Philippines 2009

Philippines’ Country Profile

I.

General Information
The Republic of the Philippines (RP) is an archipelagic nation located in Southeast
Asia. Its length measures 1,850 kilometers, starting from the point near the southern tip of
Taiwan and ending close to northern Borneo. Three prominent bodies of water surround thearchipelago: the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on
the west and north, and the Celebes Sea and the coastal waters of Borneo on the south. The
Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands and has a total land area ofapproximately 299,764 square kilometers.
The country’s capital is Manila. The population is 88.57 million as of August 2007.
Eighty-three percent (83%) of the Filipinos are predominantly Roman Catholics.
The country is divided into three major island groups. Luzon is the largest islandgroup with an area of 141,000 square kilometers, followed by Mindanao covering 102,000
square kilometers, and the Visayas with 57,000 square kilometers. The rest are small islets
that emerge and disappear with ebbing and rising of tides.
The Philippines has a tropical and maritime climate. Using temperature and rainfall asbases, its climate can be divided into two major seasons: (1) the rainy season, from June toNovember; and (2) the dry season, from December to May. The dry season may be
subdivided further into (a) the cool dry season, from December to February; and (b) the hot dry
season, from March to May.

II.

Natural Hazards in the Philippines
A. Natural Hazards Likely to Affect the Country
The Philippines is susceptible to various types of natural hazards due to its
geographical location and physical environment; being situated in the “Pacific Ring ofFire”, between two Tectonic plates (Eurasian and Pacific), an area encircling the Pacific
Ocean where frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity result from the movements ofsaid tectonic plates. In fact, the country experiences an average of 20 earthquakes perday (most are too weak to be felt). There are also about 300 volcanoes, of which 22 areactive and have been recorded in history to have erupted; while 5 are considered to be
the most active namely: Taal, Mayon, Bulusan, Kanlaon and Hibok-Hibok. Also, being
located along the typhoon belt/superhighway in the Pacific makes it vulnerable toextreme weather events. An average of 20 typhoons/tropical cyclones visit the country
every year, with 5 of them considered the most destructive. Its 36,289 kms. of coastline
is also vulnerable to tsunami, making the country also highly-susceptible to sea level rise
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Philippines 2009and storm surges. Accompanying or resulting from these tropical cyclone events aresecondary phenomena such as landslides, floods/flashfloods/flooding, tornadoes,
drought, and heavy/monsoon rains.
Aside from the natural hazards, the Philippines also experiences human-induced
incidents such as urban/structural fires, air, land and sea mishaps, drowning, collapsed
structure, epidemic/disease outbreak, food poisoning, vehicular accidents, gas explosion,
chemical poisoning, oil spillage, grenade/bomb explosion/bombings, civil disturbance,and complex emergencies, particularly those internally displaced citizens as a result ofarmed conflicts mostly in Southern Philippines.

B. Recent Major Disasters (2005 to 2008)
1.

January to December 2005

No. ofOccurrence

Disaster Type

Tropical Cyclones
17

28(4 Destructive)

Affected

210,011 families /1,109,646 persons

Flooding /53,973 families /Flashfloods

273, 405 persons

15

Landslides

1

Tornadoes

2

Lightning

1

Drought

307

No. of People

23,254 families /116,747 persons
37 families /185 persons
56 families /280 persons

Human-Made

38,939 families /Incidents

212,768 persons

2

No. ofCost of

Cost of

PeopleDamage inDamage in

Dead

Million PHP

Million US$

542,552.659

46.41227

317.0945.765

1159.540

1.083

-

-

-

6

-

-

-

0.490

0.009

515

437.511

7.955

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Philippines 2009

2.

January to December 2006

No. ofOccurrence

17

Disaster TypeNo. of People
Affected

Tropical Cyclones

2,397,012 families(10 Destructive)/ 11,253,211

No. ofCost of

Cost of

PeopleDamage inDamage in

Dead

Million PHP

Million US$

1,155

19,681.693

393.634

-

-

-

-

-

-

21

510.390

10.00828

84.724

1.661

71

-

-

73

21.2780.426

367

691.836

13.837

persons
1

1

Mt. Mayon

9,557 families /Activity

44,779 persons

Mt. Bulusan

414 families /Activity

2,027 persons

Northeast
Monsoon Rains
1(3-12 Feb)

70,645 families /(caused353,235 persons

landslides &flooding)
Continuous
Heavy Rains(August) (caused
1

big/strong waves,
flashflood,

48,891 families /200,224 persons

tornado, storm
surge)
Ultra Stampede1

Incident

722 (injured)

Other Natural
Incidents
123(landslides,
flooding/

25,979 families /124,111 persons

flashfloods, etc.)
235*

Human-Made

26,929 families /Incidents

128,345 persons(For other major disasters of 2006, please see details below
on Other Recent Major Disaster Events in the Philippines)
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Philippines 20093.

January to December 2007

No. ofOccurrence

Disaster Type

Tropical Cyclones
13

43(9 Destructive)

627,765 families /2,998,885 persons
67,247 families /Flooding

329,191 persons

Landslides

13

Tornado4

Heavy Rains

1

Affected

Flashfloods /20

6

No. of People

Big Waves

367 families /2,185 persons
1,504 families /7,425 persons
108,848 families /503,728 persons
145 families / 634
persons

Mudflow (Lahar)

277 families /1,596 persons

No. ofCost of

Cost of

PeopleDamage inDamage in

Dead

Million PHP

Million US$

124

2,787.526

61.9452375.4521.677

31

39.3310.874-

38.1330.847

31398.559

8.857

4

-

-

-

20.0800.446-

24.180

0.537

-

-

-

Earthquakes
114(mostly are minor

6 (injured)

ones)
7

Volcanic Activity

3,267 families /16,697 persons

3

Lightning

-

3

-

-

1

Thunderstorm

-

2

-

-

-

891.12719.803-0.030

0.0007

-

0.290

0.006

-

-

-

1

1

3

1

Dry Spell

28,400 families /142,000 persons

Strong Winds

15 families /75 persons

Whirlwind

146 families / 730
persons

Storm Surge

1,497 families /7,883 persons

1

Frost

-

-

10.0000.222

1

Rockfall

-

1

-

-

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Philippines 2009

338

4.

Human-Made

52,216 families /Incidents

276,734 persons

247.535

5.501

No. ofCost of

Cost of

PeopleDamage inDamage in

Dead

Billion PHP

Million US$

653

19,954.638

475.11055

1,572.377

37.438

24

-

-

83

180.395

4.295

January to December 2008

No. ofOccurrence

13

Disaster TypeNo. of People
Affected

Tropical

1,414,130 families

Cyclones/ 5,519,462(8 Destructive)

persons

11 Feb to

Flooding and202,694 families /5 MarchLandslides

975,713 persons

Compostella
6 & 7 Sept

ValleyLandslides

10 August to
the Present

5.

452

Complex
Emergencies in
Mindanao

615 families /2,643 persons

110,951 families /531,686 persons

Quezon Landslide Due to Typhoons Muifa (“Unding”) TC-2004-000122-PHL,
Merbok (“Violeta”) TC-2004-000128-PHL, “Winnie” (TC-2004-000159-PHL), andNanmadol (“Yoyong”) TC-2004-000137-PHL(14 November to 3 December 2004)
Towards the tail end of the 2004 November monsoon, Aurora (Region IV-A)
and Quezon (Central Luzon) Provinces suffered the onslaught of 4 typhoons (locally
named “Unding”, “Violeta”, “Winnie”, and “Yoyong”) that unleashed torrential rains
and floodwaters throughout the 3-week period. Due to the huge amount of rainfall
and high floodwaters, a series of landslides and flashfloods occurred particularly in
Aurora Province and in the municipalities of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar in
Quezon Province causing devastation of great proportion in terms of the number ofcasualties recorded and identified, the population affected and those renderedhomeless, and the damages incurred to properties and major facilities, infrastructure,and basic services. The health and education of the children suffered the mostbecause health and school facilities were heavily devastated. The affected areas
encountered problems in water and sanitation as most of the toilets were cloggedwith mud and water facilities were badly affected and damaged. Transport andcommerce within the provinces were also paralyzed because of damaged roads and5Compiled by Josefina Tan Porcil

Philippines 2009bridges. Around 5.50 kms. of access road were rendered impassable due to 31
landslides.
Casualties:

1,068 dead

1,163 injured persons

553 missing

Affected population/areas: 728,724 families / 3,643,770 persons in 8 regions in thePhilippines
Estimated cost of damage: PhP7,615.980M (US$136M) (properties, agriculture,
infrastructure, schools, health and transmission facilities)
Damaged houses:6.



56,591 - totally destroyed160,285 - partially damaged

Guinsaugon Southern Leyte Landslide
GLIDE No: LS-2006-000026-PHL(17 February 2006, 10:36 AM)
These massive and tragic landslide/mudslides occurred in Barangay
Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. Said barangay lies along the Philippine
Fault Zone (PFZ), a known active generator. Continuous heavy rains for the last two
weeks resulted in the highly saturated ground materials and was the dominant factor
that triggered the landslide/mudslides. Entire villages and an elementary school fullof children were buried in the area. A 2.6 magnitude earthquake was also felt at thetime of the landslide. Based on the findings of Mines and Geosciences Bureau of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR) prior to theoccurrence of the landslide, there were already reported cracks at the slope whichmight have caused ground movements during the 1994 earthquake. The high steep
slope enhanced the speed down moving mass of earth.
Casualties:154 dead

968 persons missing

Affected population: 3,850 families / 18,862 persons (including families from othernearby barangays)
Estimated cost of damage to properties (infrastructure and agriculture):
PhP114.800M (US$ 2.251M)

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Philippines 20097.

Guimaras Motor Tanker (M/T) Solar I Oil Spill
GLIDE No: OS-2006-000140-PHL(11 August 2006)
On 11 August 2006, Motor Tanker (M/T) Solar I with a crew of 20 on board
capsized due to weather and sea conditions, approximately 16 nautical miles
southwest of Guimaras Island. It is chartered by Petron Oil Company to transport
13,000 barrels or 2,067,000 liters of industrial fuel oil (IFO) or bunker oil from Lamao,
Bataan to Zamboanga City. The ship sunk somewhere from 300-500 fathoms andthe cargo tanks spilled more than 200,000 liters of bunker oil. Affected areas are 36
barangays in 5 municipalities of Guimaras (Nueva Valencia, Sibunag, San Lorenzo,
Buenavista, and Jordan); 29 barangays in 2 municipalities of Iloilo (Ajuy andConcepcion); and 1 barangay in Pulupandan Municipality in Negros Occidental.
Affected population/areas: 7,870 families / 39,004 persons
Casualties - 18 of the 20 crew members were rescued, while 2 others were reported
missing
Ecosystems affected:
1,143.45 hectares of marine reserves of the Department of Environment andNatural Resources (DENR)



233.84 kms. coastlines

15.80 sq. kms. coral reef478.48 hectares mangrove

58.00 hectares seaweeds



806.29 hectares fishponds
 PhP1.069M (US$0.021M) estimated cost of damage to fishponds

8.

Typhoon Durian (“Reming”)
GLIDE No: TC-2006-000175-PHL(28 November – 03 December 2006)
On 30 November and 1 December 2006, Typhoon “Reming” (Durian)entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) passing thru Southern
Catanduanes and Tabaco City and exited through Camarines Sur. In its path, it left
billions of pesos worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture throughout the
Bicol Region and its neighboring Provinces notably Camarines Sur andCatanduanes. Its torrential rains and mudslides killed hundreds of individuals in theProvince of Albay, particularly in the area around Mount Mayon Volcano, where it
triggered a large-scale mudflow over the wide portion between the eastern andsouthern slopes of said volcano. It also wreaked havoc in Sorsogon, Mindoro, partsof Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Batangas, and Laguna. It toppled power and7Compiled by Josefina Tan Porcil

Philippines 2009

communication lines and caused heavy damages to an unreported number ofschool buildings in the affected provinces. Due to flooding, fallen trees and electric
posts, landslides and mudflow, many roads were rendered impassable.
Casualties:734 dead2,360 injured762 missing

Affected population/areas: 707,966 families / 3,536,342 persons in 3,507 barangaysof 163 municipalities and 13 cities in 14 provinces of regions IV-A, IV-B and V.
Estimated cost of damage to properties (agriculture and infrastructure):
PhP5,448,609,476.00 (US$ 111.2M)
Damaged houses:9.

228,436 - totally destroyed359,601 - partially damaged

Typhoon Fengshen (“Frank”)
GLIDE No: TC-2008-000093-PHL(18-23 June 2008)
Typhoon Fengshen (locally named “Frank”) initially affected Eastern Samarin the Philippines on 18 June 2008 as a tropical depression. It then moved west
northwest and affected 37 more provinces, with winds of 140 kph and gusts of up to
170 kph. As it made a landfall in the Eastern Visayas region, it intensified into a
typhoon. Fengshen was the sixth and the worst typhoon to hit the disaster-prone
country in 2008. Its effect was compounded by pre-existing bad weather as a resultof the southwest monsoon season. It brought torrential rains, triggered landslides,
vast flooding, and significant storm surges along the eastern and westernseaboards, causing severe damages to infrastructure and basic facilities. Large
numbers of individuals/families were directly affected, mainly in the provinces of
Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Negros Occidental on Panay Island and, to alesser extent, in the provinces of Leyte, and Eastern and Western Samar. On thesouthern island of Mindanao, the provinces of Maguidanao and Shariff Kabunsuan
in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Cotabato City, and North
Cotabato also experienced flooding. Typhoon Fengshen has left a trail ofdestruction during its 48 hours passage of the Philippines and required immediateprovision of necessities among poverty-stricken communities. It also defied all
prediction models and weather forecast organizations as it changed paths andcrossed areas, which are usually not affected by typhoons, causing shock andastonishment to many communities and authorities. Moreover, many people were8

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Philippines 2009

forced to stay on roofs and trees until water subsided only to discover severe
damage to roads and other public infrastructure including the water system.
Casualties:•

557 dead•

826 injured•

87 missing

Affected population/areas: 958,515 families / 4,776,778 persons in 6,642 barangaysof 569 municipalities and 57 cities in 50 provinces of 15 regions
Estimated cost of damage to properties (agriculture and infrastructure):
PhP13.525B (US$307.4M)
Damaged houses:

82,734 - totally destroyed345,475 - partially damaged

10. M/V Princess of the Stars Tragedy/Sinking
GLIDE No: AC-2008-000108-PHL(21 June 2008)
Considered as the worst sea tragedy in 20 years, the M/V Princess of theStars ferry boat capsized and sank off a few miles off Sibuyan Island in the central
province of Romblon, at 6:00PM on 21 June 2008, at the height of Typhoon
Fengshen. Big waves, encountered by the ship on its way, were believed to havecaused the vessel to run aground in the seawaters. A large amount of toxic
pesticides called “Endosulfan” was also loaded in the cargo. The situation could
result in major ecological disasters impacting on health and livelihood of the local
population and rescuers if rescue/retrieval and salvage operations were not handled
and undertaken properly. It carried at least 872 people (724 passengers, 121 crew
members, and 27 contractors). The tragedy left most of the passengers, including
the ship captain, dead. Only 60 people survived, and 545 bodies were recoveredfrom the wreckage and from other nearby areas.

11. Typhoon Ketsana (“Ondoy”)
GLIDE No: TC-2009-000205-PHIL(26 September 2009)
On 26 September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana (locally named “Ondoy”), the 15th
tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), battered
Central Luzon causing the worst flooding in the Philippines, with floodwaters
reaching up to a height of 6 meters in 40 years. According to the local weather
bureau, the amount of heavy rainfall it brought in only 6 hours which was 341 mm.
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Philippines 2009

was recorded as the highest since 1947, even surpassing the 334 mm. recorded
highest 24-hour rainfall 42 years ago. It was also almost equal to the averagemonthly rainfall in Metro Manila, which was pegged at 392 mm. Towns east of
Manila were submerged, with landslides in other parts of Luzon. Excessive flooding
was experienced particularly in cities in the National Capital Region and in theprovinces in Calabarzon areas, which were also heavily-affected by the wrath of
Ketsana. Most number of deaths was due to drowning and the water-borne
infectious disease called Leptospirosis.
Casualties:464 dead

529 injured

37 missing

Affected population/areas: 997,983 families / 4,929,382 persons in Regions I, II, III,
IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, IX, XII, NCR, ARMM, and CAR
Estimated cost of damage to properties (infrastructure and agriculture): PhP11.106
Billion (US$236.3M)
Damaged houses:

27,808 totally destroyed

130,736 partially damaged

12. Typhoon Parma (“Pepeng”)
GLIDE No: TC-2009-000214-PHL(3-10 October 2009)
Barely a week has passed, another powerful cyclone, Typhoon Parma(locally named “Pepeng”), entered the Philippine territory and made its landfall in
Northern Luzon. It dumped massive amounts of rain into the already saturated landson the northern part of the country. It remained stationary for a while, weakened,looped back to Northern Luzon, and made a landfall thrice. The huge amount of
rainfall it brought triggered massive landslides, isolating and burying entire villages,
communities and people in mud in Benguet, Mountain Province and in the City of
Baguio. Scenes of the killer floods spawned by Ketsana in Metro Manila werereplicated in the Province of Pangasinan, northwest of Manila, as well as the otherprovinces in the neighboring regions, with raging waters forcing residents to clamberto their rooftops to save themselves. The amount of rainfall caused by Parma has
been recorded the highest in Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Killer landslides, which occurred in most parts of the Cordillera Region, have caused
the huge number of deaths and also those who were drowned in raging floodwaters.

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Philippines 2009

Casualties:

465 dead

207 injured

47 missing

Affected population/areas: 954,087 families/4,478,284 persons in Regions I, II, III,
IV-A, V, VI, CAR, and NCR
Estimated cost of damage to properties (infrastructure, agriculture, and personal
properties): PhP25.195 Billion (US$536M)
Damaged houses:


6,253 totally destroyed48,120 partially damaged*

III.

A nationwide state of calamity has been declared.

Disaster Management System
A. Legal Authority (PD 1566)
1.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)
Leading the collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness planning andmitigation, as well as disaster response operations and rehabilitation both in thegovernment and private sector is the National Disaster Coordinating Council(NDCC). The NDCC is the highest policy-making, coordinating and supervisingbody at the national level for disaster risk management in the country chaired by the
Secretary of National Defense with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and has theheads of seventeen (17) other departments and agencies as members.
The NDCC is also responsible for advising the President of the Republic of
the Philippines on the status of the national disaster preparedness programs andmanagement

plans,

disasteroperations,andrehabilitation

effortsofallstakeholders; and it also recommends to the President the declaration of the state ofcalamity and the release of the national calamity fund as needed. NDCC’s legal
authority is Presidential Decree (PD) 1566 issued on 11 June 1978, entitled,“Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Control Capability and Establishing the
National Program on Community Disaster Preparedness”.

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Philippines 2009

THE NDCC MEMBERS
Secretary, Department of National Defense - Chairman
Secretary, Dept. of the Interior and Local Government - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Public Works and Highways - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Health - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Agriculture - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Education - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Finance - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Labor and Employment - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Trade and Industry - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Transportation and Communications - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Science and Technology - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Budget and Management - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Justice - Member
Secretary, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources - Member
Director, Philippine Information Agency - Member
Sec-Gen, Philippine National Red Cross - Member
Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines - Member
Administrator, Office of Civil Defense - Member and Executive Officer

NATIONAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL

Figure III-A-1: The NDCC Members

2.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
One of the five (5) bureaus of the Department of National Defense (DND)(per PD No. 1 as implemented by Letter of Intent (LOI) No. 19, s-1972, and DND
Order Nos. 737 and 737-A, s-1973), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), officiallyestablished on 1 July 1973, serves as the executive arm and secretariat of the
National Disaster Coordinating Council per PD 1566.
As the nerve center for alert and monitoring, resource mobilization,
response coordination, and information management, it has the primary task of
coordinating the activities and functions of various government agencies andinstrumentalities, private institutions and civic organizations for the protection andpreservation of life and property during emergencies. It has in its vision aservice-oriented organization, prepared population and a safe nation. Its mission is
to basically administer a comprehensive national civil defense and civil assistanceprogram by providing leadership in the continuous development of measures toreduce risk to communities and manage the consequence of disasters.

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Philippines 2009

Figure III-A-2: The National Disaster Management Center(Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines)

Presently, OCD is maintaining 17 fully-operational regional centers which
provide secretariat services and serve as executive arm to 17 regional disastercoordinating councils.
OCD and its Regional Centers operates on a 24/7 basis, manned by OCD
personnel

round-the-clock,withcomplementationfromselected

NDCC

member-agencies, such as, DSWD, DOH, AFP, DPWH, PNRC during emergency
situations.

Figure III-A-2-a: The OCD-NDCC Operations Center

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Philippines 20093.

Disaster Coordinating Councils (DCCs) Organizational Network
The NDCC establishes the priorities in the allocation of funds, services, andrelief supplies and plays an advisory role to lower DCCs through the Office of Civil
Defense by issuing guidelines on emergency preparedness and disaster operations.

DCC ORGANIZATIONAL NETWORKNATIONAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL
17 REGIONAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCILS
81 PROVINCIAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCILS
113 CITY DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCILS
1,496 MUNICIPAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCILS
41,956 BARANGAY DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCILSNATIONAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL

Figure III-A-3: The DCC Organizational Network

The National Calamities and Disaster Preparedness Plan (NCDPP) specifies
that disaster coordinating councils be established for national, regional, Metro Manila,
provincial, city or municipal, and barangay levels. All implementing plans shall be
documented and copies furnished to NDCC through the OCD. Each disastercoordinating council shall maintain a disaster operations center.

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TYPICAL ORGANIZATION OF DISASTER
COORDINATING COUNCILDISASTER COORDINATINGCOUNCILCHAIRMANDCC
ASST. CHAIRMAN

STAFF ELEMENTSINTELLIGENCE
AND DISASTERANALYSISDISASTER OPERATIONSCENTER

PLANS ANDOPERATIONSCOMMO &

TRANSPOREVAC

RESCUEWARNINGTATIONUATION& ENG’G

TASK

UNITS

HEALTHFIRE

RESOURCESPOLICERELIEFREHABI

PUBLICLITATION

INFO

Figure III-A-3-a: Typical Organization of a DCC

In each local government unit (province, city or municipality, barangay), thelocal DCC is headed by the elected chief executive, such as governor or mayor.
Thus, disaster management is imbedded deeply into the democratic governance in
the Philippines.

B. The NDCC Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework
1.

Paradigm Shift
Since the OCD and NDCC’s creation, PD 1566 has been the basic law thatguides the disaster management programs, projects and strategies implementationin the country. However, it has been observed and noted from past experiences,combined with lessons learned and gaps examination, that the law that creates theCouncil is more leaning and gives more emphasis on response action, thus, making
the implementers reactive to possible disasters rather than taking a proactive stancein disaster risk management.
In early 2005, the OCD-NDCC took a bold step in embracing a paradigm
shift of disaster management approaches and strategies from reactive to proactive(from disaster response and preparedness to disaster risk reduction/management(DRR/M). To pursue the DRM Framework, the Government of the Republic of thePhilippines, through the NDCC, adopts the following approaches and strategies:


Multi-hazards approach, which includes both natural and human-induced
hazards

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Philippines 2009Comprehensive, as it encompasses the four (4) phases of DRM, i.e.
mitigation/prevention and preparedness in the pre-disaster phase, andresponse and rehabilitation/recovery in the post-disaster phaseInter-agency/multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder action and cooperation isneeded especially for major disaster events

Community-based, as the nation strongly pushes that the community is thefirst line of defense in any emergency situationAdheres to nationally and internationally-accepted principles/agreements on
disastermanagement

andemergency

response(e.g.

International

Humanitarian Assistance Network (IHAN), ASEAN Agreement on Disaster
Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), Oslo Guidelines,
UNGPID, etc.)Pre-arranged protocols for damage assessment, SAR, emergency relief, early
warning thru forging of Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) withgovernment and non-government organizations

PARADIGM SHIFT FROM REACTIVE
TO PROACTIVE MODE. . . .

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENTFRAMEWORK

R=HxVC

Figure III-B-1: The NDCC Paradigm Shift2.

Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework
Further to this paradigm shift, the government pursues a comprehensive
disaster management framework that encompasses disaster risk reduction,
mitigation and preparedness in the pre-event; and disaster response, rehabilitation
and recovery in the post-event. A framework that has evolved and adapted tolessons of past disaster events as well as emerging concerns, and anchored on thenational authority’s program thrusts, aimed to, among others, implement the Hyogo
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Framework for Action 2005 – 2015: Building the Resilience of Nations andCommunities to Disasters with the five (5) Thematic Areas/Priorities for Action, as
follows:
a. Governance: Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority
with a strong institutional basis for implementationb. Risk Assessment and Early Warning: Identify, assess and monitor disasterrisks and enhance early warningc. Knowledge Management and Education: Use knowledge, innovation andeducation to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels
d. Risk Management and Vulnerability Reduction: Reduce the underlying
factorse. Disaster Preparedness: Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective
response at all levels

This framework also aims to contribute to the attainment of the UN
Millennium Development Goals (UNMDGs), such as poverty eradication andenvironmental sustainability. This was enhanced and further linked together at thenational level in the year 2006 by Gen. Glenn J. Rabonza (Ret), OCD Administrator
and NDCC Executive Officer and was further favorably indorsed and followed inwords and in action by the national as well as the local governments in the country.
The framework is aptly put into a diagram which is easier to understand andcomprehensible even to a village level disaster risk management advocate anddoer.

Comprehensive
Disaster Risk Management Framework








Dev. Plan
Executive/Legislative Agenda
Environmental Management
Comprehensive Land Use Plan
Critical infra
Financial tools
S
Risk Assessment &AnalysisI Hazard ID / Analysis& Monitoring Vulnerability/capacity
ID & analysis

 Livelihood
 Housing

D

A

T

S

 Education
 InfrastructureR• Risk Identification• Risk Reduction• Risk Transfer

Mitigation /Prevention*

Preparedness

 Plans / SOPs
 I C S Development

post eventK  Damage Assessment &

C

4 B’s
“BE BETTER BUILD BETTER”

*
R

E
U

D

 Drills / Exercises

Needs Analysis

ResponseO
T Early warning system

I
S

N

I

R

pre event* Rehabilitation/
Recovery LifelinesE Awareness Public commitment(institutional /legal,framework)
 Community actions
 Knowledge development
thru education &training, research &information

 Relief
 Search & Rescue
 Incident Command
System
 WATSAN / Health Temp. Shelter

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Philippines 2009

Figure III-B-2: DRM Framework as conceptualized by Gen. Glenn J. Rabonza (Ret.)

IV. Disaster Management Strategy, Management, and Plan
A. National Calamities and Disaster Preparedness Plan (NCDPP)
Since year 1988 when the National Calamities and Disaster Preparedness Plan
(NCDPP), which has reference to PD 1566, was created and implemented, the NDCC
has been guided by the primary objectives and concept of said Plan, which are to save
lives, prevent needless suffering, protect property, and minimize damages during
disasters and calamities. The NCDPP spells out the functions of each NDCC member
agency in times of disasters. It keeps with the vision of the NDCC to be a “Council that is
responsive to the policy making requirements of emergency management that utilizes
the nation’s resources as called for during emergency situations”.

B. The need for a new Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRR/M) BillWe have been made aware that the existing framework for disaster managementin the Philippines has been the traditional, reactive or dominant approach, which focuses
more on relief and emergency response. Since OCD-NDCC initiated a few years back theparadigm shift on disaster management approaches and strategies from reactive toproactive(fromdisaster

responseandpreparedness

todisasterrisk

reduction/management (DRR/M), various stakeholders have started adopting to it andare now taking the lead in supporting the current advocacy initiatives for the enactment of
a new and improved Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Bill before theend of 2009.

C. The Proposed DRR/M Bill/Act
The proposed DRRM Bill/DRM Act shall be known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction, Management and Recovery Act of 2009”. The Senate of the Philippines has
passed its own version of the Bill (Senate Bill No. 3086 entitled: “An Act Strengthening thePhilippine Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Capability by
Institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery
Framework, Appropriating Funds Therefor and For Other Purposes”). Said Bill can still betaken up for interpollation and deliberation in the House of Representatives.
This Bill/Act provides for the development of policies and plans and theimplementation of actions and measures pertaining to all aspects of disaster risk
reduction, management and recovery, including good governance, risk assessment andearly warning, knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing underlying risk
factors, and preparedness for effective response and early recovery. More emphasis andfocus will be given to reducing the communities’ and people’s vulnerability to disasters;
18

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strengthening the National Government and Local Government Units’ institutional
capacity for disaster risk reduction, management and recovery; enhancing disaster
preparedness and response capabilities at all levels; and building the resilience of local
communities to disasters including climate change impacts.
A disaster risk reduction, management and recovery approach that is holistic,
comprehensive, integrated, and proactive in lessening the socio-economic andenvironmental impacts of disasters, including climate change will be adopted; and the
involvement and participation of all sectors and all stakeholders concerned, at all levels,
especially the community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations,humanitarian organizations, private business groups, financial institutions, healthfacilities, academic and research institutions, religious groups, media, local leaders andindividual members of the community, among others, in developing and implementing
disaster risk reduction programs and activities at the national, regional, and local levels,
will be encouraged and promoted.
Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will also be mainstreamed
and integrated into the development processes at all levels from the provincial, city,
municipal, and barangay, such as, on policy formulation, socio-economic development
planning, budgeting, and governance, particularly in the areas of environment,
agriculture, water, energy, health, education, poverty reduction, land-use and urban
planning, and public infrastructure and housing, among others, which will serve as a
strategy in sustainable development and poverty reduction.
Once enacted, the new law shall adopt and adhere to principles and strategies
consistent with the international standards set by the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA),
which is a comprehensive, action-oriented response to international concern about thegrowing impacts of disasters on individuals, communities and national development.
A National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework andPlan will also be developed, formulated, and implemented once the new DRM Act is
ratified. The Framework shall provide for a comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral,inter-agency and community-based approach to disaster risk reduction, management
and recovery. It shall serve as the principal guide to disaster risk reduction, management
and recovery efforts in the country and shall be reviewed on a five-year interval, or as
may be deemed necessary, in order to ensure its relevance to the times.
Said Framework shall also lead to the development and formulation of the
National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Plan (NDRRMRP). The
Plan shall provide for the identification of hazards, vulnerabilities and risks to be
managed at the national level; disaster risk reduction, management and recovery
approaches and strategies to be applied in managing said hazards and risks; agency
roles and responsibilities at all government levels; and vertical and horizontal
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coordination of disaster risk reduction, management and recovery in the pre-disaster andpost-disaster phases. It shall be in conformity with the National Disaster Risk Reduction,
Management and Recovery Framework (NDRRMRF).

D. Strategic National Action Plan (SNAP)The Strategic National Action Plan (SNAP) on Disaster Risk Reduction(2009-2019) is a “road map” indicating the vision and strategic objectives of thePhilippines for the next 10 years while pursuing the strategic goals of the Hyogo
Framework for Action (HFA). It is a by-product of actors and stakeholders who
participated in the conduct of dialogues, consultations and discussions - sharing theirexperiences and good practices on DRR as well as their expectations from the national
government, especially from the NDCC. With this “road map”, mainstreaming of DRR
with plans and policies of national and local agencies, communities, and other sectors
will be intensified. The SNAP is an integral part of the nation’s commitment to the HFAand other relevant global agreements, as well as support to the achievement of theUnited Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG).
Consistent with the global commitment, the Philippine SNAP aims to build theresilience of communities to disasters, reduce disaster losses in lives, in the social,economic and environmental assets of communities and countries. The SNAP objectives
provide support to strengthen cooperation and coordination mechanisms among various
sectors and stakeholders. It will sustain disaster risk reduction initiatives in the country
and promote good practices of individuals, organizations, local government units, andthe private sector.
The SNAP takes off from the Four-Point Plan of Action on Disaster Preparedness(4PPADP) of the NDCC and contains 18 priority programs and projects from 2009 to2019 based on 150 strategic actions gathered after several consultations withstakeholder groups. The SNAP utilizes the multi-hazards approach in managing theimpact of natural and human-induced disasters especially the threat of climate change.
Another principle of SNAP is that DRR is directly linked to poverty alleviation andsustainable development. The SNAP is also consistent with parallel effort to design thePhilippine Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework.
To better implement SNAP, the Philippine legislature must enact a progressive billto amend the reactive stance that PD 1566 posits. The SNAP rightfully fits into a national
disaster risk management framework which emphasizes the mainstreaming of DRR into
national plans and budgets. Approval of SNAP is in progress.

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Figure IV-D-1: SNAP Strategic Objectives

The figure above presents the five strategic objectives under which the 18 priority
SNAP programs/projects are classified. (Please see link of SNAP document in pdf file,attached)

E. Update on the Implementation of the NDCC Four-Point Plan of Action on Disaster
Preparedness
In early 2005, the NDCC implemented the Four Point Plan of Action on Disaster
Preparedness which strengthens the DRM stance of the country and enhances its
disaster prevention strategies. This aims to increase public awareness and involvement
in measures put in place by the government to minimize the impact of disasters in the
future. This plan of action also provides direction to all NDCC member-agencies in termsof the allocation of capacities, capabilities and resources. It has so far achieved thefollowing:1.

Upgrading of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Forecasting Capability
PAGASA

andPHIVOLCS

arethewarningagenciesformeteorological-hydrological and geological hazards, respectively. The capability
upgrade focused on improving forecasting capability of natural hazards such as
typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis through the acquisition ofequipment and personnel development. The capability upgrade is geared towards
strengthening linkages with foreign forecasting institutions to make forecasting, not21Compiled by Josefina Tan Porcil

Philippines 2009

only a domestic, but a regional concern. Geo-hazard mapping in identified areas isdesigned to serve as scientific reference for land-use planning, formulation ofdisaster management plans, and establishment of an effective early warning system
to include real-time information dissemination.

PAGASA’s Forecasting Capability
The PAGASA has undertaken several projects to upgrade and improve its
climate and weather forecasting capability through the acquisition of modern
equipment and technologies. The capability upgrade focused on improved
forecasting of typhoons and other weather-related hazards monitoring and warning
services. In July 2005, PAGASA completed the rehabilitation of five (5) weather
surveillance radars funded under the Department of Science and Technology(DOST) grant. Weather surveillance radars play a vital role in the observation
systems of PAGASA-DOST in support to climate and weather forecasting andtyphoon warning operations. Aside from typhoon tracking, these radars are also
useful for identifying rain-bearing cloud clusters for flood warning.
Aside from the surveillance radars, PAGASA was also able to secure funds
from the Office of the President (OP) and DOST for the establishment of Doppler
Weather Radar Network for disaster prevention and preparedness in the country.
The radar sites covered are Tagaytay, Subic, Cebu, Tampakan, and Hinatuan.
PAGASA was also able to get funding through grant aid from Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the upgrading of Guian, Virac and Aparri radar
stations. Doppler radars can provide timely and accurate observation of
atmospheric parameters such as rainfall intensity, wind speed and direction that are
useful in typhoon and flood warning.
Also included in the improvement of PAGASA forecasting capabilities is the
upgrade of Laoag, Mactan, and Legaspi Upper Air stations which was funded by
DOST, and Tanay Upper Air station funded by the Taiwan Economic Cooperation
Office (TECO). Upper Air stations conduct observation on the state of the weather at
different heights in the atmosphere. Detailed information in the upper layers of theatmosphere is very important in order to get a completed data representation withrespect to the vertical layers of the atmosphere and not only at the ground or
surface layer. It is useful in climate modeling as well as in formulating weather
forecast for aviation. Together with all the other data, the use of upper air
observations will result in an increased accuracy of forecasts.
To address the issues on safe and efficient air navigation throughimprovement of the quality and timeliness of weather forecasts intended for aviation,
PAGASA-DOST acquired and installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
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Philippines 2009

(NAIA) the Aviation Information System (AVIS) that can access the World Area
Forecast System (WAFS) products. The WAFS is a system developed by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) to improve the quality of en-route guidance weather forecast provided tointernational aircraft operations including local aviation.
In its thrust to further enhance its climate and weather monitoring capability,
forecasting, and warning, the DOST-PAGASA acquired various satellite receiving
systems. Tracking the location of a weather system in oceanic areas where othertypes of observational data are scarce or not available makes satellite data
important if not indispensable. The available data from the MTSAT, NOAA, MODIS
and FY2D receiving system will complement the other data and forecasting tools
and enhance the accuracy of climate and weather forecasts.
To address the concern on disastrous floods, PAGASA-DOST implemented
the JICA Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) entitled “Enhancement of Flood
Forecasting and Warning Administration”. The project aimed to address the issues
on the issuance of timely and accurate flood forecasts in the major river basinsmonitoring system in Pampanga, Agno, Bicol, and Cagayan (PABC). As an offshootof this TCP, the JICA grant project “Upgrading of the Flood Forecasting and Warning
System in the Pampanga and Agno River Basin” was implemented and is expected
to be completed by March 2010.
Data transmission and dissemination of warnings is also enhanced utilizing
Short Messaging System (SMS) Technology. In collaboration with the local
government units (LGUs), community-based early warning system on floods wasundertaken in areas not covered by PAGASA-DOST existing flood monitoring
network.
The establishment of automatic weather station (AWS) is also underway.
The AWS is an automated version of the traditional weather station equipped with
instruments and equipment to make manual readings of the atmospheric conditions,to provide information to make climate and weather forecasts, and to study theclimate patterns. The measurements taken include temperature, barometricpressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation amounts. AWS
observations can be taken more frequently and can provide detailed data in time.
The PAGASA- DOST also established the Community-Based Flood Early
Warning System (CBFEWS) in areas with no existing flood forecasting system. The
CBFEWS undertakes monitoring and registering rain data and river behavior
upstream in order to provide timely warnings to downstream communities from apossible flood. Its main objective is to save human lives by enabling local authorities
and the community to take timely mitigation measures to minimize the impacts of
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floods.
In support to the flood forecasting system of DOST-PAGASA, it also
undertakes hazard mapping for floods and storm surge in order to develop asystematic approach to community based disaster risk management by mappingand identifying the communities that are prone to flood and storm surge that cancause coastal inundation.

PAGASA’s New/Upgraded Equipment and Facilities
a. Radar Stations (rainfall detection, movement of tropical cyclones)
 5 radars rehabilitated (DOST-GIA): 2 - upgraded to Doppler (DOST-GIA)- Baler (Aurora) and Baguio (Benguet)
 3 - to be replaced by new sets (JICA Grant)- Aparri (Cagayan), Virac (Catanduanes), Guiuan (Eastern
Samar)
 5 more Doppler radar stations for installation (Office of the President (OP)Calamity Fund-3, GAA-2):- (Tagaytay, Subic, Cebu City, Hinatuan (Surigao del Sur), andTampakan (South Cotabato)

b. Upper Air Stations (necessary for thunderstorm prediction and aviation –meteorological forecasts, volcanic ashfall monitoring) 4 Stations rehabilitated by different funding institutions:- Laoag (Ilocos Norte) - World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Voluntary Cooperation Programmme (VCP)- Legaspi City - DOST-GIA (Grant-in-Aid)- Cebu City - DOST-GIA- Tanay (Rizal) - Taiwan Economic Cooperation Office (TECO)
 2 stations for rehabilitaiton/installation (OP Calamity Fund)- Davao City and Puerto Princesa Cityc. Automatic Weather Stations (for continuous and automatic monitoring of
selected weather elements)
 6 stations installed in selected areas of Lanao, Iloilo and Aurora – Korea
International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)
 2 stations for installation in Angat-Umiray watershed – Metropolitan
Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) 52 stations for installation all over the country – General Appropriations
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Act (GAA)- 2 stations: Tanay – installed; Basco - for installation (TECO)
d. Surface synoptic, agro-meteorological and rainfall stations facilities (repaired
and rehabilitated) 27 stations were repaired and rehabilitated (DOST-GIA) On-going repair and rehabilitation of other synoptic stations
 1 additional station in Sorsogon (OP Calamity Fund)e. Satellite Receiving Facilities Weather and Flood Forecasting Office (WFFC)
 NOAA and MODIS (USA), MTSAT (Japan) and FY (China)
 Cebu Complex station
 MTSATf.

Aviation Facilities World Area Forecast System – WFFC, NAIA and Cebu station

g. Background Air Pollution Monitoring Equipment
 Baguio Radar Stationh. Flood Forecasting and Warning Facilities Telemetered (Automatic) - Pampanga, Agno, Bicol and Cagayan River
Basins Telemetered (Automatic) - Major dams of Angat (Bulacan), Pantabangan(Nueva Ecija), Magat (Isabela), Ambuklao/Binga (Beguet), and San
Roque (Pangasinan) Telemetered – other dams – Caliraya, Botocan, and Kalayaan (Laguna) –soon to be operational
 Telemetered (Automatic and Community based) – Aurora and allied river
basin (Aurora), Jalaur River basin (Iloilo) and Agus-Lake Lanao watershed(Lanao provinces) Non-telemetered (community based) – river basins in Surigao Del Sur,
Surigao Del Norte, Southern Leyte, Leyte Province, Laguna, andZambales – operational
 Non-telemetered (community based) CBRON – Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora,
Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya, Albay, and Northern Samar Non-telemetered (community based) – river basins in Ilocos Sur and25

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Cavite – on-going

2.

Public Information Campaign on Disaster Preparedness - development,
promotion, and implementation of an integrated and coherent public information
campaign and strategic communications plan to increase awareness of the public
on natural hazards and communicate effectively preparedness measures that canbe undertaken by the community in case these hazards translate into emergencies.
The increasing trend and momentum on awareness needs to be sustained andcomplemented by programs focusing also on other aspects of preparedness.
 The regular conduct of nationwide synchronized Building Emergency
Evacuation Plan (B.E.E.P.) drills; tsunami and earthquake drills; distribution ofposters and flyers on natural hazards; and other information education
campaigns (IEC) activities through the tri-media, has substantially increased
awareness of communities, including the various sectors of society.
 The airing of “Safe Ka Ba?” (Are you safe?) public awareness program andthe Disaster Management School-on-Air has reached the consciousness ofthe general public.
 The organization of the Private Sector Disaster Management Network(PSDMN) composed of private organizations, INGOs, and NGOs was apositive step forward. This network can make available rapid technicalassessment capacities when the need arises utilizing expertise of thePhilippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), the Philippine Mines Safety andEnvironmental Association, and the PHK9 SAR, among others.

3.

Capacity Building for Local Government Units in Identified Vulnerable Areas
Local Chief Executives (LCEs) have to take leadership role in all phases ofdisaster management. So, disaster management skills training and contingency
planning formulation seminars/workshops have been conducted giving priority tohigh-risk areas to capacitate the local government units (LGUs). The warning
agencies of the country, such as, PHIVOLCS, PAGASA, and the Mines andGeosciences Bureau (MGB-DENR); including the Local Disaster Coordinating
Councils (LDCCs); League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP); and local,
national, international, and non-government organizations are the major proponents.
Technical assistance is also provided to LGUs of identified vulnerable communities
in their formulation and development of plans/programs particularly in the area of
mitigation and preparedness.

26

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Mechanisms for Government and Private Sector Partnership in Relief andRehabilitation
To come up with a mechanism that will promote government-private
sector-community participation synergy, and improve coordination to achieve aseamless interface of local and national interventions through effective logistics
management, information management, and redundant communications systems.
One is through the forging of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Memorandumof Understanding (MOU) with NGOs, IOs, other government and private institutions(foreign and local) covering response, relief and rehabilitation aspects of disastermanagement, such as: Developmentofaweb-based,

GLIDE

systemassociatedwith

CALAMIDAT.PH – a national disaster event database for OCD, NDCC
member agencies, development stakeholders, local government units
concerned, and international government organizations with Asian Disaster
Reduction Center (ADRC)
 Program for Hydrological-Meteorological Risk Mitigation in Secondary Cities in
Asia PROMISE Project with Center for Disaster Preparedness Foundation, Inc.
(CDP) The NDCC and its member-agencies also entered into various engagements
and partnerships with several agencies, such as, the Philippine Institute of
Civil Engineers (PICE) and the Association of Structural Engineers of thePhilippines, Inc. (ASEP) on provision for the organization of a National
Response Action Program (NERAP) teams in various chapters of the country
to undertake rapid and detailed evaluation of structures in disaster stricken
areas.
 Association of Contractors and Equipment Lessors (ACEL) to assist in theemergency rescue operations like demolition of buildings, disposal of debris
and provision of construction heavy equipment with operator, free rental
charge.
 Philippine Canine SAR Association, Inc. (PHK9SAR) National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET) on the Program for the
Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)
 World Bank Institute (WBI) on Web-based Natural Disaster Risk Management
Courses PHapCares Foundation, Inc., for the “Gamot-Agad” Program which is aimed toprovide immediate dispatch of essential quality medicines to disaster victims
and other victims of prevalent emergencies.

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 The Philippine College of Surgeons and the Philippine Society for the Surgery
of Trauma (PSST) to implement the Disaster Injury/ Trauma Management(DITM) Project. The DITM project consists of the development of a training
module on proper medical response to disaster-related injuries and conduct oftraining on trauma management for rural/municipal health personnel.
 Private Radio Clubs (REACT, TCAG, KABALIKAT CIVICOM of Philippine
Mine Safety and Environment Association (PHIMSEA)

F. Institutionalization of the Cluster Approach
In September 2005, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) (the primarymechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance; a unique forum
involving the key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners), agreed to designate global“cluster leads” - specifically for humanitarian emergencies – in nine sectors or areas ofactivity. In December 2005, the IASC welcomed the “Cluster Approach” as a mechanismthat can help address identified gaps in response and enhance the quality ofhumanitarian action. It is part of a wider reform process aimed at improving theeffectiveness of humanitarian response by ensuring greater predictability andaccountability, and at the same time strengthening partnerships between NGOs,international organizations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,
and UN agencies. In the process, partners are fully involved in decision-making andplanning and they have access to global resources, stockpiles, technical expertise, tools,
and standards.
The Cluster Approach operates at two levels. At the global level, which aims tostrengthen system-wide preparedness and technical capacity to respond to humanitarian
emergencies by designating global Cluster Leads. At the country level, the aim is toensure a more coherent and effective response by mobilizing groups of agencies,
organizations, and NGOs to respond in a strategic manner across all key sectors or areasof activity, each sector having a clearly designated lead, as agreed by the UN
Humanitarian Coordinator and the Country Team, with specific Terms of Reference (ToR),
and in support of existing government coordination structure and emergency response
mechanisms. This will ensure operational synergy and optimization of deliverable
benefits to the affected areas.
The Cluster Approach clearly defines leadership roles among government cluster
leads that are expected to craft cluster operational strategies covering phases before,
during, and after disasters, which will provide a clear direction for cluster partners andother stakeholders on how, what, when, and where to contribute; facilitate a process
aimed at ensuring well-coordinated and effective humanitarian responses in the sector orarea of activity concerned; and, ensure continuous improvement in the implementation of
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the Cluster Approach in the country by identifying best practices and carrying out lessons
learned and activities either individually or in collaboration with other clusters. Thesearrangements will all redound to more benefits that are timely delivered and wider areas
covered.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) sets the standard for a coordinated response andaccountability with the: 1) inclusion of key humanitarian partners; 2) appropriate
coordination mechanisms; 3) coordination with national/local authorities, local civilsociety etc.; 4) participatory and community-based approaches; 5) attention to priority
cross-cutting issues (age, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS, etc.); 6) needs assessment
and analysis; 7) emergency preparedness; 8) planning and strategy development; 9)application of standards; 10) monitoring and reporting; 11) advocacy and resource
mobilization; 12) training and capacity building of national authorities and civil society;and, 13) provider of last resort.
The following are the designated Cluster Leads in conjunction with agency
mandates (amended, as per NDCC Memorandum No. 12, series of 2008, dated 6
October 2008), merging several clusters and designating government leads:

ClusterFood and Non-Food Items(NFI)

Government Lead
Department of Social
Welfare and Development(DSWD)IASC Country Team Counterpart
World Food Programme (WFP), United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
International Federation of the Red

Camp/IDP Management,

Cross (IFRC)/UN Habitat, United

Emergency Shelter and-do-Nations High Commission for Refugees

Protection(UNHCR), International Organization for
Migration (IOM)

Permanent Shelter andLivelihood
WASH, Health, Nutrition,
and Psychosocial Services
Logistics and Emergency
Telecommunications

Education

Agriculture
Early Recovery

International Labor Organization (ILO),-do-

UN Habitat

Department of Health (DOH)

UNICEF, World Health Organization(WHO), WFP

Office of Civil

WFP, UNICEF, United Nations Office for

Defense/NDCC Operations

the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsCenter(UN-OCHA)

Department of Education(DepED)

UNICEF and Save the Children

Department of Agriculture

Food and Agriculture Organization

(DA)

(FAO)

Office of Civil Defense (OCD)

United Nations Development

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Programme (UNDP)
Metropolitan Waterworks
Water

and Sewerage System(MWSS)

During major emergencies and disasters in the Philippines, when the government
would request for international assistance, the UN Country Team would implement the
Cluster Approach to address the emergency needs of the affected population/areas inclose coordination with government counterparts and other humanitarian partners.
During the recent major typhoon disasters in the Philippines (Ketsana, Parma,
Lupit, Mirinae), a joint rapid needs assessment was conducted immediately by the NDCC
and the UN System in the Philippines to identify and prioritize urgent needs of victims andevacuees on food, shelter, water, sanitation, health and nutrition, among others;
providing findings, recommendations, gaps, challenges to improve response and relief
efforts. The clusters are incessantly in operation until this time, conducting post-disasterneeds assessment, holding regular meetings, undertaking and participating in recovery,
rehabilitation, reconstruction initiatives/plans/programs which also focus, aside fromthose mentioned above, on health and disease surveillance, the environment, agriculture,
education, and early recovery.
During Cluster Coordination Meetings, UN agencies, NGOs, IOs, and otherpartners gather together and discuss, give updates on their assessments, highlighting
the need for food, water, medicines, psychosocial support, health, disease surveillance,
etc., with each cluster raising their own concerns on their areas of coordination andactivities.
In the present institutional set-up, it has been observed that the cluster approachhas been working so well in terms of putting together the stakeholders which share thesame DRR functions.

Creation of the Water Cluster
The President of the Republic of the Philippines instructed the creation of theWater Cluster, as per NDCC Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2009, dated 4
October 2009. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) was
tasked to take the lead in the supply of all water requirements in the conduct of relief
operations in response to Typhoon “Ondoy” (Ketsana), whether it be for drinking water,
clean-up, sanitation, and other related purposes. The Water Cluster shall ensure theeffective coordination and prompt delivery of all water requirements of Typhoon “Ondoy”
relief operations to alleviate the plight of the disaster victims.
This is an amendment to NDCC Circular No. 05 s-2007 as amended on NDCC
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Memorandum No. 4, s-2008 and Memorandum No. 12 s-2008 on the “Institutionalizationof the Cluster Approach in the Philippine Disaster Management System, Designation ofCluster Leads and their Terms of Reference at the National, Regional, and Provincial
Level”.

V.

Budget Size on National Level"Under the

GeneralAppropriations

Act

for

CY

2009, Two

BillionPesos(PhP2,000,000,000.00) was allocated as National Calamity Fund (NCF) for aid, relief, andrehabilitation services to communities/areas affected by man-made and natural calamities;
repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including other capital expenditures fordisaster operation and rehabilitation activities. Release from this Fund shall be made directlyby the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the appropriate implementing
agencies and or Local Government Units (LGUs) upon approval of the President of the
Republic of the Philippines in accordance with the recommendation of the National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC)."

Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) - for aid, relief, and rehabilitation
services to communities/areas affected, including training of personnel, and otherpre-disaster activities - PhP1,150,000,000.00

Capital Outlay (CO) - for repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including capital
expenditures for pre-disaster operations, rehabilitation, and other related activities P850,000,000.00

Special Provision:
1. Use and Release of Fund - the amount appropriated herein may be made available forrelief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and other works or services in connection withnatural calamities, epidemics, as declared by the Department of Health (DOH); crises
resulting from armed conflict; insurgency; terrorism; and other catastrophe, which may
occur during the budget year of those that occurred in prior years, including pre-disaster
activities such as preparation of relocation sites/facilities, and training of personnel
engaged in direct disaster management: Provided, that the beneficiaries of relief,
rehabilitation, reconstruction, and other works or services in connection with specificcalamities, epidemics, crises, and catastrophe already covered by special laws shall not
be entitled to support or assistance from this fund until the appropriation that haveoriginally availed of shall have been fully expended. Releases from this fund shall bemade directly by DBM to the appropriate implementing agencies and/or LGUs upon
approval of the President of the Republic of the Philippines in accordance with the31Compiled by Josefina Tan Porcil

Philippines 2009

favorable recommendation of the NDCC for local disaster or the appropriate agency forinternational crises.

2. Quick Response Fund (QRF)
25% x PhP1.150B = Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
20% x PhP1.150B = Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
20% x PhP800M = Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
15% x PhP800M = Department of National Defense (DND)

Provided, that other government agencies concerned may be allocated their
QRFs on a need basis upon the favorable recommendation of the NDCC or theappropriate agency: Provided further, that the QRF shall be released immediately by the
DBM and shall serve as a stand-by fund to be used for relief and rehabilitation programsin order that the situation and living conditions of the people living in communities orareas stricken by calamities, epidemics, crises, and catastrophe occurring during theyear may be normalized as quickly as possible. Provided, finally, that the agencies
availing of their QRFs shall not pre-allocate the same to their subordinate agencies andshall report to the NDCC or the concerned government agency the status of theutilization of such fund on a quarterly basis, copy furnished the DBM.
As of the present, CY 2009 Calamity Fund is already exhausted.

3. Requirements in Granting Calamity Fund to the Local Government Units (LGUs):a.

Local Disaster Coordinating Council (DCC) Damage Report/Calamity Impact
Assessment Report/Work and Financial Plan (to include pictures)b.

Sangguniang Resolution declaring the area under a State of Calamity/Imminent
Danger and appropriating local counterpart for the projectc.

Due to limited CY 2009 Calamity Fund, the Local Chief Executives (LCEs)
concerned shall certify thru a Sangguniang Resolution, assuring the NDCC thatwhatever amount be provided by NDCC, the project shall be completed/finishedd.

Endorsement of Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) Chairman and
OCD Regional Director

e.

Specific and reasonable recommended amount for the projectf.

Any other justification to grant request, and Implementing Agency for the project

VI. Progress on the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)(Please click on the link below on the Government of the Philippines’ National
Progress Report on the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), as of 29
May 2009.
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Philippines 2009

* http://www.preventionweb.net/files/7495_Philippines%5B1%5D.pdf

VII. Current Major Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies/Initiatives
A. Tools that We Use
1.

NDCC short messaging service (SMS) Alert and Warning System (SAWS) http://saws.ndcc.gov.ph

2.

NDCC Website - http://ndcc.gov.ph/home/

3.

NDCC-OCD Geographic Information System (GIS)

B. Governance1.

Development of Policies and Guidelines
a. Forging of national and regional agreements (e.g. ASEAN Agreement on
Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), International
Humanitarian Assistance Network (IHAN), Standard Operating Procedures for
Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief andEmergency Response Operations (SASOP), Cluster Approach) to define thedetailed procedures and mechanism in facilitating accommodation ofinternational humanitarian assistanceb. Advocacy for the passage of the proposed DRRM Bill/DRM Act which shall beknown as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery
Act of 2009” (Senate Bill No. 3086 entitled: “An Act Strengthening the Philippine
Disaster

Risk

Reduction,

Management

andRecoveryCapability

byInstitutionalizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management andRecovery Framework, Appropriating Funds Therefor and For Other Purposes”)
2.

National Assessment of the State of DRM in the Philippines (Asian Development
Bank (ADB)/UNDP) – to assess the state of DRM in the Philippines, augment theHazards Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community-based Disaster
Management (READY Project’s) community awareness raising and mobilization
towards preparedness, and to assess the country’s other needs towards
development of a holistic DRM framework.
a. Assessment of DRM Issues in the Philippines
b. Formulation of 50 Community Contingency Plans
c. Documentation and Dissemination of Lessons Learnedd. Preparation of DRM Framework

3.

Strategic

National

ActionPlan(SNAP)

Project(European

Union(EU)/UNISDR/UNDP)
a. Establishment of a Multi-stakeholder Consultative Mechanism on DRR
b. Formulation of a Strategic National Action Plan in the Philippines
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Philippines 2009c. Development of DRR Capacity Building Programme for Selected Sectors
d. Support to Mainstreaming of DRR in Selected Sectors
4.

Supporting Local Government Capacity to Manage Natural Disaster Risks in thePhilippines (World Bank/Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)

5.

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in Local Governance (German TechnicalCooperation (GTZ)/DILG/European Commission on Humanitarian Aid Organization
for Disaster Preparedness (ECHO)

6.

Partnership for Disaster Reduction in Southeast Asia (PDRSEA) Phase 4 Project(ECHO/Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
a. National Strategic Plan on Community-Based Disaster Risk Management(CBDRM)b. CBDRM Pilot Project in Albay Provincec. CBDRM Training for Local Authorities
d. Integration of CBDRM Recognition Scheme in the Gawad KALASAG(“Kalamidad at Sakuna ay Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan”) Awarding

7.

Learning from Good Practices in DRM (ECHO/Oxford Committee for Famine Relief– Great Britain (OXFAM GB)
a. CBDRM Case Studies Development and Publicationb. Promotion and replication of CBDRM Good Practices and Institutionalization of
DRM Office

C. Risk Assessment and Early Warning
1.

Hazards Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community-based Disaster
Management (READY Project) (UNDP/AusAID/ADB/Department of Science andTechnology (DOST)/Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)/
National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) (June 2006 to May
2011) - covers 27 high-risk provinces to natural hazards, with three main
components:a. Multi-hazard identification and assessmentb. Community-Based Disaster Preparedness
c. Initiate the mainstreaming of risk reduction into the local development planning
process2.

National Disaster Coordinating Council – Collective Strengthening of Community
Awareness to Natural Disasters (NDCC-CSCAND) (AusAID–DFAT/Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)/Philippine Atmospheric,Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)/NAMRIA/Minesand Geosciences Bureau (MGB-DENR)

3.

Government of the Philippines (GoP) Harmonization and Prioritization of Hazard
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Philippines 2009

Mapping to complement the efforts of READY Project - covers additional 16
provinces
4.

Climate Change Adaptation Project (Spanish Government/World Bank/DENR) – a
study to establish the impact of climate change in the agriculture sector in two pilot
areas (Bicol Region and Region 2).

D. Knowledge Management and Education
1.

Development of a web-based GLIDE associated national disaster event database
under the CALAMIDAT.ph – a collaborative project with the ADRC

2.

NDCC–WBI web-based DRM Courses

3.

Priority Implementation Project on “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into the
Education Sector and Development in the Philippines” (MDRD-EDU) (ADPC/UNDP/
ECHO)
Phase I: January 2007 - April 2008
Accomplishments: 1) Development of DRM modules for secondary school
curriculum, 2) Training of teachers (ToT) on the use of the modules, 3) Pilot-testingof the DRM module in six (6) schools in the Philippines, and, 4) Revision of the DRM
module according to the findings in the pilot-testing.
A total of 1,020 students and 75 teachers, regional educational supervisors,and officers have benefited from the project.
Phase II: November 2008 - December 2009
The second phase of the MDRD-EDU Project aims to provide “Support to the
Implementation of the HFA through MDRD into Development Planning and
Implementation: Advocacy and Pilot Project Implementation in the Education Sector
in Three Southeast Asian Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) Member
Countries”.
Phase II also intends to institutionalize the DRR modules and the ToT module(developed in Phase I) in the national curriculum and in the teachers training system.

4.

Stepping up of Department of Education’s (DepED’s) efforts on production anddistribution of educational multi-media on natural and man-made hazards

5.

Continuous conduct of hazard-specific multi-sectoral Contingency Planning
Workshops

6.

Enhancing effective incident management through conduct of trainings on Incident
Command System (ICS)

7.

Introduction of the ASEAN Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis(RDANA) Training for effective response

8.

Continuous conduct of Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) and
Medical First Responders (MFR) trainings under the Program for Enhancement of
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Philippines 2009

Emergency Response (PEER) Project (National Society for Earthquake Technology(NSET)/USAID)
9.

Conduct of Nationwide Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) Training for local
government and volunteer rescue groups in order to enhance their response
capacity for flooding and landslide incidents

10. Capacity-building of health personnel through skills development courses (e.g.
Basic Life Support) and management courses (e.g. Hospital Preparedness for
Emergency (HOPE) Course)
11. PHIVOLCS, PAGASA, and DENR continue to hold Seminars/Trainings on Seismicand Hydrological-Meteorological Hazards Awareness and Preparedness

E. Risk Management and Vulnerability Reduction
1.

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management in Sub-National Development and Land
Use/Physical Planning in the Philippines (ECHO/UNDP/National Economic andDevelopment Authority (NEDA)
a. Formulation of Guidelines
b. Formulation of DRR-enhanced plans (Region 1 and Surigao Del Norte)c. Documentation of the application of the risk assessment methodology (Leyte,Southern Leyte, Surigao Del Sur, and Real, Infanta, and General Nakar
Municipalities in Quezon Province (REINA areas)d. Training of 400 regional and provincial land-use planners nationwide

2.

Priority Implementation Project on Mainstreaming DRR in the Infrastructure Sector(ADPC/Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) by incorporating Risk
Impact Assessment procedures into planning process before construction of newroads and bridges

3.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau - Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (MGB-DENR) carries out the National Geo-hazards Mapping; Suitability
Assessment of Relocation Sites; and Environmental Impact Assessment

4.

Implementation of the “Be Better, Build Better” program that envisions theconstruction of innovative school buildings that are not only conducive for learning
but also safe from disasters

F. Disaster Preparedness
1.

Update on the Implementation of the NDCC Four-Point Plan of Action on Disaster
Preparedness (Please refer to page 25 of this document)

2.

Annual Observance of the National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM) (July) –as per Executive Order No. 137 declaration, dated 10 August 1999

3.

Search for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance
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Philippines 2009

(Gawad KALASAG) – this search aims to recognize outstanding performance ofLocal Disaster Coordinating Councils (DCCs) (Provincial, Cities, Municipalities, andBarangays), private/volunteer organizations, local and national non-governmentorganizations (NGOs) providing humanitarian assistance, and government
responders (GOERs), as major stakeholders and partners in the implementation ofdisaster management programs and activities. It also aims to recognize individuals,
groups, or institutions that have shown extraordinary courage, heroism,
self-sacrifice, and bravery against all odds in times of natural and human-madedisasters and emergencies.
4.

National campaign to “Keep the Philippines Bird Flu Free” through the National
Avian Influenza Task Force (NAITF) and the civil society organizations led “AI/PI
Network”.

5.

Institutionalization of the Cluster Approach in the Philippine Disaster Management
SystemVIII. ADRC Counterpart
1.

Principal
Name:

General Glenn J Rabonza (Ret)Job Title:

Administrator, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and
Executive Officer, National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)

Organization:

OCD-NDCC

Office Address:

Office of Civil Defense
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines

2.

Telephone Nos. :(632) 9122424 / (632) 9115061 up to 65

Fax No.

(632) 9122424 / (632) 9111406

E-mail Address :genrabonza@ndcc.gov.ph

Alternate:
Name:

Crispina B Abat

Job Title:

Chief, Plans and Program Division andHead, NDCC Secretariat

Organization:

OCD-NDCC

Office Address:

Office of Civil Defense
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines

Telephone Nos. :(632) 9120441 / (632) 9125947 / (632) 9115061 up to 65

Fax No.

(632) 9120441 / (632) 9125947:

E-mail Address :crispinab.abat@yahoo.com

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References:
http://www.gov.ph - The Official Government Portal of the Republic of the Philippines

http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/ - official website of PAGASA

http://ndcc.gov.ph/home/ - official website of the NDCC

http://www.ifrc.org/ - International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
websitehttp://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc100?OpenForm – ReliefWeb site

http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/ - IASC website

http://www.glidenumber.net/glide/public/search/search.jsp - GLIDE website

http://www.cdp.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/drrmbill-primer.pdf - Center for Disaster
Preparedness (CDP) document

Country Paper on DRM in the Philippines by Ms. Lenie D. Alegre, OCD

3CD City Profiles Series - Current Working Document- Metropolitan Manila, The Philippines
Metropolitan Manila, The Philippines Disaster Risk Management Profile

PAGASA’s Update on the 4-Point Plan of Action on Capabilities by Dr. Prisco D. Nilo,
Administrator, PAGASA

Draft Bill/Act “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Act of 2009”

World Bank Report of Mr. Murallos

NDCC Circular No. 05 s-2007 as amended on NDCC Memorandum No. 4, s-2008 andMemorandum No. 12 s-2008 on the “Institutionalization of the Cluster Approach in the Philippine
Disaster Management System, Designation of Cluster Leads and their Terms of Reference at the
National, Regional, and Provincial Level”
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