Natural Disaster Research Report of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, No. 45 ; February, 2011

The Exacerbation of Human Suffering and Disaster Response Caused byTropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng Disasters- Cases of NCR and Baguio City Tadashi NAKASU*
International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management under the auspices of the UNESCO,
Public Works Research Institute, Japant-naka55 pwri.go.jp

Abstract
The paper clarifies the causes induced by Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng that worsened conditions for people
by focusing on social background and disaster response. The angle and method of the analysis were based on an analysisof the experiences of the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that was conducted by a research team from the National
Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. Through this analysis and field research, an outline on how
harm to humans was exacerbated during and after Ondoy and Pepeng, the kinds of disaster response systems present in thePhilippines, and how the disaster response systems worked during and after the storms was constructed.
Key words: Ondoy, Pepeng, NCR, Baguio City, Human Suffering, Social background, Disaster response

1. Introduction
The paper examines the factors that contributed toworsening conditions during the Tropical Storm Ondoy andTyphoon Pepeng disasters that occurred on September 26,
2009 and the following week. The paper is focused on social
background and disaster response. First, the paper outlines thesocial background of the devastated areas and then examine
the exacerbating factors and the disaster responses as they
have come to light in this research, including in a field survey.
To analyze the exacerbation of damage, the paper used thevictim analysis method conducted by the National ResearchInstitute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED)
research team for Hurricane Katrina. Second, the paper also
analyzes the disaster response systems on the basis of fieldsurveys conducted by the National Disaster Coordinating
Councils (NDCC), the Regional Disaster Coordinating
Councils (RDCC), the City Disaster Coordinating Councils(CDCC), which are shown in Fig. 3, and the Philippine
National Red Cross (PNRC). Through these analyses, thepaper tries to answer how damage was exacerbated, whatkinds of disaster response systems there are in the Philippines,
and how the disaster response systems worked.

Conduct Social Background Survey
Create Timeline on Damage Situation

Extract of Symbolic andDistinctive Cases

Field Survey
Inspection of Damaged Areas
and Interviews

Categorize and Organize the Damage
Analyze the Relationships and the Processes
between Damage and Disaster Responses

Fig. 1 Methodology of Analysis.

2. Analysis and Method
This research analysis and method focused on how social
background and disaster response impacted the worsening of
damage caused by natural disasters. The method is shown as
Fig. 1.
3. Damage Caused by TS Ondoy and TY Pepeng
3.1 Risk of mortality due to typhoons
Between 5 and 7 out of every 20 typhoon disasters in thePhilippines are critical. According to the United Nations* Minamihara 1-6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8516, Japan− 97 −

Natural Disaster Research Report of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, No. 45 ; February, 2011

ESCAP-ISDR, “ In Japan, 22.5 million people are exposed
annually to typhoons and cyclones, while in the Philippines,
Table 1 Casualties caused by Typhoons.
Disaster

Date

No Killed

Storm

1 Earthquake (seismic activity)

16/08/1976

6000

2 Storm

5/11/1991

5956

3 Earthquake (seismic activity)

16/07/1990

2412

4 Storm

29/11/2004

1619

2

5 Storm

13/10/1970

1551

3

6 Storm

1/09/1984

1399

4

7 Storm

30/11/2006

1399

5

8 Volcano

31/01/1911

1335

9 Mass movement wet

17/02/2006

1126

10 Storm

3/11/1984

1079

6

11 Storm

10/1995936

7

1

Table 2 Affected People caused by Typhoons.
Disaster

Date

No Total Affected

Storm

1 Storm

12/11/1990

6159569

1Storm
2 (TS Ondoy)

28/09/2009

49017632

3 Storm

21/06/2008

4785460

3Storm
4 (TY Pepeng)

2/10/2009

4478491

4

5 Storm

21/10/1998

3902424

5

6 Storm

27/09/2006

3842406

6

7 Storm

20/11/1973

3400024

7

8 Storm

21/10/1988

3250208

9 Flood

07/1972

2770647

10 Storm

17/05/1976

2700000

Table 3 Economic Damage caused by Typhoons.

1

Disaster

Date

Flood

Damage(000 US$)Storm

4/09/1995

700300Storm
2 (TY Pepeng)

2/10/2009

591996

1

3

Storm

12/11/1990

3885002

4

Earthquake(seismic activity)

16/07/1990

3696005

Storm

21/06/2008

284694

3

6

Storm

3/11/1995

244000

4

7

Storm

21/10/1988

2405005

Storm
8 (TS Ondoy)

28/09/2009

2374896

907/1972

2200001/09/1984

216700Flood

10 Storm

7

16 million are exposed. However, the mortality risk in thePhilippines is 17 times higher than in Japan ” (ESCAP/ISDR
2009: 2). This shows that the Philippines is more vulnerable
to typhoons.
3.2 Trends for Storm Disasters in the Philippines
Tables 1, 2, and 3 contain a list of casualties, the people
affected, and the economic costs from natural disasters in thePhilippines from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT)of the University Catholique de Louvain.
Among all natural disasters in the Philippines, storm
disasters are the most prevalent. However, casualties fromearthquakes and volcano eruptions are also huge. In termsof the number victims and the economic damage, wind andwater hazards especially have a lot of influence. Moreover,focusing on the storms mentioned in the tables such as
typhoon disasters, the death tolls from Tropical Storm (TS)Ondoy and Typhoon (TY) Pepeng were not ranked in the
top 7. However, the total number of people affected and theeconomic damage are both ranked within the top 7. If theeffects of the two typhoons were considered as from one
typhoon, the death toll would be ranked seventh, and both thetotal number of people affected and the economic damage
would be ranked first. This indicates the characteristics andmagnitudes of both disasters. Compared to the damage causedby hurricanes in the U.S., in which the trends for damage
have changed largely from that to humans to the physicaland economic, the Philippines shows only some of the same
trends. The recent rapid increase in the number of people
affected in the Philippines is worthy of special mention. It
is estimated that the embedded social structure problems of
the Philippines, such as squatters and rapid urbanization,
are reflected in the locals who tend to come to the National
Capital Region (NCR) to make a living.
3.3 Summary of TS Ondoy and TY Pepeng
Table 4 shows the types of disasters caused by TS Ondoy
and TY Pepeng as of November 20, 2009 as reported by
the NDCC and the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA). Human loss caused by TS Ondoy was mainly due
to floods, and 52 % of these casualties were in the National
Capital Region (NCR), 35 % were in Calabarzon, and 12 %were in Central Luzon. The devastated area is broad aroundthe NCR. The damage caused by TY Pepeng is due mainly
to slope failure and landslides. Here, 75 % of human loss
was in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and 20% was in the Ilocos Region. The names of the locations areshown in Fig. 2. Comparing the two typhoons, the numbers
for the people affected, affected families, and the injured
from TS Ondoy are much higher than those for TS Pepeng.
The numbers for the devastated areas and for costs from TY
Pepeng are higher than those for TS Ondoy. This is due to thefact that TS Ondoy struck the NCR, and TY Pepeng instead
affected broader areas for a longer period of time. Moreover,− 98 −

The Exacerbation of Human Suffering and Disaster Response Caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng Disasters − T. NAKASU
Table 5 Population and Population Growth in the Philippines,
NCR, and Cordelia Admin.

Table 4 Disaster Situation.
Typhoon Ondoy
2009.9.26
Affected Population

Casualties

Damages houses

Total number of schools
damagedInstitutional materials +School equipment (Php)993,227 families

954,087 families

4,901,234 persons

4,478,284 persons

2,018 barangays

5,486 barangays

172 municipalities

364 municipalities

16 cities

36 cities

26 provinces

27 provinces

Dead

464

492

Missing37

47

Injured529

207

252 evacuation center

54 evacuation center

16,173 families

3,258 families

72,305 persons

14,892 persons

Totally

30,082 houses

6,253 houses

Partially

154,922 houses

48,120 houses

Total

185,004 houses

54,373 houses

1,383 schools

1,531 schools

Evacuation(as of Nov./05/2009)

Region/Province

Typhoon Pepeng
2009.10.3-

Total Population
1-Aug-2007

National Capital
RegionCordillera
Administrative
RegionAnnual Population Growth Rate
2000-2007

1995-2000

88,574,614

2.04

2.36

11,553,427

2.11

1.06

1,520,743

1.50

1.82

Table 6 Population and Population Growth in the Cordelia
Admin., Benguet Prov., and Baguio city.
Region/Province/
Highly Urbanized City

Total Population
1-Aug-2007

Cordillera
Administrative Region

1,131 elementary schools

1,280 elementary schools

252 high school

251 high school

239 day care centers

69 evacuation families
per 3 schools
767.45 million

Annual Population Growth Rate
2000-2007

1995-2000

1,520,743

1.50

1.82

Benguet372,533

1.68

1.09

Baguio City

301,926

2.50

2.31

Table 7 Population and Population Growth in the NCR.
Region/Province/
Highly Urbanized City

the number of casualties and of missing people from TY
Pepeng is higher than that for TS Ondoy. Many of the causesof death from TY Pepeng exhibit characteristics of sedimentdisaster, such as the washing away of houses, which often
results in death.
4. Social Background in NCR and Baguio City:
Geophysical and Social Status
The Philippines is prone to many natural disasters,such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones
and typhoons, and floods. These are closely related to thecountry's geographical and social situation. In geophysicalterms, the Philippines is located on a part of the Pacific Beltzone that is easily affected by tropical cyclones. In terms ofsocial factors, some experts have identified a relationshipbetween poverty and vulnerability to natural disasters. It is
possible that the Ondoy and Pepeng disasters are closely
linked to the urbanization of low-lying areas in the NCR andin the mountainside areas of Baguio City that are prone tolandslides.
Currently, the Philippines is experiencing a high level of
population growth. For example, the annual growth rate was
2.36 % from 1995 to 2000 and 2.04 % from 2000 to 2007,
as shown in Table 5. Tables 5, 6, and 7 show the population
growth of each area (the NCR, CAR, etc.). As factors, the 3.86
% growth of Taguig City in the NCR and the 2.50 % growthof Baguio city from 2000 to 2007 should be taken into
consideration when analyzing disaster effects and recovery
processes.

Total Population
1-Aug-2007

Annual Population Growth Rate
2000-2007

1995-2000

National Capital
Region11,553,427

2.11

1.06

City of Manila

1,660,714

0.68

-0.97

City of Marikina

424,610

1.14

1.96

City of Pasig

617,301

2.80

1.50

Quezon City2,679,450

2.92

1.92

City of Makati

510,383

1.91

-1.80

Pasay City

403,064

1.77

-2.97

Taguig City

613,343

3.82

4.45

5. Worsening of Conditions for Humans During TS
Ondoy and TY Pepeng
Table 8 contains damage and loss data presented bya Post-Disaster Needs Assessment report (ADB et al.,2009). The main sector affected was the commercial sector.
Small businesses in the NCR were affected by TS Ondoy,
and agriculture in Luzon was affected by TY Pepeng.
Furthermore, housing damage was caused by both. For thispaper, the paper analyzed the extent of suffering caused tohumans and the disaster response. With this analysis, theextent of the suffering can be categorized by warning andevacuation, loss of lifeline, social disorder, worsening ofliving conditions, social adjustment. Moreover, disaster
responses by category are extracted. Analyses wereconducted mainly on the basis of local Japanese newspapers
in the Philippines, reports, government documents, and field− 99 −

Natural Disaster Research Report of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, No. 45 ; February, 2011
Table 8 Damage and Loss by Sector.
SectorDamages and Losses
Damages

Losses

Total

Productive Sectors

557.8

2,661.7

3,219.5

Agriculture

80.1

769.2

849.3

Industry

209.2

194.1

403.3

Commerce

256.2

1,644.4

1,900.6

Tourism

12.3

54.0

66.2

Social Sectors

706.5

212.5

919.0

Housing

541.6

188.8

730.3

Education

53.5

4.9

58.4

Cultural Heritage

6.0

0.5

6.5

Health

105.5

18.3

123.8

Infrastructure

181.1

56.2

237.3

Electricity

15.2

18.7

33.9

Water and Sanitation

7.9

16.4

24.3

Flood Control, Drainage andDam Management

15.3

0.0

15.3

Transport

138.7

21.2

159.8
4.1

Telecommunication

4.1

0.0

Cross- Sectoral

6.3

0.9

7.1

Local Government

6.3

0.9

7.1

Social Protection

0.0

0.0

0.0

Financial Sector

0.0

0.0

0.0

Disaster Risk Management& Reduction

0.0

0.0

0.0

1,451.7

2,931.3

4,383.0

68,2228.4

137,770.3

205,998.7

Total
Total in Php million(1 USD = 47 Php)

research. This analysis shows that the trend of extent processof human suffering from TS Ondoy and TY Pepeng is thesame as that from Hurricane Katrina that occurred in the
U.S. in 2005. However, the contents of the extent process ofhuman suffering caused by TS Ondoy and TY Pepeng aredifferent. In addition, sources of information on Ondoy and
Pepeng are limited. The following is an analysis of the extent
process of the suffering caused by TS Ondoy and TY Pepengin the Philippines.
5.1 Warning and Evacuation
Evacuation is one of the most common ways to mitigate
suffering to humans during typhoon disasters. The evacuation
activities of local people can be divided into the following
three groups: evacuation, no evacuation, and inability toevacuate. Many resources are required to evacuate, so thereliability of the forecasts and warnings as well as personal
situations affect whether the local people decide to evacuate.
Also, aged, disabled, hospitalized, and underprivileged
people who do not have enough resources to evacuate need
to be considered. A community-based disaster response ismore important than a national disaster response in the firststage. In terms of pre-disaster activities, it is reported that
the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and the Asian

Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), both acting as NGOs,
helped to mitigate the spread of the disasters caused by TS
Ondoy and TY Pepeng.
1) Process of Victimization
There were no reports of evacuation activities in the caseof TS Ondoy, but there were some reports of evacuation
activities in the case of TY Pepeng. This is because of
Ondoy's influence. For example, there were evacuations frompeople deciding themselves to evacuate and from government
orders in the case of TY Pepeng. The reasons there wereno reports of evacuations in the case of TS Ondoy are thereported those are due to lack of the reliability of weather
forecasting, a shortage of vehicles for evacuation, the lack ofplaces to evacuate to, etc..
2) Disaster Responses
Concerning disaster responses, there were reports ofinsufficient and inadequate equipment, such as inoperable
sirens and alarm systems. From the aspect of resources,
reports state that each community's resources, such as financial
resources, influenced the disaster response and that there wasa lack of training for disaster response in some communities.
Despite this, there were some efficient community-based
disaster responses reported. In an interview, a PNRC Rizalchapter member indicated that there were already volunteer
works occurring at 7 am, one hour before the arrival of TS
Ondoy, in some areas. Information on the floods was reported
by community volunteers, and that information was mainly
from text messages from mobile phones. Moreover, thePNRC tried to prepare 44 volunteer workers in each barangay,
the smallest administrative division in the Philippines, andprovided training and other efforts.
Concerning the other community-based responses, an
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center project in Dagupan City
has showed successful outcomes. Flooding in the city is acommon problem, and the situation is further aggravated by
the onset of high tide. The PROMISE-Philippines Project(2006 - 2009) gave an opportunity for the city to advancea culture of safety and disaster resilience by promoting thesignificance of community participation.
Compared to other neighboring cities and municipalities
that were badly affected by floods came from a combinationof rain from TY Pepeng and emergency dam water releases,
Dagupan city was well-prepared even before the storm
entered the country and had no casualties because of its
Community based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)
work, in spite of being entirely covered in flood water.
CBDRM puts community participation at the heart ofthe process so that the main stakeholders and those mostvulnerable to disaster will have a greater role over decisions
and mitigation activities, enabling a greater sharing of
information between city governments and communities sothat both sets of actors can make their respective decisions− 100 −

The Exacerbation of Human Suffering and Disaster Response Caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng Disasters − T. NAKASU

and implement mitigation activities.
Therefore, the Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils(BDCCs) were able to prevent death and major damage while
waiting for other rescuers to reach their areas during the
crucial hours (Gabrielle, 2010).
5.2 Loss of Lifeline
Loss of lifeline is a stage of warning and evacuation.
This is due to direct damage caused by strong wind andheavy rain. Housing damage, power outages, failure of basic
utilities, communication services failures such as the inability
to use telephones and mobile phones, etc., occur at thisstage. Ondoy and Pepeng caused damage to small businesses
in the NRC and to agriculture and livestock, respectively.
Moreover, main roads leading to Manila were shut down due
to landslides, making the transport of vegetables difficult. In
addition, traffic congestion, the unavailability of airplanes
for both domestic and international flights, water stoppages,
and damage to educational facilities were reported as beingcaused by both storms.
1) Process of Victimization
The damage caused by both TS Ondoy and TY Pepeng
mainly comes from the heavy rain that caused floods,
landslides, and debris flows. In terms of direct damage,floods were caused by TS Ondoy, and floods, landslides,and debris flows were caused by TY Pepeng. In Ondoy’scase, there were power outages and the loss of mobile phoneservices. In addition, the worsening of harm to humans inareas containing squatters was reported. Underprivileged
people coming from rural areas live in the NCR as squatters.
The number of households being home to squatters was
432,450 in the NCR. Of this number, 23 % of the occupants
lived in a public space, 22 % lived in private areas, 15 %lived at riversides and railroad tracks, and 40 % lived in
pre-public construction areas (JICA, 2002). Moreover, TS
Ondoy affected not only the underprivileged population, suchas the above squatters, but also the privileged population.
The Provident Village and Bay Breeze areas, where fieldresearch was conducted, are considered areas for rich people.
However, there are reports that a lack of mutual help in
Provident Village and problematic development planning in
the Bay Breeze area caused huge damage.
2) Disaster Response
A lack of communication equipment, a shortage of
ambulance vehicles, and the early escape of government
officers were problematic issues during the disaster response
stage. Moreover, there was a shortage of rubber boats, life
vests, and life saving equipment such as rope. On top of
that, there was the lack of a disaster response for shut roads,
the inability to access devastated areas due to high waterlevels, insufficient resources in the barangays, and a lackof equipment and trained people (JICA et al., 2010). The
PNRC did act efficiently during the disaster, for example, bycollecting text messages from mobile phones that contained
important information and by processing this information
effectively through call centers staff.
5.3 Social Disorder
After the loss of lifeline, an increase in the stress ofaffected people and an appearance of social disorder wererevealed as social instability occurred. Surprisingly, there
were very few reports of social disorders and instability. In
the cases of TS Ondoy and TY Pepeng's, many consider this areflection of the Filipino people’s character.
1) Process of Victimization
There were relatively few reports on the increase of stress.
"Even during the disaster, there were many people wholaugh and sang songs. I think this shows the character of theFilipinos." These words are from an interview and show thepsychological aspects of nationality and coping capacity.
Murders and other instabilities were not reported.
2) Disaster Response
The government worked to restore social stability afterrobberies were reported. To be specific, the general officer of
the NRC police ordered five police headquarters in the area toassist to avoid robberies of aid supplies.
5.4 Worsening of Living Conditions
After the extended damage caused by flooding, the sanitaryconditions became worse, and along with that, physicallyand socially vulnerable people were affected. In response,
not only domestic organizations but also the World HealthOrganization (WHO) conducted a large scale measurement.
An increase of Leptospirosis disease reflected the sanitaryconditions in the NCR. The number of infected people wasover 2,500, including a death toll of 150. There are few
reports of sanitary problems caused by landslide or debris
flow.
1) Process of Victimization
The extent of the spread of Leptospirosis disease reflected
the sanitary issues in the NCR. Other sanitary problems
include those dealing with garbage. In an interview with the
Manila Metropolitan Development Association (MMDA),
many cleanup activities were conducted to deal with floods
along with garbage issues. Moreover, these kinds of problems
came from the disposal of garbage, mainly in urban areas. The
flood in Baguio City was caused by the stopping of drainage
water by the local garbage that had piled up on the mouth of adischarge pipe. This was confirmed by field research.
2) Disaster Response
International organizations also worked to reduce thespread of Leptospirosis. WHO declared 26 million Philippine
Peso (PHP) would be provided to fight the spread of theinfections caused by TS Ondoy. Funds from the United
Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provided
research on the occurrence of infection and on the nutrition
situation in devastated areas, vaccinations, preventive and− 101 −

Natural Disaster Research Report of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, No. 45 ; February, 2011

response measures for epidemics, vitamins and purified
water, and education on public health and infectious diseases.
Moreover, WHO conducted research for making policy
decisions.
5.5 Social Adjustment
There are many social problems that make it difficult for
victims to recover from disasters. Returning evacuees, mental
disorders, unemployment, insurance, loss of assets, donation
fraud, and education are major issues that affect people.
There were problems reported on people who relocated toother places and returned to the places they used to live
who had difficulty adjusting. There were serious problems
for indigenous people as well, which reflects the social
characteristics of Philippines.
1) Process of Victimization
Other problems reported as problematic are schools having
to be used for evacuation, the mismatching of relocation
places, unfavorable influence on educational practices in
the relocated areas, resistance to resettlement by the people
who lived near the river or by indigenous people, evacuees
who stayed for a long time at evacuation centers, people who
experienced trauma from the disasters, and so on.
2) Disaster Response
The problems related to the disaster response were theneed for prompt funding for reconstruction and recovery, alack of resources for reconstruction and recovery, a shortageof storage for resource stock, a breakdown in the network
between NGOs and the government, the practicabilityof basic utility projects after the disaster, and the lack oftechnical expertise needed for reducing future disasters.
Moreover, in terms of the actual disaster response,
countermeasures against the price gauging of drugs andmedicines, which tend to be in short supply, and themisappropriation of donations were a problem, and President
Arroyo warned that there would be a crack down on thesetypes of activities. In addition, government- and privatesector special recovery commissions for the recovery ofdevastated areas prioritized the following four projects: theelimination of the gregarious water lily in the Laguna de Bay
and the Pasig river, a system adjustment for early warningby adding a precipitation gauge, support for flood victims
and the prevention of the spread of infectious disease, andmaintenance and repairs for affected school buildings.
Counseling activities are provided for people affected
mentally by the disaster.
6. Disaster Response in the Philippines
Since there is a very high risk of natural disasters in thePhilippines, many disaster response organizations, such as
the UN, and governmental, international, and national NGOs
have been working there as a result of previous natural
disasters. This section explains the activities of disaster-

Mindanao

Visayas

Luzon
IlocosCagayan Valley

Mimaropa

Bicol

Central Luzon

Calabarzon

National Capital Region (NCR)
Cordillera Administrative
RegionBenguet

Province

Municipalities

Independent
CitiesHighly Urbanized
CitiesBaguioCity

CitiesBarangays

Fig. 2 Administrative Unit in the Philippines.

related national organizations.
6.1 Administrative Units in the Philippines
The notion of administrative units in the Philippines is
crucial for gaining a clear overview of the disaster response
situation in the Philippines. The present administrative
units date back to a 1991 government act, in which various
administrative functions, such as public works, education,
the pricing of agricultural goods, and social welfare
were transferred from central to local government. The
administrative hierarchy of the Philippines is now as follows.
The land of the Philippines is divided into three blocks— Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. These are subdivided
into seventeen regions. Each region consists of a number ofprovinces, and the provinces include cities and municipalities.
The cities and municipalities consist of barangays, which
are the smallest administrative divisions. Several cities havebecome highly urbanized and are classified as independent
provincial administrative units. For example, Luzon has six
regions, one administrative region, and one national capitalregions (NCR) as shown in Fig. 2. These are the Ilocos
Region (Region I), the Cagayan Valley (Region II), Central
Luzon (Region III), Calabarzon (Region IV-A), Mimaropa(Region IV-B), the Bicol Region (Region V), the Cordillera
Administrative Region (CAR), and the National Capital
Region (NCR). Baguio is a highly urbanized city in the
Cordillera administrative region, to which Benguet Provincealso belongs.
6.2 Basic Disaster Response System in the Philippines
Disaster response consists of several stages as shown in
Fig. 3. First, there are emergency management systems at thebarangay level. If this level is overwhelmed, the municipal
level, such as the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council(MDCC), would respond. If this level becomes overwhelmed,
the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) or Provincial
Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) would react. If thedisaster is too large to handle at this level, the National− 102 −

The Exacerbation of Human Suffering and Disaster Response Caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng Disasters − T. NAKASUNDCC : National Disaster Coordinating Councils
17

RDCC : Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils

81

PDCC : Provincial Disaster Coordinating Councils

136

CDCC : City Disaster Coordinating Councils

1495

MDCC : Municipal Disaster Coordinating Councils

41995 BDCC : Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils

Fig. 3 DCC Network.

Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) would respond. The
NDCC conducts disaster response work by collaboratingwith every level of DCCs and coordinating with every related
national organization under the direct supervision of the
President of the Philippines.
6.3 Legal Aspect
6.3.1 Basic Law for Disaster Prevention
Presidential Decree No. 1566 (PD No. 1566, June 11, 1978)
provided for the strengthening of the Philippines' disaster
control capabilities and the establishment of a nationwide
community disaster preparedness program as a legal basis fordisaster management systems in the Philippines.
The salient provisions of PD 1566 are the following (NDCC2010):- State policy on self-reliance among local officials and theirconstituents in responding to disasters or emergencies- Organization of disaster coordinating councils from thenational down to the municipal level.
- Statement of duties and responsibilities of the NDCC,
Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), and Local
Disaster Coordinating Council (LDCC).
- Preparation of a National Calamities and Disaster
Preparedness Plan (NCDPP) by Office of Civil Defense(OCD) and implementation of plans by NDCC-member
agencies.
- Periodic drills and exercises.
- Authority for government units to program their funds
for disaster preparedness activities in addition to the 2 %calamity fund as provided for in PD 474 (amended by RA8185).
PD 1566 also assists the coordinating and supervising
works of DCCs as disaster response functions at each level.
6.3.2 Policy Declaration and Legal Authority of NDCC
The PD No.1566 (June 11, 1978), Section 1, Declaration of
Policies consists of the following:- The responsibility for leadership rests on local chief
executives. The local governments are responsible for self
reliance, self help, and mutual assistance. Each political andadministrative subdivision of the country shall utilize allavailable resources in the area before asking for assistancefrom neighboring entities or higher authority.

- Primary responsibility rests on the government agencies in
the affected areas in coordination with the people themselves.
- All government departments, bureaus, agencies, andinstrumentalities must have documented disaster management
plans.
The national government exists to support the local
governments. In addition, PD1566 defines the legal authorityof the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)
as strengthening the Philippine disaster control capability
and establishing a national program of community disaster
preparedness.
6.4 Role, Organization, and Members of the NDCC
The establishment of the NDCC is based on PD1566,
Section 2. The NDCC shall play key roles in disaster responsesuch as:- Making high-level policy, coordinating, and supervising at
the national level for disaster management in the country.
- Advising the president on the status of national disaster
preparedness and management plans as well as recommendingthat the president declare a state of calamity and releasenational calamity funds as needed.
Concerning the organization and members of the NDCC,
a secretary of national defense works as the chairman, andsecretaries of 18 other governmental agencies are involved
as members, such as the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP), the secretary general of the Philippine
National Red Cross (PNRC), and the director of Philippine
Information Agency. An administrator from the office of civil
defense serves for the NDCC as a member and an executive
officer.
Basically, each level of the Disaster Coordinating Council(DCC) consists of the same structure as the NDCC at the
local level and has the same responsibilities for each level ofadministrative unit.
7. Conclusion
This paper encompasses the following points. First, thesocial vulnerabilities of the NCR and Baguio City in thePhilippines are increasing because of rapid population growthand urbanization. Second, the disaster response system in thePhilippines is relatively well organized. Local communities
especially have improved in terms of organization. Third, thepersonal and social aspects of the Filipinos capabilities forcoping in the face of disaster are relatively high.
With regards to rapid population growth and urbanization,
the TS Ondoy disaster exposed the problems of population
increase, squatters, garbage and sanitation along withurbanization in the NRC, and the TY Pepeng disaster exposed
problems with geological vulnerabilities such landslides anddisordered housing development in Baguio city, a city thathas been dealing with rapid population growth.
In regards to the disaster response, there were critics of− 103 −

Natural Disaster Research Report of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, No. 45 ; February, 2011

the government. However, the disaster response system was
relatively well organized and functional. The NDCC-based
DCC network seems to operate well. Disaster information
related activity also seems to be well practiced. Anotherexcellent point is that the disaster response is a communitybased process. However, the storms exposed the gap in thedisaster response among communities.
In addition, people in urban areas have the tendency tohelp neighbors than those in rural areas. The reasons for thistendency could be that urban people need to help each otheron a daily basis. The activities of the PNRC and ADPC are
examples of outstanding works.
In regards to the personal and social aspects, the Filipino
character is reflected. As was stated in an interview with a
PNRC staff member, psychological damage was relatively
small, and victims tended to overcome the disaster withpositive feelings. Reports of crime are difficult to be found.
This also seems to represent the character of the Filipinos. It
can be assumed that this is related to high social capital. The
above mentioned personal and social aspects of the Filipinos
were revealed by the disaster.
TS Ondoy exposed the urbanization problems in the NRC,
and TY Pepeng exposed the urbanization and increasing
vulnerability in Baguio City, 90 % of which is locatedin landslide prone areas, and the surrounding areas. It is
no exaggeration to say that these cases are the result ofdevelopment activities. For that reason, these storms anddisasters taught us important lessons, and utilizing theselessons is a requirement and challenge for our future.
This paper can only outline a part of the worsening
damage to humans, the social background, and the disaster
response due to a shortage of reliable information, in spiteof the proceeding field research. This paper is the first stage
in helping research progress, improving weak areas, andbuilding a stronger information base.
Acknowledgments
It was difficult to find good local informants. However,
our field research was completed successfully. This is thanks
to the office of the Disaster Prevention Research Forum, theAsian Disaster Reduction Center, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency, the Asian Development Bank, and many
Filipino informants. I thank all who assisted us. This paper isthe result of your assistance.
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(Accepted : November 25, 2010)− 104 −