Perhaps you have heard the song lyric, “It’s been raining in Manila, hindi ka ba nilalamig (aren’t you cold)?”
But really, it is not only in Manila where the rains have been heavy. Various places in the Philippines have recently experienced floods and other natural disasters. This begs us to ask, how prepared is our country for disasters and other risks?
Given the Philippines’ geographic location, it is vulnerable to many natural hazards. Around 20 typhoons hit the country each year, usually occurring from June to November. Who could forget super typhoon “Yolanda,” which devastated the country nearly a decade ago? To date, it is the strongest typhoon to have ever hit the Philippines, which killed more than 6,000 people and caused damage worth more than P95 billion.
Aside from typhoons, the Philippines is also prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because it is in the “Pacific Ring of Fire.” It is home to many active volcanoes, with recent activities by Mount Mayon and Taal.
The country’s principal law on disaster management is Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. Under this law, a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is established and is the responsible working group during disasters and other emergencies.
Through a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework, its approach is comprehensive, multi-sectoral, inter-agency, and community-based. This is evident in how the law mandates the creation of a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in every province, city and municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee in every barangay.
The participation of non-government organizations is likewise encouraged. Thus, disaster risk reduction management efforts, resources, and responsibilities are decentralized. To ensure relevance to the needs of the times, the Framework is reviewed at a five-year interval or as necessary.
A science-based approach is also given priority in the Philippines since research and development on disaster management is not overlooked. Typhoon movement prediction, meteorological hazard assessments, and other studies are conducted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, while the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology focuses on research on seismicity and other volcanic hazards.
A discussion on disaster management is incomplete without looking at the core topic — the environment. Environmental issues are not unheard of, even though there are climate change deniers. Moreover, environmental justice and environmental rights have developed through the years. In fact, environmental protection is enshrined in our Constitution, and the country has its own Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases.
However, the goal of environmental preservation often needs to match with another goal: economic growth. Some argue that there exists a trade-off between the two. Others say that both are rather complementary concepts.
A discussion on disaster management is incomplete without looking at the core topic — the environment.
One thing is sure: Our present legal policies and regulatory frameworks still need to sufficiently address the environmental challenges we continuously and increasingly face. Often, implementing these already existing legal policies and regulatory frameworks is plagued by corruption or lack of political will. As such, we remain exposed to disasters and risks so long as there is no proper system of proactive public awareness, smart resource allocation, and good governance.
Our disaster preparedness and risk reduction management cannot simply rely on our culture of resilience.