DISASTER

Module 5
•In a scale of 1-10 as ten is the highest, how
are you going to rate your preparedness
during a calamity such as typhoon and
earthquake? Justify your answer.
What is a Disaster?
• A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that
seriously disrupts the functioning of a community
or society and causes human, material, and
economic or environmental losses that exceed the
community’s or society’s ability to cope using its
own resources. Though often caused by nature,
disasters can have human origins.
•A disaster occurs when a hazard impacts on
vulnerable people.

•The combination of hazards, vulnerability and

inability to reduce the potential negative
consequences of risk results in disaster.
(VULNERABILITY+ HAZARD ) / CAPACITY = DISASTER

• Natural hazards are naturally occurring physical

phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events
which can be geophysical (earthquakes, landslides,
tsunamis and volcanic activity), hydrological (avalanches
and floods), climatological (extreme temperatures, drought
and wildfires), meteorological (cyclones and storms/wave
surges) or biological (disease epidemics and insect/animal
plagues).
• Technological or man-made hazards (complex
emergencies/conflicts, famine, displaced populations,
industrial accidents and transport accidents) are events
that are caused by humans and occur in or close to human
settlements. This can include environmental degradation,
pollution and accidents. Technological or man-made
hazards (complex emergencies/conflicts, famine, displaced
populations, industrial accidents and transport accidents)
• There are a range of challenges, such as climate
change, unplanned-urbanization, under-
development/poverty as well as the threat of
pandemics that will shape humanitarian assistance
in the future. These aggravating factors will result in
increased frequency, complexity and severity of
disasters.
• Disaster Management can be defined as the
organization and management of resources and
responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian
aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness,
response and recovery in order to lessen the impact
of disasters.
Philippines:
A country prone to natural disasters
• The Philippines has suffered from an inexhaustible number of deadly
typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural disasters. This is
due to its location along the Ring of Fire, or typhoon belt – a large Pacific
Ocean region where many of Earth’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes
occur. Annually, approximately 80 typhoons develop above tropical waters, of
which 19 enter the Philippine region and six to nine make landfall, according
to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
The Philippines is in fact the country most exposed to tropical storms in the
world. Violent tropical storms, such as the latest Haiyan typhoon, can
generate 10 times as much energy as the Hiroshima bombing.
Here is a list of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, cyclones and other
natural disasters the Philippines has had to cope with during the past decade -
leaving thousands of people dead and the country's infrastructure and
economy in tatters.
Bohol earthquake, October 2013
• In the early morning hours of October 15, 2013 the island province
of Bohol, located in Central Visayas in the Philippines, was
disrupted by the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23
years. The earthquake lasted 34 seconds and had a magnitude size
of 7.2. The Bohol earthquake had an impact on the entire Central
Visayas region. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC) 222 people died, 976 were
injured, and more than 73,000 houses were damaged or destroyed.
It has been estimated that the energy the quake released was
equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs.
Guinsaugon Landslide
• The village of Guinsaugon, on the southern part of Leyte
island, was buried when an entire mountainside collapsed
on 17 February, 2006 – 1,126 people were killed in the
disaster. A school, along with 500 homes were wiped out
when a rapid flow of mud made its way down the
mountain slope. The disaster occurred after torrential rains
of up to 200 centimeters (78 inches) dumped down on the
region within 10 days. Locals blame deforestation, caused
by illegal logging, to be a contributing factor in the
disaster.
Taal Volcano Eruption (Janauary 2020)
• On January 12, 2020 Taal Volcano in Batangas erupted. Sudden
steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ashfall
and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur
and threaten areas within Taal Volcano Island (TVI) and along its
coast. At least 584,000 people have been affected in Batangas,
Quezon, Laguna, and Cavite. There are over 6,100 people staying
in evacuation centers, and at least 194,000 people are served
outside the evacuation centers.
• The eruption of Taal Volcano was a phreatomagmatic eruption
from its main crater that spewed ashes across Calabarzon, Metro
Manila, and some parts of Central Luzon and Ilocos Region,
resulting in the suspension of school classes, work schedules, and
flights in the area.[2][3] The Philippine Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) subsequently issued an Alert Level
4, indicating "that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible
within hours to days.
• The enactment of Republic Act 10121 otherwise known as the
Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010
has laid the basis for a paradigm shift from just disaster
preparedness and response to disaster risk reduction and
management (DRRM).The National DRRM Plan serves as the
national guide on how sustainable development can be achieved
through inclusive growth while building the adaptive capacities of
communities; increasing the resilience of vulnerable sectors; and
optimizing disaster mitigation opportunities with the end in view
of promoting people’s welfare and security towards gender-
responsive and rights-based sustainable development.
• Over the past several years, the country has gained a lot of
attention and momentum in the area of disaster risk reduction.
Numerous projects and activities have been undertaken by various
Philippine stakeholders and agencies in DRRM. However,
sustaining the positive results and scaling them up to effect rippling
positive changes in the lives of the people have been constant
challenges. Threats remain. Disasters and people’s risk to disasters
are still present. This is because the underlying cause of people’s
vulnerability has yet to be fully recognized and addressed.
• For years, DRR has focused more on efforts around disaster
preparedness and response and not so much in identifying the
hazard-prone areas and other factors which contribute to people’s
exposure to disasters; incorporating risk analysis to development
plans; building people’s capacities towards sustainable livelihood
options; and the like. Although DRR has been gaining attention
among peoples and institutions, complete paradigm shift from
“disasters as an immediate product of hazards” to “disasters as a
function of people’s vulnerability” has not yet fully happened.
• In accordance with the NDRRMF, through the NDRRMP, the
country will have “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. Each priority
area has its own long term goal, which when put together will
lead to the attainment of our country’s over goal/vision in
DRRM.
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
• The priority area on Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
provides key strategic actions that give importance
toactivities revolving around hazards evaluation and
mitigation, vulnerability analyses, identification of hazard-
prone areas and mainstreaming DRRM into development
plans. It is based on sound and scientific analysis of the
different underlying factors which contribute to the
vulnerability of the people and eventually, their risks and
exposure to hazards and disasters.
Disaster Preparedness
• provides for the key strategic actions that give importance to
activities revolving around community awareness and
understanding; contingency planning; conduct of local drills and
the development of a national disaster response plan. Risk-related
information coming from the prevention and mitigation aspect is
necessary in order for the preparedness activities to be responsive
to the needs of the people and situation on the ground. Also, the
policies, budget and institutional mechanisms established under the
prevention and mitigation priority area will be further enhanced
through capacity building activities, development of coordination
mechanisms.
• Through these, coordination, complementation and
interoperability of work in DRRM operations and
essential services will be ensured. Behavioral change
created by the preparedness aspect is eventually measured
by how well people responded to the disasters. At the
frontlines of preparedness are the local government units,
local chief executives and communities.
Disaster Response
• gives importance to activities during the actual disaster response
operations from needs assessment to search and rescue to relief
operations to early recovery activities are emphasized. The success
and realization of this priority area rely heavily on the completion
of the activities under both the prevention and mitigation and
preparedness aspects, including among others the coordination and
communication mechanisms to be developed. On-the-ground
partnerships and the vertical and horizontal coordination work
between and among key stakeholders will contribute to successful
disaster response operations and its smooth transition towards
early and long term recovery work.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
• priority area cover areas like employment and
livelihoods, infrastructure and lifeline facilities,
housing and resettlement, among others. These are
recovery efforts done when people are already
outside of the evacuation centers.
The Objectives of the Philippine disaster risk reduction and
management system
Survival Kit List for a Natural Disaster

• When building your emergency supply kit, start

with the right container. Choose something that is
waterproof and easy to carry, like a plastic tote or
waterproof duffle bag. For your home kit, you may
need multiple containers.
• Here are the basics of what you need to make it
through three days:
Water
• At a minimum, keep one gallon of water per person per day. That
means if your family consists of five people, you want 15 gallons
of water. If you can store more, do so. Those who’ve been faced
with an emergency situation have said that the gallon a day is hard
to stretch when it comes to drinking water, cleaning yourself and
your surroundings, and cooking – especially if and when medical
treatment needs to be administered.
• Make sure that any water you use for drinking, washing or
preparing food, cleaning dishes, brushing your teeth, or making ice
is not contaminated. Anything with a bad odor or taste should be
avoided, as it may cause diseases like dysentery, cholera, typhoid,
or hepatitis.
Food Supplies

• Non-perishable goods such as canned vegetables, soups,

and powdered milk provide your family with nutrients
when the possibility of cooking or preparing food is
minimal. Strive to have around 2,000 calories per person
per day to consume, with some to spare. Keeping a variety
of foods in stock, including vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy,
and meat will give you a balanced diet and keep everyone
healthy and well-fed.
First-Aid Supplies
• If you end up in an emergency situation, there’s a good chance you’ll
have to do some level of first aid on someone. While it may be as simple
as putting a bandage on a toddler's knee, it could also be as stressful as
stitching a wound on that same child’s head.
• For your emergency disaster kit, include more than just bandages and
creams. Have syringes, splints, and a suture kit to ensure you’re prepared
no matter what happens. You never know when you’ll end up needing
to render first aid to not only family, but also friends, neighbors, or even
strangers who stumble upon your disaster sanctuary. Include a week’s
worth of any and all prescription medications you and other family
members take, as well as things like ibuprofen, antihistamines, and
antibacterial creams.
• If you have infants, young children, elderly parents,
or disabled family members, keep their needs in
mind as you pack and prepare your emergency
disaster kit. Things like diapers, formula, insulin,
and a walker can mean the difference between
keeping things calm and controlled and swimming
in absolute chaos.
Utensils

• If you have your stockpile of food and water, but no

can opener or pot to heat things up, you’ll be in a bit
of trouble. That’s why it’s important to have utensils
included in your disaster kit. Anything you need to
prepare and eat meals, include it. Better to be over
prepared than under.
Safety Items

• Almost as important as first-aid supplies, safety

supplies are essential. Include emergency blankets,
equipment to start fires, flashlights, a multi-tool, a
knife, and a whistle. A NOAA weather radio keeps you
updated on weather alerts and helps you stay
prepared.
Documents
• In your emergency kit, keep copies of all your important
documents. These include your insurance cards (medical, house,
auto, and life), birth certificates, passports, social security cards,
marriage licenses, state identification or driver’s licenses, and your
emergency disaster plan – which includes the contact information
for everyone in your family, as well as out-of-state family,
emergency services in the area, and anything else you might need.
Keep these inside a waterproof container within your disaster kit.
Other Items
• The list doesn’t stop there. Here are more items you should have in your kit to
ensure you get through an emergency or disaster.
• Personal care items like toothpaste and shampoo
• A battery-operated or crank-style radio
• Extra batteries of all sizes
• A small amount of cash, preferably in small bills
• Spare credit card
• Map of the local area
• Extra set of car and house keys
• A list of things that should be done before you leave and how to do them
• Emergency contact list, including names, phone numbers, and addresses