disaster risk from extreme natural events and negative climate change impacts for 193 countries.
• Susceptibility describes structural societal characteristics and conditions that increase the likelihood that populations will suffer damage and enter a disaster situation.
• Coping involves actions and resources that society has access to, to counter negative impacts of natural hazards and climate change to minimize damage.
• Adaptation refers to long-term processes and changes in societal structures that mitigate adverse impacts.
• Disasters are defined as serious disruptions to the functioning of a community or a society, usually involving human, material, economic, and environmental losses.
• The Pacific Ring of Fire is a region of high seismic and volcanic activity.
• The Philippines is in the Pacific Typhoon Belt.
• Typhoon tracks in the Western North Pacific were mapped from 1948 to 2010.
• Climate change is projected to worsen over the next decades, based on models for 2030, 2060, and 2085.
• Natural disasters include typhoons, floods, storm surges, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and drought.
• Human-induced events include fires, accidents, aircraft crashes, pollution, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, explosions, and armed conflict.

Paradigm Shift in DRRM

• The Philippines shifted to using skills, directives and capacities to implementing strategies and policies to lessen the impacts and possibility of disaster.
• Republic Act 10121 is the legal basis for disaster risk reduction and management in the Philippines.
• Formerly reactive, Philippines shifted to proactive disaster risk reduction and management.
• The highest organized and authorised body in DRRM in the Philippines is the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
• The NDRRMC has a broad composition.
• The Chairperson is the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND).
• Vice-Chairpersons include Secretaries from DOST (Prevention & Mitigation), DILG (Preparedness), DSWD (Disaster Response), and the Director-General of NEDA (Rehab & Recovery).
• The Executive Director of the NDRRMC is the OCD Administrator.
• Members consist of 15 departments which include DOH(Department of Health), DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), DA (Department of Agriculture), DepEd (Department of Education), DOE (Department of Energy), DOF (Department of Finance), DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), DOT (Department of Tourism), DBM (Department of Budget and Management), DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways, DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), DOJ (Department of Justice), DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), DOTR and DICT.
• There are 12 government agencies which include OES, OPAPP, CHED, AFP, PNP, OPS, NAPC, PCW, HUDCC, CCC & PHILHEALTH.
• There are 2 government financial institutions which include GSIS & SSS.
• There is 1 quasi-government agency, PRC (Philippine Red Cross).
• There are 5 LGU leagues, and 4 Civil society organizations and 1 private sector organization.
• The Office of Civil Defence serves as the Executive Arm and Secretariat of the NDRRMC.
• In case of emergencies, a 24/7 office monitors and coordinates operations.
• The Disaster Risk Reduction Management network consists of:
• 1 National DRRM council
• 17 regional DRRM council
• 81 provincial DRRM council
• 145 city DRRM council
• 1489 municipal DRRM council
• 42,029 barangay DRRM committees
• In emergencies, coordination is structured as follows:
• Barangay DRRMC is the first to be activated when 1 barangay is affected
• City/Municipal DRRMC activates when 2 or more barangays are affected
• Provincial when 2 or more cities or municipalities are affected
• Regional when 2 or more provinces are affected
• NDRRMC is activated when 2 or more regions are affected
• The DRRM in every Province, City, Municipality and Barangay is in charge of the Local DRRM Office.
• The NDRRM framework is that of safer, adaptive and resilient Filipino communities towards sustainable development through Mainstreaming DRR and CCA in Planning and implementation.
• DRM implementation requires Prevention & Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Rehabilitation & Recovery.
• At the strategic level the NDRRM has 4 priority areas with 4 long term goals, 14 objectives, 24 outcomes, 56 outputs, and ultimately 93 activities.

Four DRRM Thematic Areas

• The four DRRM thematic areas are Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery, all geared towards sustainable development.
• Disaster Prevention and Mitigation focuses on avoiding hazards through early warning systems, forecasting, hazard risk mapping, and also structural interventions, under the leadership of DOST.
• Disaster Preparedness focuses on planning, prepositioning, stockpiling, training, and organizing responders, under the leadership of DILG.
• Disaster Response focuses on assessment, evacuation, issuance of advisories, rescue, relief distribution, and management of evacuation facilities under the leadership of DSWD.
• Disaster response focuses on policies, resettlement, needs assesment and livelihood under the leadership of NEDA.

Challenges

• Challenges to DRRM implementation are identified as "Buy-in" of stakeholders, adopting DRRM into everyday life and continuous innovation.
• It is more effective to prioritize learning through education than learning through tragedy.

Understand the key aspects of the World Risk Index (WRI) and its application to the Philippines. Explore factors influencing vulnerability, typhoon seasons, and disaster consequences in the Philippines.