Chapter 2: Disaster and Disaster Risk in the Philippines

Guide Questions

Why is the Philippines highly vulnerable to disasters? What are the factors that
explain why the Philippines is at high risk for various types of disaster?

Learning Outcome

At the end of Chapter 2, the students are expected to:

 Identify disaster-prone areas in the Philippines
 Explain the reasons why the Philippines is highly vulnerable to
disasters
 Identify the effects and outcomes of disasters among the most
vulnerable sectors of the Philippines.

 Examine the state of the Philippines as a disaster-prone area

 Evaluate the level of disaster vulnerability of the Philippines.

Chapter Pre-Test
How well do you know your country?

Fact or Fiction. Indicate with a check mark (/) if the statement is true, and a cross mark
(x) if it is false.

___1. The Philippines is safe from natural disasters.

___2. Among Asian countries, the Philippines has the highest occurrences of
natural disasters.
___3. The Philippines is one among the most vulnerable countries to disasters in
Southeast Asia.
___4. The Philippines is located along the typhoon belt in the Pacific, hence, it is
susceptible to frequent typhoons.
___5. The Philippines is located along the typhoon belt in the Pacific.
___6. Because of its location in the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” the Philippines is not
vulnerable to earthquake and volcanic eruptions.
___7. Forests denuded of trees have fewer roots to hold water together thus
resulting to mudslides. In the past storms in the Philippines, mudslides
killed storm survivors.
___8. Typhoon Yolanda was the most devastating typhoon that the Philippines
experienced in the past three years.
___9. In the Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters 1995-2015. The
Philippines ranked fourth in the highest absolute number of affected
people.
___10. Within Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand were among the most
 vulnerable countries from 1975-2011.
Acquisition of Knowledge

Based on the Asian Reduction Centers (ADRC) Natural Disasters Book 2011, the
Asian region ranked first among regions of the world in terms if impacts of natural
disasters. In the date book, Asia is defined, broadly to include countries in East, South
and Southeast Asia.

Covering the period from 1975- 2011, Asia ranked first in all four categories of
impacts of natural disasters, namely, occurrence, number of death, number of affected
people, and economic damage. Within the region, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand
were among the most vulnerable countries.

In another report on the Human Cost or Weather Related Disasters 1995-2015,

the Philippines ranked fourth in terms of highest absolute number of affected people.
The Philippines followed Bangladesh, India and People’s Republic of China.

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to various natural disease. These include

typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Philippines is an archipelago with
two pronounced seasons which are categorized as wet and dry.

According to the Asian Disaster Reduction Center, the Philippines’ location

makes it highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Located along the typhoon belt in the
Pacific, the country experiences an average if 20 typhoons each year. Thus, it becomes
vulnerable also to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Philippines’ Country Report 2014, provides a basic risk profile of the country
based on the data from the World Risk Index Report 2014 and the Annual Disaster
Statistical Review 2013.

The Philippines based on the WRI, 2014, places second out of 171 countries that
were ranked on tha basis of their “risk score.” The risk score refers to the country’s
exposure to hazards such as earthquakes, floods and storm, drought and sea level rise.

In 2013, the Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2013, noted that the Philippines
ranked fourth in terms of number of reported events and first in terms of disaster
morality. Based on the same report the Philippines is ranked first in terms of disaster
related death in 2013.

The Philippine’s location along the typhoon belt in the Pacific and in the Pacific
Ring of Fire are two of the main reasons why the Philippines is a high disaster risk area.
However, there are three other factors contribute to the high disaster risk in the
Philippines namely;

1. People live in a low-lying coastal islands in the Philippines with more than 60
percent of the population living in coastal zone. Storm surges for landfall or
 Super Typhoon Haiyan reached 23feet (7meters) in some places were more than
16 feet (5meters) high.
2. Deforestation. Forests denuded of trees have fewer roots to hold water together.
This results to mudslide. In the past storms in the Philippines, mudslides killed
the storm survivors.
3. Underdevelopment. The young poor population of the Philippines has
increasingly shifted to coastal regions, where rapidly constructed housing and
inadequate evacuation plans.

The typhoon Yolanda was the most devastating typhoon that the Philippines
experienced in the past three years. Its effects and impacts were indeed devastating
especially to a developing country like the Philippines.

The impacts and outcomes of Typhoon Yolanda that devastated the country in
November 2013 have been documented by the national and local governments of the
country, local and international media, and foreign governments, as well as local and
international organizations. Their reports highlight the effects and outcomes of the
typhoon not only in term of infrastructure but also in terms of economic and social
indicators such as livelihoods, in sanitation, migration patterns, hunger and others.
Assessment

PERFORMANCE TASK2: VIDEO ON DISASTER RISK

Produce a short video on Disaster Risk. It would be a documentary type. Identify

a community being exposed to a hazardous environment such as people/community
living along riverbanks, dams, etc. The most recommended community is your
community itself. Try to look for the places which are prone to disasters. Answer the
following questions:

In your analysis, please highlight the following.

1. Why are they in such a situation?
2. What are the risk that they face?
3. Have they been offered an alternative dwelling?
4. What are your assessments and recommendations related to the issue?

The video will be assessed based on the following rubric:

Performance Level Needs Improvement Satisfactory Excellent

Student completed the

The student did not
complete a storyboard or
storyboard did not match
Storyboard the video.
There is no
Documentation
documentation.
Subject knowledge is not
evident. Information is
Subject Content
confusing, incorrect or
flawed.
The video lacks a central
theme, clear point of view
Video Content and and logical sequence of
Organization information. Much of the
information is irrelevant to
the overall message.
The introduction does not
Introduction orient the viewer of what
will follow.
Mechanics The text and audio have 4
story board on time, but Student completed
some items are not storyboard on time.
thoroughly described. Storyboard is thorough
Storyboard matches the and matches the video.
video.
Most of the elements
taken from other sources
All elements from other
are documented;
sources are accurately
however, some
documented
documentation may be
inaccurate or missing
Subject knowledge is
Subject knowledge is
evident in much of the
evident throughout the
video. Most information is
video. All information is
clear, appropriate and
clear and appropriate.
correct.
Video includes a clear
Information is connected statement of purpose.
to a theme. Details are Events and messages are
logical and information is presented in a logical
relevant throughout most order, with relevant
of the video. information that supports
the video’s main ideas.
The introduction is clear
and coherent and evokes The introduction is
moderate motivating, and hooks the
interest/response from the viewer from the beginning.
viewer.
The text and audio have 1 The text and audio have
 or more grammar or to 2 grammar or spelling no grammar or spelling
spelling errors. errors. errors.
The video is edited. Video
The Video is poor of
runs smoothly from shot
quality and is unedited. The video is edited. A
to shot. A variety of
There are no transitions variety of transitions are
transitions are used to
added or transitions are used and most transitions
assist in communicating
used so frequently that help tell the story. Most of
Production and Virtual the main idea. Shots and
they detract from the the video has good pacing
Presence scenes work together.
video. There are no and timing. Graphics are
Graphics explain and
graphics. The presenter or appropriately used. The
reinforce key points in the
reporter needs more presenter or reporter
video. The presenter and
virtual presence and delivers the content well.
reporter delivered
improvement.
impressively the content.

WRITTEN WORK2: ASSESSING PHILIPPINES’ VULNERABILITY TO

DISASTER

Your task is to make an assessment of the Philippines’ vulnerability to disasters

particularly in the area of implementation of building codes. Your end goal is to make a
set of policy recommendations to the Philippine government based on your assessment
of the general problem of compliance with the National Building Code of the Philippines;
1. Should the country’s current policy be totally replaced, strengthened or
improved?
2. What advantages, if any, from the current policy should be retained?
3. What disadvantages, if any, should be eliminated?

For this task, you need the following:

1. Identify a building that you want to inspect. It could be your school building,
your municipal or city hall, or the public market near or nearest to your place
of residence. During the inspection, kindly take documentations to be
attached to this activity. If possible inspect a building nearby.
2. Inspect a building in terms of the minimum standards and requirements set by
the law for the regulation and management of buildings in the country. While
the law is the basis, you are required to use your own sense of judgment
when you evaluate the public building.
3. Make a checklist of your inspection focusing on the following only;

Items for Building Inspection Yes No

Is the building’s location safe, or at safe distance from streams of body of
water and or sources of water considered to be polluted, from a volcano
or volcanic site, and or any other building considered to be a potential
source of fire or explosion.
Is the building clean and well maintained?
Are there damaged portions or sections in the building? (Please note
signs of damage, or produce a documentation of this part, from fire or
earthquake, typhoons or any fortuitous event.)
Are the exterior walls and openings, interior walls and enclosures, floors,
exits, stairs and roofs constructed with the safe materials?
Is the building located at a safe distance from the public streets or
alleys?
Does the building observe adequate environmental safeguard?
Is there enough number of emergency exits in the building?
Does the building have “adequate” ventilation system?
Are the fire-extinguishing units installed in the building?
Overall, does the building meet adequate environmental safeguards?

4. After you have completed your inspection and made your overall assessment
of the public building, identify the reasons why the public building meets or
does not meet adequate environmental safeguards. You can do this by
conducting interviews with your city or municipal engineer for the city hall or
municipal hall and the public market, or with the head of the physical plant
division or department of your school or university.
You can ask questions about the general problems relating to compliance or
noncompliance with the National Building Code by public and or school
authorities. Your interviews must also lead you to the general problems
relating to the enforcement or lack of (or lax) enforcement of the law.
5. Consolidating your building inspection results and data from your interviews,
what are your policy recommendations to the Philippine government to
address the country’s vulnerability to disaster especially in the area of the
implementation of building codes.
6. You may wish to submit your set of policy recommendations to a senator, or a
party-list representative, or your district representative in aid of legislation or
submit it for publication in newspaper or your school paper as letters to the
editor to commentaries.
Your policy recommendations will be assessed based on the following rubric:

Criterion 3 2 1
Problem Identification Shows Shows limited Shows limited
understanding of understanding of understanding of
the main problems some of the the most of the
in the story. problems in the problems in the
story. story.
Analysis and Provides a Provides a Provides an
Evaluation Problems discerning and thorough analysis incomplete
thorough problem of some of the analysis of the
analysis of all the problems problems
problems identified. identified.
presented.
Recommendations Based on the Based on limited Recommendation
evidence evidence problem not based on well-
supported problem analysis; with grounded problem
analysis and well unbalanced analysis.
balanced argument.
arguments; sound,
feasible and
relevant
recommendation.
Relevance/ With appropriate With appropriate With inappropriate
Connection to the connections identified connection
between identified problems and between problems
problems and the concepts studied identified and the
concepts studied in class but concepts studied in
in class. somewhat class.
unclear.
Writing Mechanics Shows clarity, Shows clarity of Unclear grammar,
conciseness; ideas; Some poor grammar and
writing is free of Grammar or organization.
grammar and spelling errors,
spelling errors. lacks
organization.