Disaster Risk Reduction Management

Prepared By: Fabillar, Carlo Flores, Jainne N.

OVERVIEW As an archipelago located at the south-eastern part of Asia, the Philippines is exposed to both climatic and geological hazards. It is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire where two major tectonic plates, the Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet. With several fault lines crossing the country, earthquakes could have very devastating effects. There are 220 volcanoes, 22 of which are classified as active (NDCC 2008). The Philippines is also located along the typhoon belt on the North Pacific Basin in The Pacific where 75 percent of the typhoon originate. There are 20 to 30 typhoons passing through the century. 5-7 of which can be destructive (NDCC 2008). As a consequence of extreme rainfall events, flash floods, flooding and landslides have become more prevalent since 2000. The impacts of climate change in the Philippines are becoming better understood (Cruz et al, 2007). There has been an increase in the annual mean rainfall since the 1980s and in the number of rainy days since the 1990s (Cruz et al, 10.2.2). On average, 20 cyclones cross the Philippine Are of Responsibility (PAR) with about 8-9 making landfall each year.

OVERVIEW The natural risk associated with these trends are aggravated by human activities, particularly in the exploitation of resources such as forests and minerals and development interventions that do not incorporate responsible risk assessments. According to the Interventional Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Philippines was the fourth most accident prone country in the world in 2015. Accordingly, 31,835 Filipinos were killed and 94,369,462 others were affected by natural disasters and calamities in a span of 20 years.

Overview of the Philippine Disaster Management System 

PD 1566 has been the basic law that guides the disaster management programs, projects and strategies implementation in the country.



Recently, OCD-NDCC initiated the shift on disaster management approaches and strategies from reactive to proactive (from disaster response and preparedness to disaster risk reduction/management – a paradigm shift from the prevalent ‘culture of reaction’ to a ‘culture of prevention.’



President Arroyo signed on May 27 Republic Act 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.



This Act provides for the development of policies and plans and the implementation of actions and measures pertaining to all aspects of disaster risk reduction, management and recovery, including good governance, risk assessment and early warning, knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing underlying risk factors, and preparedness for effective response and early recovery.



A National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework and Plan was developed, formulated, and implemented. The Framework provides for comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based approach to disaster risk reduction, management and recovery efforts in the country in conformity with the National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework (NDRRMRF)

I. Republic Act No. 10121, known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Act of 2010”. “An Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management System, Providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework and Institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan, Appropriating Funds Therefore and For Other Purposes”

Section 2: Declaration of Policy 1. Upholding people’s rights to life and property and adherence to internationally accepted principles, norms and standards for capacity building in DRRM and humanitarian assistance; 2. Adoption of a holistic, comprehensive integrated, proactive and multi-sector approach in addressing the impacts of disasters, including climate change. 3. Development, promotion and implementation of a comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP). 4. Mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change in national and local development plans and development processes (e.g policy formulation, socio-economic development planning, budgeting and governance). 5. Mainstreaming DRR into the peace process and conflict resolution; 6. Ensuring DRR and CC- Gender responsive measures, sensitive to indigenous knowledge and respect of human rights;

7. Strengthening capacity building of Local Government Units on DRR (e.g. decentralized powers, responsibilities, resources) and vulnerable and marginalized groups; 8. Engaging the participation of Civic Society Organizations or CSO, private sectors and volunteers in DRR. 9. Promotion of breastfeeding before and during a disaster of emergency; and 10. Ensuring maximum care, assistance and services to affected individuals and families.

Salient Features of PDRRM Act of 2010 1. Policy statements and terminologies on DRRM (Secs. 2&3) 2. Institutional mechanisms (Secs. 5-12) a. DRRMC’s (National, Regional, Provincial, City and Municipal Levels and Barangay Development Council at the barangay level); b. Office of Civil Defense c. Permanent Office on DRRM at the LGU level; Barangay DRRM Committee d. Disaster Volunteers 3. Operational Mechanisms (Secs. 15-18) a. Coordination during emergencies

b. Declaration of a state of calamity c. Remedial Measures d. Mechanism for the international humanitarian assistance network.

4. Participation, accreditation, mobilization, protection and development of disaster volunteers 5. Training and Education in DRR

a. Establishment of DRRM training institutes b. Mandatory training in DRR for public sector employees c. Integration of DRR in school curricula, training for outof-school youth, Sangguniang Kabataan, and informal training

II. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) Leading the collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness planning and mitigation, as well as disaster response operations and rehabilitation both in the government and private sectors in the NDRRMC. It is the highest policy-making, coordinating and supervising body at the national level chaired by the Secretary of National Defense thru the Executive Director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and has 14 departments and 39 line agencies as members. The NDRRMC is also responsible for advising the President of the Republic of the Philippines on the status of the national disaster preparedness programs and management plans, disaster operations, and rehabilitation efforts of all stakeholders. It also recommends to the President the declaration of the state of calamity and the release of the national calamity fund as needed.

III. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), as the implementing arm of the National Defense Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, shall have the primary mission of administering a comprehensive national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management program by providing leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches as well as measures to reduce the vulnerabilities and risks to hazards and manage the consequences of disasters. Its mission is to provide leadership and administration of a comprehensive national civic defense and disaster risk reduction and management program. The vision is to become center of excellence in disaster risk reduction and management by 2020.

IV. Organizational Network The Philippine Disaster System (PDMS), as embodied in P.D 1566 and R.A. 10121, is carried out at various political subdivisions and administrative regions of the country through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC); 17 Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMC); 80 Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (PDRRMC), 113 City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (CDRRMC); 1,496 Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (MDRRMC); and 41,956 Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Councils (BRRMC) respectively. 1. Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) (Section 12, PDRRM Act) a.

It is established in every Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee in every barangay.

b.

Responsibility – setting the direction, development, implementation and coordination of disaster risk management programs within their territorial jurisdiction.

c.

LDRRMO shall be under the office of the governor, city or municipal mayor, and the barangay captain in case of the BDRRMC. The LDRRMO’s initially organized and is composed of a DRRMO, assisted by three staffs responsible for:

-

Administrative and traininh

-

Research and planning; and

-

Operations and warning; The LDRRMOs and the BDRRMCs shall organize, train and directly supervise the local emergency response terms and the Accredited Community Disaster Volunteers (ACDV).

2. Accreditation, Mobilization, and Protection of Disaster Volunteers and National Service Corps, Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector (Section 13, PDRRM Act)

a. The government agencies, CSOs, private sectors and LGUs may mobilize individuals or organized volunteers to augment their respective personnel complement and logistical requirements in the delivery of disaster risk reduction programs and activities.

b. The agencies, CSOs, private sectors and LGUs concerned shall take full responsibility for the enhancement, welfare and protection of volunteers, and shall submit the list of volunteers to the OCD, through the LDRRMOs, for accreditation and inclusion in the database of community disaster volunteers. 3. Integration of DRR Education into the School Curricula and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Program and Mandatory Training for the Public Sector Employees (Section 14, PDRMM Act) a.

The DepEd, CHED, TESDA in coordination with OCD, NYC, DOST, DENR, DILG-BFP, DOH, DSWD and other relevant agencies, shall integrate DRRM education in the school curricula of secondary and tertiary levels of education including NSTP, whether private or public including formal and non-formal, technical-vocational, indigenous learning, and out-of-school youth courses and programs.

b.

The NDRRMC, RDRRMCs, LDRRMCs, LDRRMOs, BDRRMCs and the SK councils shall encourage community, especially the youth, participation in DRRM activities.