DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION
integrated in baseline studies
St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Albert the Great, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, and
St. Gemma Galgani
DISASTER – a serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society causing widespread human,
material, economic, or environmental losses, which
exceed the ability of the affected community or society
to cope, using its own resources.
HAZARD – a potentially damaging physical event,
phenomenon or human activity that may cause the loss
of life or injury, property damage, social and economic
disruption or environmental degradation.
TYPES OF HAZARDS:
1. NATURAL - naturally-occurring physical phenomena
caused either by rapid or slow onset events
Examples: Earthquake, Flood, Tsunami, Typhoon
2. MAN-MADE / TECHNOLOGICAL - a hazard
originating from technological or industrial
conditions
Examples: Fire, War, Red Tide
3. HYBRID - combination of Natural and Technological
Hazards
Examples: Flood due to Deforestation, Fire after an
Earthquake, Hurricane causing a chemical spill
VULNERABILITY - characteristics of a community or a
person that make them susceptible to the damaging
effects of a hazard
Most Vulnerable Sectors – capacities are low and not
sufficient; lowest level of the society; farmers, laborers,
urban poor, PWDs, women, and children
Less Vulnerable Sectors – capacities start from their own
ability to acquire material resources; higher levels of
society; professionals, small entrepreneurs
Not Vulnerable Sectors – high position in the society;
government officials
Categories of Vulnerability:
1. Physical / Material – housing, nutritional status,
infrastructure, and access to services
2. Social / Organizational – family structure,
administrative structure, degree of justice and
equality, divisions and conflicts
3. Attitudinal / Motivational – attitude toward change,
ideology, religion, consciousness, and faith
CAPACITY - all the strengths, attributes, and resources of
a community that can be used to achieve an agreed goal
CAPACITY ASSESSMENT – process whereby people
identify resources they rely on in times of crisis to reduce
the damaging effects of hazards and to secure the
sustainability of their livelihood
HAZARD, VULNERABILITY, and CAPACITY ASSESSMENT
(HVCA) – has mutual dependency to identify elements at
risk and appropriate disaster preparedness, raise
awareness, and provide disaster information that can be
General Classification of Disasters:
• Based on Time
o Slow onset
o Rapid onset
• Based on Size of Response Necessary
o Emergency – doesn’t need outside help
o Disaster – needs help from outside
communities
o Catastrophe – even with outside help,
community is unable to meet the demands of
the disaster
• Based on Presence of Advance Notice
o Advance Notice
o No Notice
• Based on Types of Hazards Present / Occurred
Vulnerability assessment consideration:
1. Extent – refers to the exact location and coverage of
the hazard
2. Elements at risk and why – people, animals,
infrastructure, crops, communication, and anything
that can be negatively affected by a hazard
3. People at risk – who are most at risk for a particular
hazard and how they are affected
4. Location of people at risk – where do they live
DISASTER RISK – chance or likelihood of suffering harm
and loss as a result of a hazardous event
HAZARD vs RISK
Hazard – possibility of causing harm
Risk – probability of harm occurring
Effects of Disaster
1. Human / Biological – high incidence of disease; loss
of life
2. Social – disasters affect people first and foremost;
depressed, demoralized, and traumatized
population
3. Physical / Material – collapsed buildings, damaged
houses, poor evacuation sites
4. Psychological – anxiety, despair, and grief
5. Economic – affected by the physical damages to the
disruption of the flow of goods and services
6. Environmental Degradation – aggravates
environmental hazards
7. Political – strengthens civil society, challenge or
change the existing governance patterns
Disaster and Disaster Risks in the Philippines
The Philippines is situated along a highly seismic area
lying along the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.
The Philippines is geographically located along the Pacific
region near the Equator, or the so-called “Typhoon Belt”,
which is prone to tropical cyclones and storms
The Philippines is the third most disaster risk country Things to do After:
worldwide (NDRRMP 2011-2028).
1. Keep updated
Republic Act 10121 – Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction 2. Check everyone in the family
and Management Act of 2010 3. Observe your surroundings and be alert
4. Seek for medical help if needed
DepEd Order No. 50 s. 2011 - act as the focal point for
DepEd in planning, implementing, coordinating and
2. Thunderstorm – heavy rain characterized by thunder
monitoring of activities related to DRRM, Education in
and lightning and possibly a tornado
Emergencies (EiE) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)
Things to do Before:
NATURAL HAZARDS
1. Created preparedness plan
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARDS - process or
2. Trim and remove dead and rotting trees
phenomenon of atmospheric, hydrological or
3. Close the windows and doors
oceanographic nature; phenomenon caused by extreme
4. Stay inside the house
climate events
Things to do During:
1. Cyclone / Hurricane – forms in the northern
hemisphere due to very low pressure; a storm that 1. Stay calm and be alert.
occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and 2. Wear warm clothes
Northeastern Pacific Ocean 3. Stay away from trees, towers, fences if you are in an
open area
Tropical Depression – 35kph to 65kph 4. Postpone outside activities
Tropical Storm – 64kph to 118kph 5. Unplug electric appliances
Typhoon – exceeds 118kph 6. Move to the lowest floor of the building or house
7. If in an open area, put your feet together with heels
Typhoon – low pressure area that occurs in Western touching each other (tip toe position) while in squat
Pacific Ocean position

Things to do After:

1. Check any damages

2. Keep updated
3. Stay away from damaged areas

3. Flood – running and overlaying of water on land that

is usually dry

Flashfloods – causes great damage because water

flows fast and rises rapidly

Things to do Before:
1. Keep updated
Things to do Before: 2. Know, prepare, and keep emergency evacuation
plan both within household and the community
1. Keep updated on news and public announcements 3. Put electronic gadgets and important files in a
2. Know the emergency hotlines ziplock
3. Prepare and keep an emergency kit 4. Prepare and keep an emergency kit
4. Know, prepare, and keep emergency evacuation plan 5. Know the emergency hotlines
both within household and the community 6. Fully charge phones
5. Follow instructions of the authority
Things to do During:
Things to do During:
1. Keep calm and be alert.
1. Keep calm and be alert 2. Stay updated
2. Keep updated 3. Do not swim on flood
3. Stay inside the house 4. Drink and eat clean water and foods only
4. Wear warm clothes 5. Stay away from electronic lines
5. Save batteries
6. Call for help if in danger Things to do After:

1. Report damages
2. Don’’t plug immediately electronic appliances
submerged in flood
3. Avoid affected areas.
4. Be updated.
5. Return home if and only declared safe.

4. Storm Surge – masses of water that are pushed

toward the shore by meteorological forces

Things to do Before:

1. Keep updated
2. Know, prepare, and keep emergency evacuation plan
both within household and the community
3. Stay off the beach where there is weather
disturbance
4. Participate in drills
5. Prepare and keep an emergency kit
6. Prepare floating device
7. Put electronic gadgets and important documents in
ziplock bag

Things to do During:

1. Keep calm and be alert.

2. Stay away from coastal areas and landslide-prone
areas.
3. Shutdown power supply.
4. If caught on a storm surge, hold on to large tree trunk
and boulders to protect from the force of water and
floating debris

Things to do After:

1. Eat and drink clean food and water only.

2. Check damages.
3. Stay away from electric cables, and collapsed
infrastructures
4. Check if safe to go back home
5. Immediately clean debris and mud.
6. Stay updated.