January 18, 2020

A Reflection on Preparedness in Disaster-prone Philippines

Prevention is better than cure. During the course of many years, the Philippines was
always prone to natural disasters that took thousands of lives. People said there is no hope.
However, as times passed by, some community leaders and the government took action not to
counter or stop natural disasters but to prepare for it. Some initiatives were acknowledged then
internationally. One of those is the ASCEND project, as presented in a Youtube video
“Preparedness in disaster-prone Philippines: Scaling up resilience in governance”, an initiative
by the EU, Christian Aid, etc. to help and prepare communities, especially in this context, the
barangay Caracaran in Albay, in taking measures against possible natural hazards that are
common in their area. The people in the community are united in taking this measure and
making contingency plans for evacuation and in case of emergency. One of those people was
Dennis Daz, who is a volunteer of Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council
(BDRRMC) and one with the ASCEND project, he said that the barangays gained to have more
participatory approach with regards to planning and mitigating possible reoccurring natural
hazards. As a community, the barangay Caracaran, in coordination with the neighbouring
barangays, have successfully gained ideas by being participative and being involved – this is
why they created the barangay contingency plan. In conclusion, their actions show that
prevention is better than cure.

In 2011, when the Typhoon Yolanda hit Philippines, including my hometown, everybody
panicked and some lives were lost. Some people knew the way where to evacuate and find
shelter, while others do not. I can say that there was selfishness and there was no resilience as a
community. Everybody was on their own – they had their own beliefs and own ideas, as that one
person in the video said – without a care for others. Meanwhile, there was me, a little boy who
was also concerned and did not know what to do after the disaster. The barangay, after the
storm, was messy and unorganized, and some people have to go back from scratch. I have seen
many typhoons and in my hometown was still non-resilient. Therefore, it is an important lesson
to teach to the non-resilient and disaster-prone communities.

Dennis Daz asked the people in his hometown, “What do you value the most?” and they
responded “life.” As a Philosophy Atenean student, I have encountered my reflective moments
in my life regarding human body and souls and ethical actions, yet never questioned about the
most important key to existence: life. As of this moment, since I have engaged with this living
reality called life, and have met common struggles, there follows a question “What are the
threats in life?” There are many answers, but in this context, it is natural disasters. Natural
disasters are not a one-man problem and not to be faced alone but to be prevented and prepared
about. Many lives were lost, many houses and buildings were destroyed because there was no
discussion and involvement about the risk that the whole population is about to endure.

Therefore, it is better to take action and include everybody in the community to

participate, share ideas and opinions for the welfare of all since natural disasters are not a one-
man problem to be taken care of but also the concern of the entire community. In the course of
action, everybody should discuss first the plans and where to go for evacuation. As the European
Civil Protection And Humanitarian Aid Operations stated, “Simple initiatives can go a long way,
for instance training and field exercises, establishing early warning systems, contingency
planning, or making shelters safe.” Being prepared is an important role to build resilience in the
community. As an Atenean, it is part of my duty to serve as well as to promote environmental
advocacies and inform my fellowmen about what dangers and risks are there in order to ensure
our safety as a community.

In the video “Preparedness in disaster-prone Philippines: Scaling up resilience in

governance,” whatever the people there were saying is true to all Filipinos. So, the importance
of disaster risk management is incomparable and inimitable. It only proves that we, human
beings, are capable and reasonable enough to contribute something good to the community, even
those who are disabled are able to help others especially in catastrophic times. To join in an
organization that propagates safety to the communities in times of calamities or natural disasters,
such as BDRRMC, is already a life-saving role among the whole population; thus, it is essential.