THE PHILIPPINEDISASTER RISK REDUCTION
AND MANAGEMENTSYSTEM

Ms. JANICE MONTES PADAGDAG
Civil Defense Officer II
Office of Civil DefenseDepartment of National Defense (OCD-DND)
ADRC Visiting Researcher Program 2018B
Kobe, Hyogo, Japan2

C O N T E N T S

I. General Information

II. Philippine Disaster Risk Profile
A. Natural Hazards
B. Recent Major Disasters

III. Philippine DRRM System
A. Salient Features of Republic Act 10121
B. NDRRM Framework
C. NDRRM Plan
D. Four DRRM Thematic Areas
E. National Disaster Response Plan
F. National Disaster Preparedness Plan
G. Harmonized National Contingency Plan for
Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake
H. Challenges

IV. ADRC Counterpart

3

Country Report of the Philippines
I.

General Information

The Philippines, located in Southeast Asia (SEA), is one of the largest
island groups in the world with 7,107 islands and islets lying about
500 miles (800 kms) off the coast of Vietnam. Outstanding physicalfeatures of the Philippines include the irregular configuration of thearchipelago, the coastline of some 22,550 miles (36,290 km), thegreat extent of mountainous country, the generally northward trend of
the river systems, and the spectacular lakes. The islands arecomposed primarily of volcanic rock and coral, but all principal rockformations are present. The archipelago has a total land area of
120,000 sq miles (300,000 sq km) and stretches about 1,150 miles(1,850 km) from north to south, and its widest east-west extent, at its
southern vase, is some 7000 miles (1,130 km).
It is further divided into three (3) major groups of islands namely,
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Luzon is the biggest island groupwhile Visayas is a melting pot of Spanish, Chinese, and Indo-Malayan
cultures; and Mindanao where Chinese and Muslims are predominant.
There are 17 administrative regions, namely: National Capital Region(NCR); Ilocos Region (Region I); Cordillera Administrative Region(CAR); Cagayan Valley (Region II); Central Luzon (Region III);CALABARZON (Region IV-A); MIMAROPA (Region IV-B); Bicol
Region (Region V); Western Visayas (Region VI); Central Visayas(Region VII); Eastern Visayas (VIII); Zamboanga Peninsula (RegionIX); Northern Mindanao (Region X); Davao Region (Region XI);SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII); Caraga Region (Region XIII); and,
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Figure 1 below
illustrates the map of the Philippine Islands.
Manila is the capital city but outside Manila there are also diverse
centers of commerce and industry, culture, the arts, and education.
Meanwhile, Quezon City is the largest and most-populous city. The
country has a total population of 100,981,437 based on the 2015
Census of Population (POPCEN 2015). The Filipino is basically of
Malay stock with a sprinkling of Chinese, American, Spanish andArab blood, and other ethnic minorities. The system of Governmentis Democratic with our current President, His Excellency RODRIGOROA DUTERTE.

4

Figure 1. Map of the Republic of the Philippines

The climate of the Philippines is tropical and maritime. It ischaracterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity andabundant rainfall. It is similar in many respects to the climate of thecountries of Central America. Temperature, humidity and rainfall are
the most important elements of the country’s weather and climate.
Based on the average of all weather stations in the Philippines,
excluding Baguio, the mean annual temperature is 26.6o C. The
coolest months fall in January with a mean temperature of 25.5oC
while the warmest month occurs in May with a mean temperature of
28.3oC.

5

Rainfall is the most important climatic element in the Philippines.
Rainfall distribution throughout the country varies from one region toanother, depending upon the direction of the moisture-bearing winds
and the location of the mountain systems.
The mean annual rainfall of the Philippines varies from 965 to 4,064
millimeters annually. Baguio City, Eastern Samar, and Eastern
Surigao receive the greatest amount of rainfall while the southern
portion of Cotabato receives the least amount of rain. At General
Santos City in Cotabato, the average annual rainfall is only 978
millimeters.
Using temperature and rainfall as bases, the climate of the country
can be divided into two major seasons: (1) the rainy season, from
June to November; 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.
Based on the distribution of rainfall, four climate types are recognized,
which are described as follows:

Figure 2. Climate Map of the Philippines based on the Modified Coronas Classification

6

II.

Philippine Disaster Risk Profile
A. Natural Hazards Likely to Affect the Country (Features
and Tendency)

The Philippines is prone to almost all types of natural hazards
because of its geographical location and geotectonic setting.

Figure 3. Map showing the Pacific Ring of FireIn addition, the Philippines is situated along the highly-seismic Pacific
Ring of Fire as shown on Figure 3. This is the area where thePhilippine Sea and Eurasian Tectonic Plates meet and is prone tooccurrences of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. In fact,
there are 300 volcanoes in the country and 22 are active.
Figure 4 shows the distribution of active faults and trenches in thePhilippines which are found in several areas of the country.

7

Figure 4. Map showing the Distribution of Active Faults and Trenches in the Philippines

Moreover, Figure 5 presents the seismicity or the frequency ofoccurrence of earthquakes, almost all parts of the country experienceearthquakes. Generally, we encounter an average of 20 earthquakes
a day, per latest figures from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). Earthquake disasters are not as

8frequent as the typhoons and flooding that take place in thePhilippines.

Figure 5. Map showing the Seismicity of the Philippines

Nevertheless, the impact generated on affected communities isusually massive and devastating. Earthquake-induced disasters were
few in numbers and in terms of casualties. According to the Annual
Report by the PHIVOLCS, in 2017, six (6) damaging earthquakes hit
the country commencing with the magnitude 6.7 earthquake in
Surigao del Norte on 10 February. A series of earthquakes wererecorded in Mabini, Batangas Province from April to August 2017. A

9major event in the earthquake swarms had a magnitude of 5.5 on 04
April. Two (2) more strong earthquakes occurred on 08 April, the firstwith magnitude 5.6, succeeded by another with magnitude 6.0. On 12
April, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred with epicenter near Wao,
Lanao del Sur. On the 29th of the same month, a magnitude 7.2
earthquake happened offshore of Saranggani, Davao Occidental. On
25 May, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake happened near the vicinity of
San Marcelino, Zambales. Lastly, Ormoc City, Leyte and vicinity wereshaken by the magnitude 6.5 earthquake on 06 July (PHIVOLCS
Annual Report, 2017). The strong ground shaking subsequently
caused liquefaction, earthquake-induced landslides, and damages tobuildings and other infrastructures. Areas transected by the active
faults that moved and generated the earthquakes were also affectedby ground rupture.
Aside from being situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire shown on Figure
6 below, the country is also located along the Pacific Typhoon Belt.
This explains the occurrences of different weather disturbances suchas typhoons.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical andAstronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reports that every
year, an average of twenty (20) tropical cyclones enter the Philippine
Area of Responsibility (PAR) and five (5) of which shall be mostdestructive. Tropical cyclones and its sequential effects of rain andwindstorms, as well as floods are the most prevalent types of hydrometeorological hazards in the country.

Figure 6. Photo showing Pacific Typhoon Belt

10

In fact, the Philippines can also be called “Exporter of Typhoons”.
Figure 7 below illustrates the tracks of Tropical Cyclones in theWestern North Pacific Period from 1948 to 2010 based on the recordsof the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Figure 7. Tracks of Tropical Cyclones in the Western North Pacific Period from 1948 to 2010

Between 1997 and 2007, eighty-four (84) tropical cyclones entered
the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). These typhoons resulted
to a total of 13,155 in human casualty and more than 51 millionfamilies have been affected. Economic losses due to typhoon
damages in agriculture, infrastructures and private properties are
estimated to reach P158.242-B. Some of the most devastating floods
and landslides are triggered by these typhoons that happened also
within this period. The El Nino Southern Oscillation which is a periodic
disaster recorded high economic costs in just a single occurrence. In
2010, out of the almost PhP 25-M worth of damages to properties
caused by natural disasters, tropical cyclones contributed to morethan half. These affected more than 3 million people in that year alone.
As shown on Figure 8, the intensity scale classification of tropical
cyclone by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical

11

Services Administration (PAGASA), have developed the category for
Super Typhoon, with sustained winds of greater than 220 km per hour.
In the past years, the country does not have the category for Super
Typhoon. However, because of Typhoon Yolanda, the PAGASA had
the realization that the strength of typhoons can go beyond thecountry’s existing threshold.

Figure 8: PAGASA’s Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale

In addition, Philippines also has to contend with the irreversible
impacts of climate change that is characterized by the increasing
global temperatures as illustrated on Figure 9.
Photo credit: Google Images

Figure 9: Schematic Presentation showing Climate Change

Amongst these natural hazards, the Philippine government has todeal with internal disputes and threats of terrorism in some areas

12

making us also vulnerable to this kind of political and human-induced
hazards.
Environmental factors such as denuded forests aggravate flood risks.
The pace of deforestation since the 1930s accelerated in the 1950s
and 1960s, before falling slightly in the 1980s. Even now, the effectsof loose soil and reduced forest cover from past forestry activities arefelt in frequent landslides and floods. Recent events show that theannual monsoon season in the country has brought severe flooding
in most areas.
Based on the data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Council (NDRRMC), a total of 302 natural incidents
were monitored for the period CY 2014-2017 as seen on Figure 10
below.

Figure 10. Natural incidents monitored for CY2014-2017

13

Of the natural incidents monitored, flashfloods topped the list with 119
or 39.2% incidents followed by landslides with 29 or 9.6% and tornado
with 28 or 9.2%.
B. Recent Major Disasters:
1.

Naga Landslides (September 2018)

A landslide incident occurred in Sitio Sindulan, Barangay Tinaan,
Naga City, Cebu. The City of Naga was declared under State ofCalamity thru Resolution No. 001-A-2018 on 21 September 2018 due
to damages brought by the occurrence of a massive landslide. It
affected 1,972 families or 8,252 persons in barangays, with 77 dead,7 injured and 57 missing.

2.

Typhoon Mangkhut (September 2018)

Typhoon Mangkhut, locally known as Typhoon Ompong entered thePhilippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on 12 September 2018 andhas made landfall in Baggao, Cagayan on 15 September 2018. The
typhoon caused widespread damage across Northern and Central
Luzon due to its intense nature and large size (~900km). Interaction
with the rugged terrain of Northern Luzon have aggravated the natureof rainfall, which caused flooding and landslides especially in themountainous Cordillera Administrative Region. It affected a total of730,596 families or 3,029,062 persons in 5,917 barangays with 82
dead, 138 injured and 2 missing. It destroyed 210,500 houses anddamaged a total estimated amount of P7.2B on infrastructure andP26.8B on agriculture.
3.

Volcanic Activity (January 2018)

Mayon Volcano (Bulkang Mayon), also
known as Mount Mayon, is anactive volcano in the Province of Albay.
Mayon is the most active volcano in thePhilippines having erupted over 49
times in the past 400 years.

14

On 13 January 2018, a phreatic eruption occurred in Mayon Volcano.
Per PHIVOLCS Eruption Notification, the estimated height of grayish
ash plume is at 2,500 meter that drifted towards the Southwest.
Traces of ashfall were found in the Municipalities of Camalig,
Guinobatan, Daraga and Ligao City.
DOST-PHIVOLCS raised the alert status of Mayon Volcano from Alert
Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Alert Level 3 (increased tendency
towards hazardous eruption). This means Mayon was exhibiting
relatively high unrest and that magma is at the crater. On 16 January
2018, the Albay Province was declared under the State of Calamity
thru Resolution No. 00670-2018. NDRRMOC raised the alert statusfrom Blue to Red and conducted continuous monitoring andcoordination with other member agencies and response clusters.
On 22 January 2018, PHIVOLCS raised the Alert Level of Mayon
Volcano to Alert Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent). The Danger
Zone was extended to 8 kilometers radius from the summit vent. The
public was strongly advised to be vigilant and desist from entering thisdanger zone. Civil aviation authorities advised pilots to avoid flying
close to the volcano’s summit as ash from eruptions can be
hazardous to aircraft. A total of nine (9) international flights andsixteen (16) were cancelled due to volcanic activity.
Then, on 6 March 2018, a notice for lowering of Mayon Volcano’s
status from Alert Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent) to Alert Level
3 (decreased tendency towards hazardous eruption).
On 07 March 2018 as per Situational Report no. 57 issued by the
NDRRMC, a total of seventy-six (76) volcanic earthquakes andthirteen (13) rockfall events were recorded by Mayon’s seismic
monitoring network. Sulfur dioxide emission was measured at an
average of 4,459 tonnes/day on 06 March 2018. Deflation of the lower
slopes that began on 20 February is still being recorded by electronic
tilt and by Precise Levelling (PL) surveys.
A total of 16,380 families were pre-emptively evacuated in Region V
due to Mt. Mayon phreatic eruption. A total of 23,705 families / 90,742 persons were affected in 61 barangays in the municipalities/cities of Bacacay, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao City, Daraga, Tabaco
City, Malilipot, Santo Domingo (Libog), and Legazpi City in theProvince of Albay (Region V).

15

4.

Typhoon Hagupit (December 2014)

Typhoon Hagupit, locally known as Typhoon “Ruby” entered thePhilippines on 4 December 2014 at 4:00AM with maximum winds of
175kph and gustiness of 210kph and is moving West Northwest at
25kph. Typhoon Hagupit is being compared to last year’s Super
Typhoon Yolanda that also enters PAR on the last quarter of the year.
A total of 944,249 families or 4,149,484 persons were affected in
Regions III, IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, CARAGA and NCR. There
were 18 fatalities and 916 injured persons and damaged 290,670
houses. Furthermore, it damaged infrastructure and agricultureamounting to Php5,090,265,462.00.
5.

Super Typhoon Yolanda (November 2013)

Super Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Typhoon Yolanda entered
the Philippine Area of
Responsibility PAR on 6
November 2013 and madelandfall on (1) Guiuan,
Eastern
Samar;(2)
Tolosa,Leyte;(3)
Daanbantayan, Cebu; (4)Bantayan Island, Cebu;(5) Conception, Iloilo; andfinally (6) Busuanga,
Palawan and left the Photo-credit: rappler.com
Philippines on 9 Nov
2013.
The wrath of “Yolanda” affected a total of 3,424,593 Families or
16,078,181 Persons in 12,139 Brgys in 44 Prov, 591 Mun, 57 Cities
in the Regions of IV-A, IV-B, 5,6,7,8,10,11 & Caraga. A total of
1,140,332 houses were damaged and killed 6,318 individuals, 28,689
were injured and 1,061 went missing during the onslaught. The
dreadful event left a total of PhP89,598,068,634.88 worth of damages
to infrastructure, productive, social and cross-sectoral sectors.

16

Due to the massive destruction and immense effects of TY Yolanda,
the President issued Presidential Proclamation No 682 declaring astate of national calamity on 11 Nov 2013 and Presidential Assistantfor Recovery and Rehabilitation (PARR) was designated to oversee
the TY Yolanda Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.
6.

Earthquake in Central Visayas (October 2013)

An earthquake of tectonic origin with 7.2 magnitude occurred in
Region VII on 15 October 2013 at about 8:12AM with an epicenter at
Sagbayan, Bohol and recorded 3,198 aftershocks and 94 of whichwere felt. It causes 222 fatalities, 976 were injured, and 8 were
missing.
Secondary to the quake,landslide
incidents
occurredin
different
municipalities in Bohol.
Stampede occurred at
Barba Sports Complex in
ToledoCity
and
Pinamungahan
Auditorium both in Cebu.
A ground subsidence wasalso reported by Minesand Geosciences Bureau(MGB) at Purok 7 and 8 Barangay Poblacion I, Tagbilaran City, Boholand residents nearby were advised to preemptively evacuate.
A total of 671,103 families / 3,221,248 persons were affected in 1,527
barangays in 60 municipalities and 6 cities in 6 provinces of Regions
VI and VII. A total of 73,002 houses, 41 bridges and 18 roads weredamaged. A total of PhP2,257,182.90 worth of damaged roads,
bridges, flood control, school buildings, hospitals and other publicbuildings.

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III.

Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
System
A. Salient Provisions of Republic Act 10121

Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Act of 2010 is entitled as, “An Act Strengthening thePhilippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System,
providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Framework and Institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Plan, appropriating funds therefor andfor other purposes”.

Figure 11. Cover Photos of Republic Act 10121 & IRR

This was signed into law on May 27, 2010 and the Implementing
Rules and Regulation (IRR) was approved three months later on
September 27, 2010. This revolutionary law defines the disastermanagement system in the Philippines.

18

Salient provisions of the PDRRM Law include:
1.

Section 5 provides for the creation of the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) which
is formerly known as the National Disaster Coordinating
Council but its membership and functions have increased tocope with complexities of disasters at present times.
The NDRRMC is headed by the Secretary of the Departmentof National Defense (DND) as Chairperson with theSecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) as Vice Chairperson for Disaster
Preparedness, the Secretary of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) as Vice Chairperson for
Disaster Response, the Secretary of the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) as Vice Chairperson for
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the Director-General of
the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
as Vice Chairperson for Disaster Rehabilitation andRecovery, and the Administrator of the Office of Civil
Defense (OCD) as the Executive Director, and 39 members
as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12. Organizational Chart of NDRRMC

19

The members of the NDRRMC are composed of fourteenline departments (DA, DBM, DENR, DEP ED, DOE, DOLE,
DFA, DOF, DOH, DOJ, DPWH, DOT, DTI, DOTC ), Office of
the Executive Secretary, Office of the Presidential Adviser
on Peace Process (OPAPP), Chairman of the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED), Chief of Staff of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Chief, Philippine National
Police (PNP), The Press Secretary, the Secretary General of
the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Commissioner of the
National Anti-Poverty Commission-Victims of Disasters andCalamities Sector (NAPC-VDC), Chairperson of the National
Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, Chairperson of
the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council(HUDCC), Executive Director of the Climate Change Officeof the Climate Change Commission, two government
funding institution namely PHILHEALTH and Government
Service Insurance System (GSIS) together with Social
Security System (SSS) which is a private insurance entity,
five (5) local leagues such as Union of Legal Authorities of
the Philippines (ULAP), League of Provinces of thePhilippines (LPP), League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP),
League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and
League of Barangays (LMB), four representatives from theCivil Society Organizations who will focus on Preparedness,
Response, Prevention and Mitigation and Rehabilitation andRecovery. There is also one member who will represent theprivate sector.
The NDRRMC being empowered with policy-making,coordination, integration, supervision, monitoring andevaluation functions shall carry out 17 responsibilities as
stipulated in the law. The NDRRMC Chairperson may callupon other instrumentalities or entities of the government
and nongovernment and civic organizations for assistance interms of the use of their facilities and resources for theprotection and preservation of life and properties in the whole20

range of disaster risk reduction and management. Thisauthority includes the power to call on the reserve force as
defined in Republic Act No. 7077 to Assist in relief andrescue during disasters or calamities.
2.

Section 8 of the law stipulates that the Office of Civil Defense(OCD) shall have the primary mission of administering acomprehensive national civil defense anddisaster risk reduction and management
program by providing leadership in thecontinuous development of strategic
and systematic approaches as well as
measures to reduce the vulnerabilities
and risks to hazards and manage theconsequences of disasters.
The Administrator of the OCD serves as the Executive
Director of the National Council and, as such, shall have thesame duties and privileges of a department undersecretary.
All appointees shall be universally acknowledged experts inthe field of disaster preparedness and management and of
proven honesty and integrity. The National Council shall
utilize the services and facilities of the OCD as the Secretariatof the National Council. The OCD has 19 functions, duties
and responsibilities as stipulated in the law.
It is further provided for in the law that the NDRRMC shallestablish an Operations Center. This is the 24/7 facility formonitoring and coordination. It is where we disseminate
situation reports, alerts and communications to all Council
members and various stakeholders. It is also a venue for us
to facilitate effective management of the consequences ofdisasters.

3.

Section 10 of RA 10121 provides for the creation of theRegional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(RDRRMC), formerly known as Regional Disaster
Coordinating Council (RDCC). RDRRMC coordinates,
integrates, supervises, and evaluates the activities of thelocal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils(LDRRMCs). The RDRRMC is responsible in ensuring

21

disaster sensitive regional development plans, in case of
emergencies; RDRRMC shall convene the different regionalline agencies and concerned institutions and authorities.
Under the law, the RDRRMC shall establish an operating
facility known as the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Operations Center (RDRRMC OpCen)
whenever necessary.
The civil defense officers of the OCD who are or may bedesignated as Regional Directors of OCD serves aschairpersons of the RDRRMCs. Its Vice Chairpersons shallbe the Regional Directors of DSWD, the DILG, the DOST,
and the NEDA. The existing regional offices of the OCD shallserve as secretariat of the RDRRMCs. The RDRRMCs arecomposed of the executives of regional offices and fieldstations at the regional level of the government agencies.
4.

Section 11 provides for the organization at the Local
Government Level. The Provincial, City and Municipal
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils aremandated to be organized at the local levels. In the case of
the Barangays, a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Committee which is mandated to be organized
and shall operate under the Barangay Development Council(BDC).
The Local DRRMCs shall be chaired by the local chief
executives, the Governor for the provincial level, the mayor
for the city and municipal levels and the barangay captain forthe barangay level. The members are the heads of various
offices assigned at the local levels together with the four (4)members from the CSOs and one (1) private sector
representative.
The LDRRMCs shall have the following functions:a)Approve, monitor and evaluate the implementation of thelocal DRRM Plans and regularly review and test the planconsistent with other national and local planning
programs;

22b)

Ensure the integration of disaster risk reduction andclimate change adaptation into local development plans,
programs and budgets as a strategy in sustainable
development and poverty reduction;c)

Recommend the implementation of forced or preemptive
evacuation of local residents, if necessary; and,d)Convene the local council once every three (3) months or
as necessary.

Figure 13. DRRM Network

Hence, to bring DRRM down to the grassroots, RA 10121
further provides for the establishment of the “DRRM
Network”, or the replication of the NDRRMC from thenational down to the regional, provincial, city, municipal andbarangay levels as shown in Figure 13.
5.

Section 12 provides for the Local Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Office (LDRRMO). It is also mandated
that the local government units shall establish an LDRRMO
in every province, city, and municipality, and a Barangay
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee inevery barangay. The LDRRMOs shall be responsible forsetting the direction, development, implementation andcoordination of disaster risk management programs within

23

their territorial jurisdiction. The LDRRMOs are permanent
offices under the office of the governor, city or municipal
mayor and the punong barangay (barangay captain) in caseof the BDRRMC. The LDRRMOs have twenty-five (25)functions, duties and responsibilities under this law giventhat the local government units are the first line of defense inevery disaster or emergency. Thus, they shall act as front
liners of all disaster risk reduction and management plans,
programs, projects and activities.
6.

Section 15 provides for the coordination during emergencies.
The LDRRMCs are mandated to take the lead in preparing
for, responding to and recovering from the effects of any
disaster based on the following criteria as shown in Figure
14.

Figure 14. Criteria on coordination during emergencies

7.

Section 21 provides for the Local Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Fund (LDRRMF) which is not less than five
percent (5%) of the estimated revenue from regular sources
shall be set aside as the LDRRMF to support disaster risk
management activities such as, but not limited to, predisaster preparedness programs including training,purchasing life-saving rescue equipment, supplies andmedicines, for post-disaster activities, and for the paymentof premiums on calamity insurance. The LDRRMC shallmonitor and evaluate the use and disbursement of the
LDRRMF based on the. LDRRMP as incorporated in thelocal development plans and annual work and financial plan.
Upon the recommendation of the LDRRMO and approval of
the sanggunian or council concerned, the LDRRMC may
transfer the said fund to support disaster risk reduction work24

of other LDRRMCs which are declared under state ofcalamity.
Of the amount appropriated for LDRRMF, thirty percent(30%) shall be allocated as Quick Response Fund (QRF) or
stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs in order thatsituation and living conditions of people In communities orareas stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics, orcomplex emergencies, may be normalized as quickly as
possible. Unexpended LDRRMF shall accrue to a special
trust fund solely for the purpose of supporting disaster risk
reduction and management activities of the LDRRMCs within
the next five (5) years. Any such amount still not fully utilized
after five (5) years shall revert back to the general fund andwill be available for other social services to be identified by
the local sanggunian.
8.

Section 22 of RA 10121 provides for the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Fund. (a) The present
Calamity Fund appropriated under the annual General
Appropriations Act shall henceforth be known as the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund(NDRRM Fund) and it shall be used for disaster risk
reduction or mitigation, prevention and preparedness
activities such as, but not limited to, training of personnel,
procurement of equipment, and capital expenditures. It canalso be utilized for relief, recovery, reconstruction and otherwork or services in connection with natural or humaninduced calamities which may occur during the budget yearor those that occurred in the past two (2) years from thebudget year.
(b) The specific amount of the NDRRM Fund and theappropriate recipient agencies and/or LGUs shall be
determined upon approval of the President of the Philippines
in accordance with the favorable recommendation of the
NDRRMC.
(c) Of the amount appropriated for the NDRRM Fund, thirty
percent (30%) shall be allocated as Quick Response Fund
(QRF) or stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs in25order that situation and living conditions of people incommunities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities,
epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be normalized as
quickly as possible.
(d) All departments/agencies and LGUs that are allocatedwith DRRM fund shall submit to the NDRRMC their monthly
statements on the utilization of DRRM funds and make anaccounting thereof in accordance with existing accounting
and auditing rules.
(e) All departments, bureaus, offices and agencies of thegovernment are hereby authorized to use a portion of theirappropriations to implement projects designed to address
DRRM activities in accordance with the guidelines to beissued by the NDRRMC in coordination with the DBM.
Notably, the special provisions for the NDRRM Fund under
the General Appropriations Act No. 10964, provided for theaid, relief and rehabilitation services to communities / areas
affected by human-induced and natural calamities, andrepair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including
other capital expenditures for disaster operation, andrehabilitation activities with a total budget amounting to
Nineteen Billion Six Hundred Million Pesos (P19.6 B).
In addition to the NDRRM Fund, the amount of Seven Billion
Six Hundred Million pesos (P7.6B) is used for the
Quick
Response Fund of various agencies such as the
Departments of Social Welfare and Development, National
Defense, Health, Public Works and Highways, Education,
and Agriculture, as well as National Electrification
Administration and National Irrigation Administration.
Release of funds for other agencies in need of QRF shall be
subject to the submission of a favorable recommendation of
the NDRRMC and approval of the DBM.
9.

Section 23 of the law also specifies funding of the OCD aslead agency to carry out the provisions the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. The
OCD shall be allocated a budget of one billion pesos(PhP1,000,000,000.00) revolving fund starting from the26effectivity of this Act. The National Council, through the OCD,
shall submit to the Office of the President, the Senate andthe House of Representatives, within the first quarter of thesucceeding year, an annual report relating to the progress of
the implementation of the NDRRMP.
B. The National DRRM Framework (NDRRMF)
On June 16, 2011, the National Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Framework (NDRRMF) as shown in Figure 15, wasapproved by the executive committee of the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The framework isin conformity with and captures the essence and priorities of Republic
Act 10121.

Figure 15. Diagram showing the National DRRM Framework (NDRRMF)

The Framework envisions a country to have a “safer, adaptive anddisaster-resilient Filipino communities toward sustainable
development.” The goal is to have a paradigm shift from reactive
to proactive DRRM wherein men and women have increased theirawareness, understanding on DRRM with the end in view ofincreasing people’s resilience and decreasing their vulnerabilities.
Our aim is to empower leaders and communities and to develop the“right” mindset and positive behavioral changes towards reducing
and managing risks and lessening the effects of disasters. This term
is about building back better or building on from our learnings, goodpractices, research and experiences, helping us address the27underlying causes of our vulnerability and increasing our ability toadjust to the situation before us. By being adaptive, we learn toinnovate and go to the next level.
Disaster-resilient communities are achieved when the risk reduction
efforts have been successful and have made the people stronger (ina positive way and not just in terms of their coping mechanism),
increasing their ability to bounce back after a disaster. It is important
to instill the culture of safety by increasing people’s capacity tobounce back and decrease disaster losses and impact. In the end,
DRRM is all about addressing the underlying causes of people’svulnerability; building their individual, collective and institutional
capacities and building back better wherein people’s lives becomesustainably better.
The country is challenged by increasing disaster and climate risks
caused by dynamic combinations of natural and human-induced
hazards, exposure, and people’s vulnerabilities and capacities.
There is an urgent need for the country to work together throughmulti-stakeholder partnerships and robust institutional mechanisms
and processes so that Filipinos will be able to live in safer, adaptive
and disaster resilient communities on the path to developing
sustainably.
This DRRM framework emphasizes that through time, resources
invested in disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness andclimate change adaptation will be more effective towards attaining
the goal of adaptive, disaster resilient communities and sustainable
development. The Framework shows that mitigating the potential
impacts of existing disaster and climate risks, preventing hazards
and small emergencies from becoming disasters, and being
prepared for disasters, will substantially reduce loss of life anddamage to social, economic and environmental assets. It also
highlights the need for effective and coordinated humanitarianassistance and disaster response to save lives and protect the more
vulnerable groups during and immediately after a disaster. Further,building back better and building better lives after a disaster will leadto sustainable development after the recovery and reconstruction
process.

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C. The NDRRM Plan
To implement all the country’s
DRRM targets, the NDRRMC
formulated the NDRRM Plan,approved on 7 February 2012. The
NDRRM Plan enumerates 4 priority
areas with 4 long term goals, 14
objectives, 24 outcomes, 56 outputs
and 93 activities.
The plan adheres to the principles ofgood governance within the context
ofpoverty
alleviation
andenvironmental protection. It is about
partnerships, working together andallofgovernment/community
approach– engaging the participation of CSOs, the private sector
and volunteers in the government’s DRRM programs towards
complementation of resources and effective delivery of services tothe citizenry.

D. Four (4) DRRM Thematic Areas
In accordance with the NDRRMF, through the NDRRMP, thecountry envisions a “Safer, adaptive and disaster resilient
Filipino communities towards sustainable development.” This
will be achieved through the four distinct yet mutually reinforcing
priority areas, namely, (a) Disaster Prevention and Mitigation; (b)Disaster Preparedness; (c) Disaster Response; and (d) Disaster
Recovery and Rehabilitation. As shown on Figure 16, each priority
area has its own long term goal, which when put together will leadto the attainment of the country’s over goal/vision in DRRM.

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Figure 16. Four DRRM Thematic Areas

These priority areas are not autonomous from the other nor do they
have clear start and end points. The 4 priority areas are NOT seen
as a mere cycle which starts in prevention and mitigation and ends
in rehabilitation and recovery. They...
(a) Mutually reinforce each other and are interoperable. Thismeans that whatever we do in one aspect will have a direct orindirect effect on the activities identified under the other aspects.
Furthermore, this means that it is assumed that the level of
preparedness and intensity of response activities we conduct arelessened because proper prevention and mitigation activities havebeen done already.
(b) DO NOT, SHOULD NOT and CANNOT stand alone. Because
they are inter-linked, one cannot just focus on one aspect without
considering the others.
(c) Have no clear starting nor ending points between each of
the aspects and overlaps are to be expected. There are someareas which are divided very thinly by gray areas. These are
activities which need to be smoothly integrated into two aspects.
The overlapping activities were put into the specific aspect which
could better capture its essence using the lens of that specific
DRRM area and to correspond to the given parameters within whichthese aspects focus on.
The significant activities under the 4 thematic areas include:301) Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
 Early warning systems
 Flood forecasting and monitoring Hazard and risk mappings Structural and non-structural interventions
2) Disaster Preparedness
 Contingency planning Prepositioning and stock-piling Capacitating and organizing responders
 Training, drills and exercises
 Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment
3) Disaster Response Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA)
 Issuance of advisories and situation reports
 Activation of Response Clusters and Incident Command
System (ICS) Mobilization of responders Humanitarian assistance (eg relief distribution)
 Provision of financial assistance Management of evacuation centers4) Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery
 Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) Enhancement of policies and plans Reconstruction using “build back better” approach Resettlement
 Provision of new sources of livelihood

E. The National Disaster Response Plan

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The National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) is the National
Government’s “multi-hazard” response plan. Emergency
management as defined in the NDRRM Act of 2010 (RA 10121), is
the organization and management of resources to address all
aspects or phases of the emergency, mitigation of, preparedness
for, response to and recovery from a disaster or emergency. It
outlines the processes and mechanisms to facilitate a coordinatedresponse by the national and/or at the local level departments /agencies. Local government institutions are responsible for thedevelopment and improvement of local response plans relative totheir areas of responsibility and underlying risks.
The NDRP prescribes the relevant activities on how the disaster
response shall be conducted as augmentation or assumption of
response functions to the disaster affected local government units(LGUs) as a result of these disasters. The contents of the NDRP
also include identifying roles and responsibilities of organizations /institutions during disaster / emergency phase as leads andmembers of the Response Cluster. The NDRP is also built on theunderstanding that all LGUs have prepared their Contingency Plans
for Hydro-Met and implemented their Local DRRM Plans(LDRRMPs) particularly preparedness activities that are directly
connected to response like prepositioning of key assets andresources.
At present, the Government’s strategic action plans have three
versions for response plans for each possible and perceived
disaster. They are NDRPs for:a) Hydro-Meteorological Hazards;b) Earthquake and Tsunami; and,c) Consequence Management for Terrorism-Related Incidents.
F.

The National Disaster Preparedness Plan

The primary goal of preparedness is to avert the loss of lives andassets due to threats and emergencies. RA 10121 defines
preparedness as the “knowledge and capacities developed bygovernments, professional response and recovery organizations,communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to,
and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard
events or conditions.” While essentially implementation of32

preparedness is before any hazard or any disasters strikes,
preparedness outcomes straddle between pre-disaster, disasterand post disaster phases based on existing definitions.
The objectives of the National
Disaster Preparedness Plan (NDPP)
emanates from the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management
Plan (NDRRMP). The NDPP helps
the national and local governments
and other stakeholders contribute to
the following objectives:
1. To increase level of awareness and enhanced capacityof communities to anticipate, avoid, reduce and survive
the threats and impacts of all hazards;
2. To fully-equip communities with the necessary skills andcapability to face and survive hazards and cope with theimpacts of disasters;
3. To increase Disaster Risk Reduction and Management(DRRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)
capacity of Local DRRM Councils, Offices andOperation Centers at all levels;
4. To develop and implement comprehensive national andlocal preparedness and response policies, plans andsystems; and5. To strengthen partnership and coordination among all
key players and stakeholders.
Consistent with the NDRRMP and other mandates, the NDPP aims
to contribute to the broader vision of reducing loss of lives andassets due to hazards and its potential impacts, by aiming at safeand resilient communities. National and local public and private
stakeholders need to work together to contribute to attain thisobjective, with the government taking the lead in facilitating synergy
of interventions and ensure that communities are able better toanticipate, cope with, and recover from hazards.

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G. Harmonized National Contingency Plan for Magnitude
7.2 Earthquake
The Harmonized National Contingency Plan is intended for the magnitude 7.2
earthquake scenario resulting from the movement of the West Valley Fault(WVF). The scenario may yield a PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS)
of VIII that will affect not only Metro Manila, but also the nearby regions ofCentral Luzon and CALABARZON.
For a brief background, the WVF scenario isderived from the results of the Metro Manila
Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS)
conducted by PHIVOLCS, Metro Manila
Development Authority (MMDA), and the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from
August 2002 to March 2004. According to the said
study, there are 18 earthquake scenarios that may
affect Metro Manila and the vicinity. The projected
impacts of the WVF earthquake were updated andenhanced in the Greater Metro Manila Area
(GMMA) Risk Analysis Project (RAP) in 2013.

Diagram 1: Map of the 18 Earthquake Scenarios based on MMEIRSSpecifically, the worst case scenarios identified in the MMEIRS are:
1.
SCENARIO 8: Generated by the WVF, causing a 7.2 magnitude
earthquake and leading to severe damage in Metro Manila
2.
SCENARIO 13: Generated by the Manila Trench, causing a 7.9
magnitude earthquake and leading to the occurrence of tsunami

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For this contingency plan, the focus is on the movement of the WVF. The WVF
moved four (4) times and generated strong earthquakes within the last 1400
years. The approximate return period of these earthquakes is between 400 to
600 years and no large event along the West Valley Fault is known after 17th
century.
In this context, the Harmonized National Contingency Plan has been formulatedby the NDRRMC. It is intended to address the response requirements resulting
from the anticipated occurrence of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake due to the
movement of the WVF that will affect Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and
CALABARZON.

H.

Challenges

The Philippines are confronted with various challenges when it
comes to implementing DRRM. First, there is a need for thecooperation and buy-in of the stakeholders. There is a need tocorrect the notion that DRRM is only a government concern.
Rather, it requires the whole-of-society approach because the safetyof the nation is not only job of the government but rather it is a shared
responsibility. It is also important to consider DRRM as a way oflife. DRRM must be part of day to day decision-making. The national
and local officials have to prioritize DRRM. Lastly, there is a needfor continuous development, review and improvement of thecountry’s DRRM policies, plans and programs in view of the“new normal.” This new normal is the acknowledgement of the factthat disasters nowadays are increasing in terms of scope, magnitude,frequency and complexities.

IV.

ADRC Counterpart:
Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(NDRRMC)
Office Address: Office of Civil Defense
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines

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References:
Republic Act 10121 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (Final Version,
December 2011)
Caraga Regional DRRM Plan 2013-2017
Sites Visited:
http://www.adrc.asia
http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph
http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph
http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph
http://www.ocd.gov.ph
http://www.preventionweb.net
http://www.park.org/Philippines/government/gen.info.htm
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
Additional References (updated version):
National Disaster Response Plan
National Disaster Preparedness Plan
Harmonized National Contingency Plan for Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake(working document)
Sites Visited (updated version):
http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/information/climate-philippines
https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines