The Significance of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of GNIP to its Project Site

Specifically in Laak

Prepared by:

Lilia A. Alaba
 Chapter One

I. Introduction

“Disaster” which has been a major global concern for the past decades was defined as a
result of a natural or man-made hazard causing physical damage or destruction. A natural
disaster is any unfortunate force of nature which is caused by environmental factors. Man-
made, on the other hand, are the hazards caused by human negligence either intentional or
unententional. For more than centuries of study research, the meaning of disaster has evolved.
Disaster is most likely to occour when a hazard meets risks meets vulnerability, this misfortune
may be aggravated due to anthropogenic event. Risk is the probability of having loss or be in
danger due to hazards. Vulnerability is a condition wherein an individual be easily affected by
the result or effect of a hazard. Disaster can be result of mismanaged present risks. The
progress in studying disaster shows that disasters are human-made. Thus, humans can take into
place of necessary actions in preventing hazards to develop into disasters.

Disaster is a tragic event and has continuously affect billions of people worldwide
bringing such great loss in terms of lives, survival aspects likes food, shelter, and other personal
belongings and livelihood of individuals and families, vulnerable sectors like children, person
with disability, women, and elderly who are least capable in dealing with disasters. Floods and
earthquakes are among the most destructive disasters tallying thousands of people killed. It has
also cause great damage to the world’s economy as well as the sustainable development of the
developing countries which suffer greater costs when hit by disasters. Among all the continents,
Asisa tops the list of the greatest number of affected people of casualties.

The Philippines is prone or vulnerabe to almost all types of natural hazards because of
its geographical location. In fact, it was on the top of the list in terms of exposure to hazards
resulting to a high probability of disaster. It is located along the “Pacific Ring of Fire” or also
known as the “Circum-Pacific belt where the most active volcanoes are located and 90% of
world’s earthquakes occur. In addition, the Philippines is located along the Northwest Pacific
Ocean basin which is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost
one-third of the world’s tropical cyclones and along other countries located there in, the
Philippines receives the greatest landfalls.

In terms of the socio-economic condition of many Filipinos, it seriously restricts their

capacity to cope with natural hazards and recovering from the damages created by disasters.
This poor socio-economic conditions lead people inhabit risky areas and engage in
unsustainable and dangerous livelihoods. In addition, poor environmental protection worsens
the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters. This increases incidence like floods, soil erosion,
siltation and drought and worsening of the effects of climate change. Human made disasters
also contribute to the country’s disaster situation like water and land accidents. Armed
conflicts, massive layoffs and displacement due to development projects are also considered as
disasters. Nowadays, combinations of both natural and man-made disasters gravely affect our
country.

The performance of each locality or municipality in preventing and mitigating the

adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters, counts on ways local government units
together with non-government organization that is present in the area, have prepared for
disaster possibilities in their respective jurisdictions. Contingency planning is actually a
fundamental tool, but good plan cannot stand alone without having an empowered citizen,
infrastructures, emergency response mechanisms, rehabilitation and other important logistics.

As to the agency GNIP is a child-focused, humanitarian and development international

non-government organization that envision a world without hunger. And support in honing the
full potential to thrive for holistic development. This conviction is cemented from our Mission:
We strive in promoting the well-being of marginalized Filipino Children through Integrated and
Child-Centered community development programs that create long term positive change. One
of the program of GNIP is the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management that anchored the
Sustainable Development Goals. For Goal number one which is to End poverty in all its forms
everywhere, that by 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations
and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other
economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. Then Goal number 2: Zero Hunger,
that by 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural
practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that
strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and
other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. And lastly is the Goal
number 13 which is the Climate Action that Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to
climate related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. Also improve education,
awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation,
adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

It was also anchor to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It was adopted
at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan on March 18, 2015 and was supported by
the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Sendai Framework is the successor
instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and ensures the continuity with the work
done by the States and other stakeholders. The Sendai Frameworks has Seven Global Targets
which includes: Reduce global disaster mortality, Reduce number of affected people globally,
Reduce direct disaster economic loss, Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and
disruption of basic service, Increase the number of countries with national and local DRR
strategies by 2020, Enhance international cooperation to developing countries through
adequate and sustainable support to compliment their national actions for the implementation
of the Present Framework and lastly, increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard
early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessment to people.

II. Objectives

The general objective of this study is to assess the Significance of Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management of GNIP to its Project Site specifically in Laak.

III. Scope of Study

The paper will concentrate on the Disaster Preparedness Program, Disaster

Prevention and Mitigation Program, and the significance to the existing communities at
the GNIP project site in Laak. How would it benefit the residents of the town or what
effect would it have?

IV. Methodology

The method use in the gathering of pertinent data in this paper basically secondary
data from the organization and during the actual implementation within the
organization.

V. Relevant Theory About Disaster

Vested-Interest Theory. Miller, et.al (2012) cited the works of Crano undertaken in 1983,
emphasized that individuals will likely tend to act or anticipate for something if it is
hedonically relevant to them. Furthermore, it is basically vested interest deals with the
bearing of a particular attitude-object or a phenomenon in its capacity to have significant
personal consequences for a particular individual. There are five elements cited under this
theory, namely: stake, salience, immediacy, certainty, and self-efficacy. The stake is one of
the key concepts in vested interest theory. It may be thought of as the degree of self-
interest and perceptions of a possible benefit or loss associated with a specific topic.
According to the study, he said, people are more inclined to act in a way that anticipates
immediate personal repercussions when they see them. They also claimed that vestedness
is a function of one's appropriate degree of self-efficacy, perceived certainty of prospective
repercussions, whether or not such implications are thought to be near as opposed to
distant in time. Salience is another crucial component of the vested interest theory. It
describes people's perceptions of a phenomenon's prominence. People who have first-hand
experience with a certain circumstance or thing are more likely to develop attitudes about
the results or associated actions that are stronger and more approachable. Another crucial
factor is perceived certainty of the personal repercussions connected to one's action and
attitude, which has a strong moderating impact on one's level of vested interest (Petrocelli,
et.al. 2007). The idea of self-efficacy is the last element of vested interest theory. It speaks
to one's confidence in their capacity to bring about change and achieve desired results
(Bandura, 1997). Therefore, concepts like "the quantity of money" or "the risk of disaster"
have an impact on an individual's beliefs that motivate their behaviors.Property at risk of
loss or gain (Stake); the degree of exposure as measured by firsthand knowledge of the
disaster; the imminence of the disaster and the urgency of the call for action by the
authorities; the degree of knowledge, assurance, and likelihood that a phenomenon will
occur; and the capacity of individuals to effect change and produce desired results (Self-
Efficacy).

VI. Expected Results

Disaster Preparedness Program of GNIP

GNIP understands that the foundation of effective disaster risk reduction and
management programs rely on the different activities that are done prior to the impact
of the disaster. Establishing a strong foundation through the help of the community
themselves in identifying hazards, enhancing peoples capacities and vulnirabilities
would allow the stakeholders along with other concerned agencies to create a better
plan to cope with disaster’s impact. Having a effective disaster preparedness programs
allow the community to react timely and effectively against a coming potential disaster
therefore reduces loss of life and damage to property. Disasters preparedness programs
of the organizations includes research, monitoring, planning and enhancing capabilities
of the community people in coping with disasters. The development of the service
ensure the creation of plans of action to supervise and control disaster risks and start
building up essentials skills and capabilities for the implementation of Disaster
Preparedness activities.

On the Community Level, stakeholders, local government unit, the community,

families and even children need to uplift their capacity in responding to threats they
may face everyday. Like in the scope of disaster management, they should be involved
and serve as forefronts in managing the risks that may endanger their welfare.
Sustainability of disaster management program always depend on the people working
behind it, its continuity and success. By empowering different sectors and members of
the community, people will be able to contribute and participate in the risk evaluation,
planning, trainings, community drills and the actual implementation of disaster
management. Also, Preparations of emergency Kits/Family-based emergency kits, First
Aid kits within the households in the community. This would be of great help in terms of
emergency that can help them for their survival.

Every year there would be a trainings, workshops for the stakeholders, community
people particularly to the children and women. There is also a so called “child led
disaster risk reduction team that was organized in every barangay so that children
would be aware and know the basic skills that they may apply when a disaster may
happen. They will have a refresher course every year but due to the pandemic since we
have limited face to face they did not conduct particular workshops/trainings that would
refresh or strenghten their knowledge and skills. There are also gaps in terms of
implementing this programs since some of the stakeholders did not want to include
children during the dry run because some look at children as vunerable individual.
Though in the organizations part they would encourged the stakeholders to include
children from planning so that voices would be heard and the programs that would be
craft will be suitable for them. Another one is that since the organization is an
international non-government organization we need to follow the standard protocols
and programs that was design and also we follow the guidelines form the Head Office
since the organizations have a centralized chain of command. With these centralized
chain of command we cannot implement some of the programs that is suitable in the
community because we need to follow guidelines for the head office. We have a
standard guidelines in disaster preparedness that was crafted by the organization
anchored by the international standards. If there would be program that would suit the
community the field office will need to craft a proposals that would be approved by the
country dicrector that would take a long process though if it is necessary to implement
in the field it would be approved but it would take a long time.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Program of GNIP

As the Philippines been known to be exposed of different types of hazard such as

extreme weather condition, climate change has big participation to such. GNIP is serving
and helping the community to be prepared to disaster for several years already and
now on its way on taking steps further into a deep understanding to resiliency and
sustainability through climate change adaptation and mitigation program.
With the program of GNIP, they could hep the community on analysing their
condition and to help them to be more secured in terms of food and nutrition,
livelihood, income generation as well as energy and electricity.
 Existence of Early Warning System is a must now a day. The occurrence of
disaster throughout the nation are becoming frequent and getting worst. For the GNIP a
standard Early warning System shall be established in line with the global standard.
Early signifies prior to the arrival of hazard or threat. While there is still time to reduce
potential harm or loss, or prevent a disaster.
Early Warning System/Device shall serve as communication line to the
community people before a particular hazard. The system may vary depending on the
hazard and its nature. However, putting up early warning devices in all the covered area
in Laak accompanies responsilities to people that shall perceive its warning. Without any
actions after a certain alert, this sytem cannot succeed and furthermore, cannot save
life.
Early warning system is not as easy as we think it to be, construction of such
equals capacitation of individuals to act on it, how they perceive it and how they should
act on it. Building EWS shall be based on both modern and traditional knowledge.
Modern technologies shall be very valuable in maximizing EWS knowledge and
information and shall be effecient and effective. Traditional knowledge on the other
hand, since DRRM plans shall come up through community based risk assessment and
DRRM plans shall be conceptualized by the community people themselves. Futhermore,
it is the community who and will directly experience the effect of a hazard, it should be
them to recognize their needs, their vulnerabilities and capacities to cope up with a
disaster.
For the disaster prevention and mitigation GNIP community areas in Laak have
already a Public Address System since all of the areas dont have cellular signals and
people would rely on a vending machine. All of the information that community people
would know especially when there is an upcoming typhoon they would used the Public
address system. The field office also build an evacuation center that can cater the
people in the barangays when a disaster happen. For the gap since the organization
have limited source of funds not all barangays in Laak will be covered by the programs
and services that leads to some barangay officials to get mad becuase they’re barangay
were not included by the projects. In order to answer these issues the field office will
conduct a meeting together with other beneficiaries to enlighten them and present to
them the baseline or the requirements why those beneficiary barangays have.

VII. Conclusion:

Citing all these probabilities and realities, all the stakeholders should aware and be
prepared because these disasters can happen anytime. It is necessary for each and everyone to
determine the level of awareness of all people as far as calamity and dissasters are concerned,
so that preventive and corrective measures can either be undertaken. It is also important to
measure the level of awareness and preparedness of the stakeholders. Awareness can be
closely associated to ones knowledge abour a phenomenon brought about to her/him from
legitimate sources of information and authorities. Being informed or aware does not guarantee
that a particular person or institution is prepared enough in times of calamities and disasters
come. Becauase we all know logistics and infrastractural preparedness would significantly count
into the cycle of preparations. As to the organization though there will be a revised multiple
times of the program guidelines every now and then that would suit the situations in the
locality. Also, the organization is one of the support actors by the government to fill in the gaps.
With the cooperation of people, stakeholders and other agencies we can achieved a save and
progressive country.

VIII. Recommendation

Preparation remains best option, unlike storms and typhoons, earthquakes cannot be
forecasted and can only be predicted by looking and how often it happens in history. To date,
there are no scientific instruments that predicts when an earthquake will occur. First aid and
rescue should be available in each community in case major assistance cannot immediately
arrive in the area after a disaster happened. Preparation and mitigation would be of great help
in the lives of the people. With the cooperation and coordination with all the stakeholders, non-
government organizations and other agencies it will save more lives. As what the saying goes
“Prevention is better than cure”. Proper information to the people in the community and
strengthen their knowledge and skills it would definitely save everyone.