What is NDRRMC?

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)

is the agency tasked to prepare for, and respond to, natural calamities, like
typhoons and earthquakes. It also monitors human-induced emergencies,
such as armed conflicts and maritime accidents.

The NDRRMC uses strategies to mitigate the impact of disasters and

increase the resiliency of both the national government and local government
units (LGUs) in the face of disasters.

As a policy-making body, it is assigned to formulate a national disaster risk

reduction and management (DRRM) framework that provides for a
"comprehensive, all hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-
based approach to disaster risk reduction and management," according
to Republic Act 10121, NDRRMC's enabling law.

The DRRM framework it created in June 2011 is integrated into a National

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan, which is implemented by the
Office of Civil Defense (OCD), under the Department of National Defense
(DND). It covers 4 DRRM aspects, namely: prevention and mitigation,
preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery. RA 10121: The
PH's disaster management law is up for review

The Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) chairs the

NDRRMC, with the administrator of the DND Office of Civil Defense (OCD) as
executive director.

What is RA 10121?

The Act shifted the policy environment and the way the country deals with
disasters from mere response to preparedness. RA 10121 provides a
comprehensive, all-hazard, multi-sectoral, inter-agency, and community-
based approach to disaster risk management through the formulation of the
National Disaster Risk Management Framework.

A National Disaster Risk Management Plan (NDRMP) is being formulated,

developed, and implemented as the master plan that will provide the
strategies, organisation, tasks of concerned agencies and local government
units, and other guidelines in dealing with disasters or emergencies. Through
this plan, a coherent, integrated, efficient, and responsive disaster risk
management at all levels will hopefully be achieved.
The law also promotes the development of capacities in disaster management
at the individual, organisational, and institutional levels. A very important
feature of this law is its call for the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction in
physical and land-use planning, budget, infrastructure, education, health,
environment, housing, and other sectors.

RA 10121 also recognises local risk patterns and trends and decentralisation
of resources and responsibilities and thus encourages the participation of
NGOs, private sectors, community-based organisations, and community
members in disaster management. It inhibits the full participation of the Local
Government Units (LGUs) and communities in governance. The approach
tends to be “response-oriented” or “reactive.” This is evidenced by the
widespread emphasis on post-disaster relief and short-term preparedness,
such as forecasting and evacuation, rather than on mitigation and post-
disaster support for economic recovery.

Moreover, the Act mandates the establishment of a Disaster Risk Reduction

and Management Office (DRRMO) in every province, city and municipality,
and a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee
(BDRRMC) in every barangay.

The Strategic National Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction for 2009-2019
aims to enhance the capacities of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Councils.

Finally, RA10121 provides for the calamity fund to be used in support of

disaster risk reduction or mitigation, prevention, and preparedness activities
for the potential occurrence of disasters and not just for response, relief, and
rehabilitation efforts.

5 disasters that happened in the Philippines for the last 10 years

Typhoon Bopha

smashes into the main southern island of Mindanao on December 3, 2012.

Rarely hit by cyclones, the region suffers about 1,900 people dead or missing.
Typhoon Bopha,was known locally in the Philippines as Typhoon Pablo,
was the strongest known tropical cyclone to ever hit the
southern Philippine island of Mindanao, making landfall as a Category 5 super
typhoon with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). Bopha originated unusually close
to the equator, becoming the second-most southerly Category 5 super
typhoon, reaching a minimum latitude of 7.4°N on December 3, 2012.
Only Typhoon Louise of 1964 came closer to the equator at this strength, at
7.3°N. After first hitting Palau, where it destroyed houses, disrupted
communications and caused power outages, flooding and uprooted trees,
Bopha made landfall late on December 3 on Mindanao, an island that had
been devastated by the much weaker Tropical Storm Washi in December
2011. The storm caused widespread destruction on Mindanao, leaving
thousands of people homeless and killed 1901 people.d

2017 Resorts World Manila attack

On 2 June 2017, dozens of people at the Resorts World Manila entertainment

complex in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines were killed or injured when a
gunman caused a stampede and set fire to casino tables and slot machine
chairs around midnight.[3][4] The gunman moved to a storage area to
steal casino chips from the venue, but later committed suicide following a
confrontation with the arriving police.[5]All of the attack's deaths and injuries
resulted from the initial stampede and smoke inhalation from the fire.

While initial suspicions strongly pointed towards a terrorist attack, with

affiliates of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claiming
responsibility, representatives of the Philippine National Police consistently
maintained that the motive was likely robbery.[6][7]Emerging evidence
eventually confirmed that the attack was financially motivated and committed
by Jessie Javier Carlos, a debt-riddled former civil servant.[2]

Typhoon Washi hits the northen part of Mindanao island on December 16,
2011, killing at least 1,080 people.

Severe Tropical Storm Washi, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm

Sendong, was a late-season tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic
damage in the Philippines in late 2011. Washi, which
means Aquila in Japanese, made landfall over Mindanao, a major island in
the Philippines, on December 16. Washi weakened slightly after passing
Mindanao, but regained strength in the Sulu Sea, and made landfall again
sover Palawan on December 17.
Typhoon Haiyan, known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, was
one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall,
Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines.[1] It
is the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record,[2] killing at least 6,300 people in
that country alone.[3] In terms of JTWC-estimated 1-minute sustained winds,
Haiyan is tied with Meranti for being the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone
on record. In January 2014, bodies were still being found.[4]

Typhoon Parma, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Pepeng, was the

second typhoon to affect the Philippines within the span of a week during
September 2009.

Typhoon Parma was assigned the name Pepeng by PAGASA when it entered
the Philippine Area of Responsibility days after Typhoon Ketsana wreaked
havoc on the country. Parma spared the capital and instead lashed the
northern part of Luzon island.

Parma added to the damage caused by the earlier Typhoon Ketsana,

affecting thousands of families on the north, especially on Pangasinan
province where the San Roque Dam inadvertently released water to prevent
its breach. However, in the first week of October, Parma interacted with the
incoming Typhoon Melor on the Pacific (via a Fujiwhara interaction), rendering
it stationary as it made landfall on Southern Taiwan. Days later, the greatly
weakened Parma retreated back to Luzon making further landfalls on Ilocos
Norte and Cagayan. The now severe tropical storm Parma then began to
wane its strength as it crossed Luzon island for the second time. It then
emerged on the South China Sea as a tropical depression. Parma became
one of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Philippines in a decade.