1 Chapter 3

2 Overlay of Economic Growth, 3 Demographic Trends, and Physical 4 Characteristics

5 Part of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) is a national spatial strategy (NSS) that takes into 6 account trends in economic and population growth across space or regions in the country. This 7 provides a basis for policies, programs, and projects on urban development, infrastructure 8 development, disaster risk reduction and natural resources conservation. It promotes sustainable 9 human settlements, access to social services, integration of leading and lagging regions, and 10 building resilience. 11 12 Since the implementation of the PDP 2017-2022, master plans, transport policies, and 13 infrastructure programs have been formulated, consistent with the NSS. These include the 14 Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan, Urban Transport Plan for , City 15 Infrastructure Development Plan and Capacity Building Project (IM4 Davao), Strategic 16 Infrastructure Programs and Policies, and National Transport Policy. To strengthen capacities to 17 mitigate the negative effects of disasters and climate change, initiatives include integrating 18 Disaster Risk Response (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in Comprehensive Land 19 Use Plans (CLUPs), flood mitigating structures, GeoRiskPH, and HazardHunter. 20 21 In the remaining years of the implementation of the PDP, the government will continue to pursue 22 the NSS to promote inclusive and sustainable growth and enable Filipinos to live comfortable lives 23 wherever they choose to locate. 24 25 Supporting regional agglomeration. The NSS seeks to decongest NCR and direct growth to regional 26 centers where high growth potentials have greater chances of being realized sooner. In urban areas where 27 population and enterprises concentrate, the NSS will support agglomeration by making cities livable and 28 efficient. Strategies will thus aim to expand and improve social services, fast-track investments in 29 transportation infrastructure, and promote “Smart City” principles in urban development. 30 31 Increasing connectivity. The NSS will increase the connectivity between production areas and market 32 centers, as well as provide the missing links between local, provincial and national road networks. The 33 National Transport Policy, which was unanimously approved by the NEDA Board through Resolution No. 34 5 s. 2017, has to be fleshed out, understood, and widely and seriously enforced. This Policy envisions a 35 Philippine transport system that is “safe, secure, reliable, efficient, integrated, intermodal, affordable, cost- 36 effective, environmentally sustainable, and people-oriented.” Among others, the National Transport Policy 37 involves the formulation of a Philippine Transport System Master Plan to guide the rational development 38 intermodal transport network in the country. 39 40 Reducing vulnerability. Considering the climate change projections, government should continue 41 investing in DRR and CCA initiatives to reduce vulnerability. Recent disaster and risk information 42 generated by science agencies must be used in planning and implementing DRR and CCA projects, 43 especially at local levels. 44

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46 Economic and Demographic Trends

47 The population size and distribution determine the magnitude and structure of the economy of cities and 48 municipalities. This may result in varying concentrations of production and consumption in cities and 49 municipalities, and in their respective regions. The noticeable trends in the country are the following: 50 • The total population continues to increase. While the overall growth rate is decreasing, substantial 51 increase in population will remain given the large base population of the country. 52 • The National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest share in GDP, but its growth is slower 53 compared to some other regions. Significant 54 • With few exceptions, regions with large cities have the highest share in GDP. 55 • Most regions with larger population also have larger Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), 56 with few exceptions. The cities or group of cities within these regions contribute largely to the 57 region’s population level and economic development. 58 59 What these imply is that certain locations tend to generate more economic activities as they attract 60 establishments and people looking for opportunities. Thus, economic growth tends to be concentrated in 61 few locations, leaving other areas behind. If not managed well, this trend can perpetuate inequality across 62 space or across regions, provinces, cities, and municipalities. At the same time, growth in urban areas may 63 end up being unsustainable as the concentration of activities and continued growth in population can bring 64 about pollution and congestion in these cities. This is now being felt in NCR, where growth has started to 65 slow down. 66 67 Economic and Human Development Trends

68 Regional Shares

69 Accounting for 37 percent of GDP from 2010-2018, NCR had the highest average regional share in the 70 national economy for the period. CALABARZON had the second-largest share with 16 percent, followed 71 by Central Luzon with 9 percent. Combined, these three regions accounted for 62 percent of the GDP. The 72 rest of Luzon contributed 11 percent, with 12 percent, and with 15 percent share in 73 GDP. 74 75 , which posted an average growth rate of 7.8 percent in 2010-2018, was the fastest-growing 76 economy among the seventeen regions. This was followed by Central Luzon and which both 77 grew at an average of 7.7 percent. Caraga Region and NCR also grew higher than the 6.3 percent national 78 average, with 6.8 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Slowest growth rates were observed in 79 MIMAROPA (3.8 percent), BARMM (3.1 percent) and Eastern Visayas (2.7 percent). 80 81 82 83

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84 Figure 3.1 Average Regional Share in GDP, 2010-2018

85 86 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority 87 88 Table 3.1. GRDP Growth Rate, 2010-2018

GRDP GROWTH RATE Average Region 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2010-2018 PHIL 7.6 3.7 6.7 7.1 6.2 5.9 6.9 6.7 6.2 6.3 NCR 7.4 3.2 7.0 9.1 5.9 6.6 7.4 6.2 4.8 6.4 CAR 6.5 1.3 (2.9) 5.4 3.3 3.7 2.3 12.2 7.3 4.3 I 6.8 2.5 7.2 7.0 6.4 5.0 8.5 5.8 6.5 6.2 II (0.8) 5.7 7.2 6.6 7.2 3.7 3.8 7.1 3.3 4.9 III 10.0 7.1 7.2 4.5 9.3 5.3 9.5 9.2 7.1 7.7 CALABARZON 11.7 1.6 7.0 6.6 5.1 5.9 4.8 6.7 7.3 6.3 MIMAROPA (0.3) 3.1 4.1 1.3 8.3 1.7 2.6 5.2 8.6 3.8 V 3.5 1.9 8.8 8.2 4.3 8.4 5.5 5.0 8.9 6.1 VI 4.5 6.2 7.0 3.4 5.2 8.3 5.9 8.6 6.1 6.1 VII 12.9 6.8 9.4 7.4 7.8 4.8 8.6 5.2 7.6 7.8 VIII 3.0 2.1 (6.8) 4.6 (2.4) 3.9 12.0 1.8 5.9 2.7 IX 1.4 0.1 12.4 4.2 6.6 7.2 4.6 2.4 6.3 5.0 X 6.5 5.8 6.5 5.4 7.1 5.5 7.5 5.8 7.0 6.3 XI 5.6 3.7 7.0 6.7 9.3 7.9 9.5 10.7 8.6 7.7 XII 2.2 5.3 7.3 8.4 6.2 3.3 4.9 8.3 6.9 5.9 CARAGA 10.7 8.5 11.5 8.2 9.4 4.2 2.0 3.6 3.2 6.8 BARMM 6.7 (0.3) 0.0 3.8 3.0 (0.8) 0.4 7.5 7.2 3.1

89 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

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90 Real Per capita GRDP

91 NCR had the highest per capita GRDP in 2018, which was nearly three times larger than the national 92 average of 86,370 pesos. NCR per capita GRDP increased from 232,739 pesos in 2016 to 253,893 pesos in 93 2018. Aside from NCR, CALABARZON and CAR have per capita GRDP higher than the national average 94 with 104,708 pesos and 87,722 pesos, respectively. On the other hand, BARMM has the lowest real per 95 capita GRDP among the regions in 2018 with 14,657 pesos, a slight increase from its 2016 level of 13,366 96 pesos. Following BARMM, Regions V and Caraga posted the next lowest real per capita GRDP in 2018 97 with 29,369 and 36,651 pesos, respectively. The three lowest ranking regions have consistently fared 98 poorly in terms of per capita GRDP showing that regional disparities, or inequality in per capita GRDP 99 across regions persists over time. As such, the government has to double its efforts in pushing for policies 100 that can reduce such disparities. 101 102 Table 3.2. Per capita GRDP, 2010-2018

Region 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 NCR 171,442 173,975 181,748 195,070 202,904 218,987 232,739 244,589 253,893 CAR 74,107 73,945 70,156 72,759 73,971 75,048 75,401 83,153 87,722 I 37,819 38,287 40,325 42,588 44,894 46,180 49,474 51,703 54,434 II 30,851 32,167 33,816 35,462 37,645 38,436 39,344 41,571 42,387 III 50,207 52,766 55,163 56,528 60,670 63,641 68,634 73,863 78,016 CALABARZON 79,699 78,966 81,562 84,687 86,644 92,184 94,811 99,346 104,708 MIMAROPA 37,002 37,540 38,239 38,138 40,706 39,575 39,837 41,069 43,715 V 21,004 21,112 22,502 24,005 24,719 25,770 26,686 27,487 29,369 VI 31,927 33,499 35,139 35,874 37,289 39,653 41,420 44,368 46,440 VII 49,966 52,528 56,061 59,211 62,743 64,846 69,322 71,743 76,024 VIII 36,694 37,006 33,850 34,952 33,771 33,771 37,144 37,121 38,598 IX 34,245 33,726 37,077 37,991 39,887 41,873 43,043 43,326 45,265 X 48,940 50,838 52,842 54,678 57,609 60,290 63,771 66,408 70,000 XI 48,487 49,431 51,657 54,188 58,256 61,335 65,913 71,621 76,378 XII 36,688 37,813 39,417 41,814 43,493 44,178 45,459 48,277 50,644 CARAGA 26,504 28,362 30,985 33,037 35,672 35,553 35,679 36,235 36,651 BARMM 14,588 14,348 14,052 14,380 14,613 13,646 13,366 14,012 14,657

103 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority 104 105 Human Development Index

106 The ranked 113th out of 189 countries, same rank as South Africa, on Human Development 107 Index (HDI) in 2017. This is a slight improvement from its rank of 115th in 2015. The HDI of the Philippines 108 increased from 0.693 in 2015 to 0.699 in 2017. Among the regions, NCR, recorded the highest HDI in 109 2015 with 0.750 and even improving in 2017 with 0.759. Other regions with HDI values higher than the 110 country’s HDI were CALABARZON (0.724), CAR (0.722), Central Luzon (0.712), and Ilocos Region 111 (0.705). BARMM had the lowest HDI value at 0.583. There is a need to promote social equity by improving 112 the quality of life across regions. 113 CHAPTER 3: Overlay of Economic Growth, Demographic Trends, and Physical Characteristics Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 Midterm Update

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114 Population Trends 115 116 Based on the 2015 Census of Population, the country’s population was 100,979,303. This is expected to 117 increase to 142 million by 2045 even though the average annual population growth rate is expected to slow 118 down from 1.73 percent (2010-2015) to 0.65 percent (2040-2045). CALABARZON had the largest 119 population with 14.4 million, followed by NCR with 12.9 million, Central Luzon with 11.2 million, and 120 Western Visayas with 7.5 million. CAR was the least populated region with a total population of 1.7 million. 121 Other less populated regions were MIMAROPA with 3 million and Caraga with 2.6 million. 122 123 Projections show that CALABARZON will still have the largest population with 17.5 million in 2025, 124 followed by NCR and Central Luzon with 14.5 million and 12.3 million, respectively. CAR will remain as 125 the least populated region with 1.9 million. 126 127 By 2045, CALABARZON, NCR, and Central Luzon will remain as three largest regions in terms of 128 population size with 20.1 million, 14.5 million, 14.5 million, respectively. These will be followed by 129 Western Visayas and Central Visayas with 10.4 million each. The region with the smallest population will 130 continue to be CAR with 2.6 million. On one hand, the BARMM has the highest average annual growth 131 rate of 2.12 percent, followed by Caraga with population growth rate of 1.72 percent. 132 133 Figure 3.2. Population by Region, 2015

134 135 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority 136 137

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138 Figure 3.3. Regional projected population, 2015-2025

139 140 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority 141 142 Population Growth of Metropolitan Areas and Major Cities 143 144 NCR had the largest population with 12.9 million among the metropolitan areas in 2015, followed by Metro 145 Cebu with 2.9 million, Metro Davao with 2.5 million, and Metro with 1.4 million. 146 147 Figure 3.4. Population of Metropolitan Areas: 2000, 2010, and 2015

148 149 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

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150 In NCR, Quezon City (2.94 million), Manila City (1.78 million), and Caloocan City (1.58 million) were the 151 cities with the highest population. was the 3rd most populated city in the country (1.63 million). 152 Other cities with the highest population outside NCR were with 922,611 and 153 with 861,799. 154 155 Figure 3.5 Population of Major Cities: 2000, 2010, 2015

156 157 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority 158 159 With few exemptions, regions with a lower population have a smaller share to GDP and real per capita 160 GRDP, and low HDI value. NCR and its neighboring regions still dominates in terms of population and 161 economic development. Given these economic and population trends, it is important to manage the 162 development process such that access to services and growth opportunities will be more equal across space 163 and that the economy and the people are resilient to disasters. 164 165 The Overall Spatial Strategy

166 The government will continue to pursue the NSS, which guides the direction of future growth of the country 167 so that development will be sustainable over the long term and no one will be left behind. The NSS aims to 168 contribute to inclusive growth by improving physical connectivity to promote equal access and quality of 169 social services across regions. The NSS seeks to decongest NCR and direct growth to key centers 170 throughout the country where the benefit of agglomeration can have greater potentials of being realized. It 171 utilizes a multi-layered approach that overlays the spatial characteristics, network layer, and vulnerability 172 in designing and shaping functional, attractive, and sustainable urban areas. The network layer includes 173 ecosystem and water system networks, infrastructure networks, and urban networks (linkages between 174 people, goods, and services). This guides the development of strategic solutions that support transportation 175 linkages and mixed land uses, and promote high-quality urban services to improve the quality of life of 176 Filipinos. 177

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178 Network of Settlements

179 The country has a three-tiered network of settlements: (a) metropolitan centers; (b) regional centers; and 180 sub-regional centers. These centers form an efficient network of settlements with distinct functional roles 181 contributing to the flow of economic activities within the network. 182 183 Metropolitan Centers

184 Metropolitan centers provide higher forms of services 185 and facilities, including innovation and advanced 186 services, culture and tourism, education and research, 187 transportation and trade, manufacturing, and 188 technology development. 189 190 , Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao remain 191 the three metropolitan centers in the country which 192 serve as centers of commercial, financial, and 193 administrative activities. Metro Manila will continue 194 to function as the country’s premier metropolitan 195 center and the seat of the national administration and 196 the center of commerce and trade. Metro Cebu serves 197 as the natural economic, commercial, and logistics 198 center for the Visayas. Metro Davao is a major 199 international gateway and serves as Mindanao’s 200 premier commercial hub and center for education and 201 health services. By 2025, will 202 be the fourth metropolitan center, which functions as a 203 major gateway and transhipment hub in Northern 204 Mindanao. 205 206 Regional Centers

207 Regional centers serve as regional markets and service centers to several provinces. Markets can support a 208 range of services and investments and have direct linkages to metropolitan centers. They host government 209 administrative centers, industrial and commercial areas, and transportation and tourism hubs. 210 211 Sub-regional Centers

212 Sub-regional centers connect to and serve as service centers of smaller provincial and local centers. 213 214 215

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216 Table 3.2 Network of Settlements

217 218 219 Considering the above network of settlements, the PDP will continue to pursue regional agglomeration, 220 connectivity, and vulnerability reduction which comprise the National Spatial Strategy. 221 222 Regional Agglomeration

223 Regional agglomeration aims to improve urban efficiencies and maximize the benefits of scale and 224 agglomeration economies. It recognizes the role of cities as an engine of growth and sites of innovation and 225 efficient infrastructure network. It will build on the current trend that growth in the NCR is slowing down 226 while regional centers are growing faster. With this, the spatial strategy aims to manage the growth of these 227 regional centers for them to function more efficiently. 228

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229 Enable integrated and efficient delivery of public services through Regional Government Centers 230 (RGCs). A number of growth centers in the regions play key roles in the delivery of public services as they 231 host regional government centers. Regions II, III, V, VII, VIII, IX, and XII have RGCs that strengthen 232 coordination and foster collaboration among agencies for efficient and effective delivery of public services. 233 CAR, CALABARZON, Region X, and Region XI developed proposals for the establishment of their RGCs. 234 MIMAROPA has begun transferring government agencies to its designated RGC, which is Calapan City. 235 236 Manage the growth process through an integrated approach to urban planning. Cities face various 237 urban challenges such as congestion, —which increases vulnerability to disasters—pollution and waste, 238 lack of green space, and increased demand for social services including housing, health, sanitation, and 239 education. Addressing these requires integrated approach to urban planning and development. To this end, 240 master plans have been formulated to address urban inefficiencies and guide the sustainable management 241 of urban development. The Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and its 242 Surrounding Areas and Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan (MBSDMP) of NCR, the Urban 243 Transport Master Plan (UTMP) of Metro Cebu, and the Davao City Infrastructure Development Plan and 244 Capacity Building Project (IM4Davao) in Metro Davao are being implemented to reduce traffic, enhance 245 the competitiveness, improve safety/disaster response, and contribute to sustainable urban development of 246 the concerned areas. 247 248 Other master plans are now being formulated for 11 cities which will guide the preparation and 249 implementation of programs and projects for sustainable infrastructure development. These plans also adopt 250 the smart city principle in urban mobility, natural and built environment, sustainable energy, and economic 251 competitiveness. The implementation of these plans would require retooling of current government 252 institutions, planning approaches, and urban management practices. 253 254 Increase investments and spending efficiency to expand and improve the quality of social services to 255 meet growing demand. Growth centers attract people seeking better opportunities and access to amenities. 256 To meet growing demands that come with continuously increasing population in these cities, the 257 government will have to expand and improve facilities and provide additional human resources in the 258 sectors of housing, health, sanitation, and education (see Chapter 10: Accelerating Human Capital 259 Development, Chapter 12: Building Safe and Secure Communities, and Chapter 19: Accelerating 260 Infrastructure Development). As centers of consumption, cities are also the main producers of waste. There 261 is a need to promote waste reduction and management, including improvement of wastewater treatment 262 facilities to address water pollution. 263 264 Fast-track investment in transport infrastructure and traffic management system to reduce 265 congestion to ensure mobility. The government will continue to fast-track investment in transportation 266 infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate access to globally competitive services. The 267 immediate remedial measures will be the enforcement of traffic laws, traffic management measures, and 268 transport demand management schemes. Application of intelligent transportation system (ITS) will also be 269 explored to help manage traffic flow in growth centers efficiently, minimize accidents and provide transport 270 and traffic information to passengers and decision-makers (see Chapter 19: Accelerating Infrastructure 271 Development).

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272 273 Adopt “Smart City” principles and increase technical, managerial, and financial capability of 274 national and local institutions to implement such. Improved urban environment and quality of life will 275 be pursued through urban renewal and urban redevelopment projects to accommodate higher densities and 276 additional amenities and facilities (e.g. green and open spaces, parks, transit connections, underground 277 water impounding cisterns, etc.) in growth centers. “Smart City” principles including urban mobility, 278 greener city, sustainable energy, public safety and economic competitiveness will also be promoted to 279 achieve sustainable urban development. 280 281 Local government units, to which many social service delivery functions have been devolved, need to 282 step up. LGUs need to be able to provide access to adequate and high-quality social services, set up 283 appropriate facilities, and institute waste management schemes. The national government and development 284 partners can provide technical and financial assistance to them. Collaboration and complementation 285 between national and local governments will be crucial to ensure coherence of development plans and leave 286 no gaps in service delivery. 287 288 Connectivity

289 As agglomeration takes place, socioeconomic inequalities across space can be avoided or reduced through 290 connectivity. This means linking settlements to key production areas to form an efficient network. Rather 291 than forcing uniform dispersal of development which can create inefficiencies, connectivity through 292 efficient transport networks allows leading areas—or regions with high growth potentials—to accelerate 293 and expand growth while also providing access to opportunities to lagging areas. With a more efficient 294 network of settlements, more opportunities for production and employment are expected to be generated, 295 thus increasing family incomes and savings for investment and growth, and reducing poverty. Beyond 296 physical connectivity through transport system, investments in telecommunications, technology and 297 innovation will ensure that even those in lagging or conflict-affected areas will have access to services and 298 employment opportunities. 299 300 Flesh out and swiftly implement policies and plans promoting connectivity and guiding infrastructure 301 development in the country, which are already in place. The NEDA Board has approved the National 302 Transport Policy (NTP) which encompasses the following policy areas: 1) resource generation, allocation 303 and cost sharing; 2) program and project selection; 3) cost recovery and subsidies; 4) regulation of passenger 304 and transport services; 5) transportation management in urban and regional areas; 6) support to other 305 economic sectors; and 7) governance and institutions. Aside from the NTP, the Philippine Transport System 306 Master Plan (PTSMP) is also being finalized. This will 1) guide the rational development of an intermodal 307 transport network, 2) promote sub-regional cooperation on multimodal transport system, 3) enhance the 308 capacity of various government agencies, and 4) create a transport database. 309 310 Ensure timely completion of road and bridge development projects under the Build, Build, Build 311 Program which are now being implemented in the country. Convergence projects between different 312 national government agencies are being implemented to construct and upgrade local road network 313 connecting rural farming communities, local industries, and major gateways to cities and towns. There are

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314 ongoing Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) which are interregional in scope, namely: PNR North 2 315 (Malolos–Clark International Airport), PNR South Commuter Line (Tutuban–Calamba), PNR South Long 316 Haul (Manila–Bicol), Subic-Clark Railway Project and the Mindanao Rail Project (Phase 1). The Subic- 317 Clark Railway Project is a component under the PNR Luzon Systems Development Framework while the 318 Mindanao Railway Project plays an important role in improving interregional accessibility within 319 Mindanao. For air transport, there are ongoing efforts to improve the facilities of -Silay, Iloilo, 320 Davao, and Laguindingan International Airports. For conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, a road network 321 development project was conceptualized, consisting of 150 kilometers of road network covering six (6) 322 access roads and missing links, and construction of 40 bridges. 323 324 To further improve and strengthen connectivity in the country, identify the remaining missing links 325 between local, provincial, and national road networks through the PTSMP and counterpart spatial 326 plans at the regional, provincial and city/municipal levels. Road sections that need 327 rehabilitation/upgrade, including new segments, may also be included in the convergence programs of 328 DOT/DA/DTI/DPWH. For hazard-prone areas, road networks for redundancy have to be constructed to 329 establish alternative routes for disaster response and evacuation. 330 331 Ensure the accessibility, availability, affordability, convenience and reliability of public transport 332 (e.g. railway, bus, etc.), consistent with the National Transport Policy. This will involve rationalization 333 of the public transport design or transport routes to serve new and emerging origins and destinations. Public 334 transport terminals that integrate different modes of public transportation have to be established in strategic 335 locations. The nautical highway of the country can be strengthened through the improvement of existing 336 RORO ports and the establishment of new ones, as needed. Improvements and expansion of airport facilities 337 across the country will be continued to meet the demand and improve the quality of air travel. 338 339 Reduction of Vulnerability

340 The NSS seeks to make vulnerability reduction an integral part of development. This involves instituting 341 prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the impact of climate change and disasters on the community. 342 These may include redundancy routes to provide access to areas affected by disasters. 343 344 Due to its geographical location, the country is susceptible to geologic and hydrometeorological hazards. 345 Disaster risk is also aggravated by uncontrolled development particularly within ecologically-sensitive and 346 hazard-prone areas. Based on the 2019 WorldRiskIndex, the Philippines ranked 9th place in terms of 347 countries with the highest disaster risk. This is an improvement of five places compared to the 2018 348 WorldRiskIndex Report where the country was ranked 3rd most disaster-prone country. The improvement 349 can be attributed to the country’s continuous effort to strengthen its capacities against the negative effects 350 of disasters and climate change. 351 352 The government promoted the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR 353 and CCA) measures in the Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) of cities and municipalities. (See 354 Chapter 20: Ensuring Ecological Integrity, Clean and Healthy Environment). Drainage master plans for six 355 (6) major river basins were prepared. The government has also completed 4,536 flood mitigating structures

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356 nationwide. In City, one of most affected areas by Typhoon Yolanda, the heightened road and 357 tide embankment project is already ongoing construction. In Metro Manila, 36 pumping stations were 358 rehabilitated and 20 new pumping stations were put in place. Also, 82 evacuations centers were constructed 359 in 52 provinces, and additional 55 evacuations centers are ongoing construction. 360 361 Despite our gains in terms of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, there is still a need to 362 continue investing in vulnerability reduction initiatives. According to the latest PAGASA Climate Change 363 projections, we can expect (a) continuous warming at a rate of 0.1 ˚C /decade; (b) increasing trends in 364 annual rainfall and seasonal rainfall in many parts of the country associated with extreme rainfall events; 365 (c) minimal increase in the frequency of very strong tropical cyclones exceeding 170 kph; and (d) a 20 cm 366 increase in sea level rise by the end of the 21st century. 367 368 With the expected increase in population and economic activities in the identified growth centers, 369 there is a need to prioritize these growth centers in DRR and CCA efforts. Locations of new 370 development projects and urban expansions should be guided by hazard maps and information to minimize 371 exposure to hazards. This will also entail ensuring alternate access are in place to prevent isolation during 372 disasters, and that there are properly placed and designed evacuation sites. 373 374 Promote extensive use of recently developed information technologies to manage disaster risks. The 375 DOST- Phivolcs is currently implementing its GeoRiskPH initiative. The HazardHunter application 376 developed under this initiative can quickly generate an initial geologic and hydrometeorolgical hazards 377 assessment in specific locations. Its GeoMapper feature, which stores hazard and disaster exposure 378 information, is intended to serve as the central source of information for accurate disaster risk assessments. 379 The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the National Security Council issued 380 guidelines to Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils at all levels, Crisis Management Committees 381 at the local level, and all government departments, bureaus, agencies, offices, units and instrumentalities to 382 formulate contingency plans for natural and human-induced hazards. 383 384 Given the significant accomplishments of national government on generating scientific information on 385 hazards and disaster risks, the continuous data build-up and updating of relevant databases platforms of 386 DOST should be pursued and supported. Existing disaster risk assessments have to be updated to utilize 387 more recent hazards and exposure information and to take into account the already completed DRR and 388 CCA initiatives. This updated assessment results can guide adjustments or recalibrations of needed further 389 DRR and CCA interventions. 390 391 Importantly, local government units and citizens must be able to access, appreciate, and make full use of 392 these information technologies for disaster preparedness and mitigation actions. In this regard, LGUs will 393 have to be assisted on how to use this information for planning and identifying, designing, financing and 394 implementing the DRR and CCA initiatives. Inter-LGU cooperation will also be pursued to address naturals 395 hazards which affect multiple municipalities/cities and provinces. 396

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397 Implementing the Spatial Strategy

398 Implementing the NSS requires cooperation across national and local governments to ensure coherence of 399 development plans and efforts. The complexity of development problems, current institutional setups and 400 financial resource availability and allocation can be a major challenge which needs to be overcome. It is 401 important that each government entity understands and seriously takes on its role, with technical, 402 managerial, and financial assistance from development partners, in implementing the National Spatial 403 Strategy to enable every Filipino to enjoy comfortable and secure lives wherever they choose to locate.

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