CHAPTER 5

CALAMITY AD DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Introduction
A disaster is an event, natural or manmade, sudden or progressive, which impacts with such severity,
that the effected community has to respond by taking exceptional measures.
It is a serious disruption of the functioning of a society causing widespread human, material,
financial, and environmental losses which exceed the ability of the society to cope using its own resources.
The Philippines is oftentimes subjected to different natural disasters and calamities because we are
surrounded by water. It is considered as an Archipelago because our country is composed of 7,000 islands.
These ocean and seas that surround us are considered blessings because they are the sources of
marine wealth.

What are the Common Types of Disaster?

The different disasters that Filipinos experience is:
1. Earthquake
2. Volcanic eruption
3. Tsunami
4. Tropical cyclone (typhoon, hurricane)
5. Flood
6. Landslide
7. Bushfire (or wildfire)
8. Drought (worse than La Nina)
9. Epidemic (bird flu, different diseases)
10. Major accidents
11. Armed conflict and civil unrest

What are the General Effects of Disasters?

1. Loss of Life
2. Injury
3. Damage to and destruction of property
4. Damage to and destruction of subsistence and cash crops
5. Disruption of production
6. Disruption of lifestyles
7. Loss of livelihood
8. Disruption of essential services
9. Damage to national infrastructure and disruption of governmental systems
10. National economic loss
11. Sociological and psychological after-effects.

With the different calamities presented, there is a need for calamity and disaster preparedness so that
the people will be aware of how they will at least, manage their families accordingly during these
calamities.
 What is Disaster Preparedness?
These are measures, which enable government agencies, organizers, communities, and individuals to
respond rapidly and effectively to disaster stations.

What is the General Disaster Counter-Measures?

1. Development of possible warning indicators
2. Land-use regulations
3. Building regulations
4. Relocation of communities
5. Public awareness and education programs
6. Evacuation plans and arrangements
7. International cooperation in information and technology sharing

What are the Philippine Approaches to Disaster Management?

1. Prevent/mitigate
2. Prepare
3. Take adaptive action
4. Take corrective action

What are the Common Problems in Disaster Management?

1. Lack of appreciation for the Disaster Preparedness Program by local officials themselves;
2. Lack of a strong and effective Disaster Coordinating council installed in the LGU;
3. Absence of Disaster Preparedness Planning;
4. Lack of effective linkages for disasters operating;
5. Absence of a functional Disaster Operating Center;
6. Erroneous disaster reporting and monitoring.

What are the components of Disaster Management?

1. Prevention. These are actions designed to impede the occurrence of a disaster or its harmful effects
on communities and key installations.
2. Mitigation. These are programs intended to reduce the ill effects of disaster.
3. Preparedness. These are measures, which enable governments, organizations, communities and
individuals to respond rapidly and effectively to disaster situations.
4. Disaster Impact. This reminds us that the impact of disaster can vary between different types of
disasters.
5. Response. These are measures taken immediately prior to and following disaster impact.
6. Recovery. This is a process by which communities and organizations are assessed in returning to
their proper level of functioning following a disaster.
7. Development. This provides the link between disaster-related activities and national development.
What can influence disaster warning?
The following can influence disaster warning:
1. The source and timing of the warning
2. The warning messages
3. The warning transmission
4. The recipient’s response

What are the Disaster Management Policies?

1. Self-reliance through self-help and mutual assistance
2. Maximum utilization of resources in the affected areas
3. Planning and operation to be done on the barangay level, in an interagency, multisectoral basis to
optimize existing resources.
4. Documentation of plans of DOC members.
5. Local leadership take charge at their respective levels.
6. National government to support local government efforts
7. Exercise and periodic drills to be conducted, principally at the barangay level, to ensure readiness by
all concerned.

What are the different tasks of the National Disaster Coordinating Council?
1. Advises the President on the status of disaster preparedness programs, disaster operations and
rehabilitation efforts undertaken by the government and the private sector.
2. Establishes policy guideline on emergency preparedness and disaster operations involving rescue,
relief and rehabilitation
3. Establishes priorities in the allocation of funds, services, disaster equipment and relief supplies.
4. Advises the lower-level Disaster Coordinating Councils through the Office of the Civil Defense in
accordance with the guidelines on disaster management.
5. Recommends to the President the declaration of a state of calamity in areas effectively damaged and
submits proposals to restore normalcy in the affected areas.
6. Creates an Action group composed of permanent representatives from the member departments and
other government agencies with the Executive Office as head; and
7. Utilizes the facilities and serves the Office of Civil Defense in Camp Aguinaldo. Quezon City, in
discharging its functions.
There is a government agency, which takes charge during the calamity and disaster, and this is the
National Disaster Coordinating Council. This is the highest governmental body responsible for
advising the President on the status of the preparedness program and disaster relief and rehabilitation
efforts at the national level.

Who are the members of the Council?

The Chairman is the Secretary of the Department of National Defense. The members are:
1. Department of Public Work and Highway (DPWH)
2. Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC)
3. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
4. Department of Agriculture (DA)
5. Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) – now it is the Department of Education
(DepEd)
6. Department of Foreign Affairs (DOF)
7. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
8. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
The different coordinating councils have personnel stationed in their respective operation centers,
composed of the following:
1. Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Unit
2. Emergency Management Information Service Unit
3. Vulnerability Risk Reduction Management Unit
4. Plans and Operations Unit
5. Resource Unit
 Each council shall provide operating units for:
1. Communication. transportation Services and Early Warning Devices
2. Health services
3. Auxiliary Fire and Police Services
4. Relief and Rehabilitation Services
5. Public Information Services
6. Rescue, Evacuation, and Engineering Services.

What are the Objectives of Disaster Management?

1. To avoid or reduce physical and economic losses,
2. To reduce human personal sufferings and personal losses,
3. To achieve rapid and durable recovery.

What does the National Disaster Management Program contain?

1. Disaster preparedness
2. Construction of disaster reduction facilities
3. Disaster response and short-term rehabilitation
4. Public information
5. Research and development

What are the Suggestions to Enhance Community Preparedness?

1. Appreciation of the fact that any disaster can occur with or without warning
2. Awareness on the characteristic and corresponding effects of calamities
3. Identification of vulnerable and disaster-prone areas in the locality
4. Readings in responding to the threats of natural and man-made hazards
5. Capability to do what must be done and when to do it in case disaster strikes
6. Application of counter-measures to cushion the impact of the calamity.