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The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System

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The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System THE PHILIPPINE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Ms. JANICE MONTES PADAGDAG Civil Defense Officer II Office of Civil Defense- Department 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 physical features of the Philippines include the irregular configuration of the archipelago, the coastline of some 22,550 miles (36,290 km), the great extent of mountainous country, the generally northward trend of the river systems, and the spectacular lakes. The islands are composed primarily of volcanic rock and coral, but all principal rock formations 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 group while 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 (Region IX); 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 and Arab blood, and other ethnic minorities. The system of Government is Democratic with our current President, His Excellency RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE. 4 Figure 1. Map of the Republic of the Philippines The climate of the Philippines is tropical and maritime. It is characterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall. It is similar in many respects to the climate of the countries 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 to another, 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 Fire In addition, the Philippines is situated along the highly-seismic Pacific Ring of Fire as shown on Figure 3. This is the area where the Philippine Sea and Eurasian Tectonic Plates meet and is prone to occurrences 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 the Philippines 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 of occurrence of earthquakes, almost all parts of the country experience earthquakes. 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 8 frequent as the typhoons and flooding that take place in the Philippines. Figure 5. Map showing the Seismicity of the Philippines Nevertheless, the impact generated on affected communities is usually 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 were recorded in Mabini, Batangas Province from April to August 2017. A 9 major event in the earthquake swarms had a magnitude of 5.5 on 04 April. Two (2) more strong earthquakes occurred on 08 April, the first with 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 were shaken 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 to buildings and other infrastructures. Areas transected by the active faults that moved and generated the earthquakes were also affected by 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 such as typhoons. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical 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 most destructive. Tropical cyclones and its sequential effects of rain and windstorms, as well as floods are the most prevalent types of hydro- meteorological 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 the Western North Pacific Period from 1948 to 2010 based on the records of 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 million families 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 more than 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 the country’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 to deal with internal disputes and threats of terrorism in some areas 12 making us also vulnerable to this kind of political and human-induced hazards.
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