Disaster Risk

Reduction and
Management
Overview
As an archipelago located at the south-eastern part of Asia, the Philippines is
exposed to both climatic and geological hazards. It is situated in the Pacific Ring of
Fire where two major tectonic plates, the Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet.
With several fault lines crossing the country, earthquakes could have very
devastating effects. There are 220 volcanoes, 22 of which are classified as active
(NDCC 2008).
The Philippines is also located along the typhoon belt on the North Pacific Basin
in the Pacific where 75 per cent of the typhoons originate. There are 20 to 30
typhoons passing through the country, 5-7 of which can be destructive
(NDCC 2008). As a consequence of extreme rainfall events, flash floods, flooding
and landslides have become more prevalent since 2000.
 The impacts of climate change in the Philippines are becoming better understood (Cruz
et al, 2007). There has been an increase in the annual mean rainfall since the 1980s and in
the number of rainy days since the 1990s (Cruz et al: 10.2.2). On average, 20 cyclones cross
the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with about 8-9 making landfall each year,
The natural risks associated with these trends are aggravated by human activities,
particularly in the exploitation of resources such as forests and minerals and development
interventions that do not incorporate responsible risk assessments.
According to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Philippines
was the fourth most accident-prone country in the world. Accordingly, 31,835 Filipinos were
killed and 94,369,462 others were affected by natural disasters and calamities in a span of
20 years.
It is for the foregoing reasons that this module is focused on disaster risk reduction and
management
 Overview of the Philippine Disaster Management System

Since the OCD and NDCC's creation, PD 1566 has been the basic law that guides the disaster
management programs, projects and strategies implementation in the country. However, it has been
observed and noted from past experiences, combined with lessons learned and gaps examination, that the
law that creates the Council is more leaning and gives more emphasis on response action, thus, making the
implementers reactive to possible disasters rather than taking a proactive stance in disaster risk
management. Recently, OCD-NDCC initiated the shift on disaster management approaches and strategies
from reactive to proactive (from disaster response and preparedness to disaster risk reduction/management -
a paradigm shift from the prevalent culture of reaction' to a 'culture of prevention!
Then President Arroyo signed on May 27 Republic Act 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Act of 2010. This Act provides for the development of policies and plans and
the implementation of actions and measures pertaining to all aspects of disaster risk reduction, management
and recovery, including good governance, risk assessment and early warning, knowledge building and
awareness raising, reducing underlying risk factors, and preparedness for effective response and early
recovery.
 The new law adopt and adhere to principles and strategies consistent with
the international standards set by the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA),
which is a comprehensive, action-oriented response to international concern
about the growing impacts of disasters on individuals, communities and national
development.
A National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework
and Plan was developed, formulated, and implemented. The Framework
provides for comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and
community-based approach to disaster risk reduction, management and
recovery. It serves as the principal guide to disaster risk reduction, management
and recovery efforts in the country in conformity with the National Disaster
Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Framework (NDRRMRF).
Republic Act No. 10121, known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Act of 2010"
“An Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management System, Providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Framework and Institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Plan, Appropriating Funds Therefore and For
Other Purposes”.
Section 2. Declaration of Policy
1. Upholding people's rights to life and property and adherence to internationally accepted principles, norms and
standards for capacity building in DRRM and humanitarian assistance;
2. Adoption of a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, proactive and multi-sector approach in addressing the impacts of
disasters, including climate change;
3. Development, promotion and implementation of a comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Plan (NDRRMP);
4. Mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change in national and local development plans and development processes (e.g.
policy formulation, socio-economic development planning, budgeting and governance);
5. Mainstreaming DRR into the peace process and conflict resolution;
6. Ensuring DRR and CC-Gender responsive measures, sensitive to indigenous knowledge and respect of human rights;
7. Strengthening capacity building of LGUs on DRR (e.g. decentralized powers, responsibilities, resources) and
vulnerable and marginalized groups;
8. Engaging the participation of CSOs, private sectors and volunteers in DRR;
9. Promotion of breastfeeding before and during a disaster or emergency; and
10.Ensuring maximum care, assistance and services to affected individuals and
families.
Salient Features of PDRRM Act of 2010
1. Policy Statements and Terminologies on DRRM (Secs 2&3)
2. Institutional Mechanisms (Secs. 5-12)
a. DRRMCs (National, Regional, Provincial, City and Municipal Levels and Barangay Development Council at the barangay level);
b. Office of Civil Defense
c. Permanent Office on DRRM at the LGU Level; Barangay DRRM Committee
d. Disaster Volunteers
3. Operational Mechanisms (Secs. 15-18)
a. Coordination during Emergencies
b. Declaration of a State of Calamity
c. Remedial Measures
d. Mechanism for the IHAN
4. Participation, Accreditation, Mobilization, Protection and Development of Disaster Volunteers
5. Training and Education in DRR
a. Establishment of DRRM Training Institutes
b. Mandatory Training in DRR for Public Sector Employees
c. Integration of DRR in school curricula, training for out-of-school youth, Sangguniang Kabataan, and informal training
II. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC)
Leading the collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness planning and
mitigation, as well as disaster response operations and rehabilitation both in the
government and private sectors is the NDRRMC. It is the highest policy-making,
coordinating and supervising body at the national level chaired by the Secretary of
National Defense thru the Executive Director of the Office of Civil Defense
(OCD), and has fourteen (14) departments and thirty nine (39) line agencies as
members.
The NDRRMC is also responsible for advising the President of the Republic of
the Philippines on the status of the national disaster preparedness programs and
management plans, disaster operations, and rehabilitation efforts of all
stakeholders, and it also recommends to the President the declaration of the state of
calamity and the release of the national calamity fund as needed.
R.A. NO. 10121
Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Act
of 2010
• 21 years in the making
• 7 Congresses
• 4 Administrations
RA No. 10121 provides for:
• Signed into Law on May 27, 2010
• Strategies/Approaches
• Policies Administration
• Institutions
• Actors
• Financial Sustainability
III. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
The Office of Civil Defense(OCD), officially established on 1 July 1973, serves as
the executive arms and secretariat of the NDRRMC. The OCD formulates and
implements the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan(NDRRMP). It
has in its vision a service- oriented organization, prepared population and a safe nation.
Its Mission is to basically administer a comprehensive national civil defense and civil
assistance program by providing leadership in the continuous development of measures
to reduces risks to communities and manage the consequences of disasters.

As the nerve center for alert and monitoring, resource mobilization, response
coordination, and information management, it has the primary task of coordinating the
activities and functions of various government agencies and instrumentalities, private
institutions and civic organizations for the protection and preservation of life and
property during emergencies.
IV. Organizational Network
The Philippine Disaster Management System(PDMS), as embodied in
Presidential Decree No. 1566 and RA 10121, is carried out at various political
subdivisions and administrative regions of the country through the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(NDRRMC); 17 Regional
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(RDRRMC); 80 Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(PDRRMC); 113 City Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council(CDRRMC); 1,496 Municipal Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council(MDRRMC); and 41,956 Barangay
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(BDRRMC) respectively.
1. Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO)
(Section 12, PDRRM Act)
a. It is established in every Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Committee in every barangay.
b. Responsibility – setting the direction, development, implementation and coordination
of disaster risk management programs within their territorial jurisdiction.
c. LDRRMO shall be under the office of the governor, city or municipal, mayor, and
the Punong Barangay in case of the BDRRMC. The LDRRMO’s initially organized
and is composed of a DRRMO, assisted by three(3) staffs responsible for:
• administrative and training;
• Research and planning; and
• Operations and warning. The LDRRMO’s and the BRRMCs shall organize, train and directly
supervise the local emergency response teams and the Accredited Community Disaster
Volunteers(ACDV).
2. Accreditation, Mobilization, and Protection of Disaster Volunteers and
National Service Reserve Corps, Civil Society Organizations and the
Private Sector(Section 13, PDRRM Act)
a. The government agencies, CSOs private sectors and LGUs may
mobilize individuals or organized volunteers to augment their
respective personnel complement and logistical requirements in
the delivery of disaster risks reduction programs and activities.
b. The agencies, CSOs, private sectors and LGUs concerned shall
take full responsibility for the enhancement, welfare and
protection of volunteers, and shall submit the list volunteers to
the OCD, through the LDRRMOs for accreditation and
inclusion in the database of community disaster volunteers.
3. Integration of DRR education into the School Curricula and
Sangguniang Kabataan(SK) Program and Mandatory Training for the
Public Sector Employees(Section 14, PDRRM Act)
a. The DepEd, CHED, TESDA in coordination with OCD, NYC,
DOST, DENR, DILG-BFP, DOH, DSWD and other relevant agencies,
shall integrate DRRM education in the school curricula of secondary
and tertiary levels of education, including NSTP, whether private or
public, including formal and non-formal, technical- vocational,
indigenous learning, and out of school youth courses and programs.
b. The NDRRMC, RDRRMCs, LDRRMs, LDRRMOSs,
BDRRMCs and the SK councils shall councils shall encourage
community, specifically the youth, participation in DRRM activities.
Disaster Risks Reduction
and Management
Concept
 The concept of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM)
accepts that some hazard events may occur but tries to lessen the impact
by improving the community’s ability to absorb the impact with
minimum damage or destruction. Disaster risk reduction and
management is a series of actions. ( programmes, projects and/or
measures) and instruments expressly aimed at reducing disaster risk in
endangered regions, and mitigating the extent of disasters.
Operationally, it includes risk assessment, disaster prevention and
mitigation and disaster preparedness. It is used to underscore the current
trend of taking a proactive approach to hazards posed by extreme natural
phenomena.
 Definition of Disaster Management Terms
1. Hazards. A situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or
environment.
2. Risks. A probability or threat of a damage, injury, liability, loss, or other
negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that
may be neutralized through preemptive action.
3. Vulnerability. The level of susceptibility or resiliency of the people and
communities against the impact of the prevailing hazards based on the state of
physical, social, and economic conditions in a given area.
4. Disaster. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and
impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope
using its own resources.
The Disaster Equation
•Hazards(H). Physical impact of disturbance
•Risk(R). Likelihood of harm, loss, disaster
•People or Community (Exposure). Elements affected by hazard
•Vulnerability(V). Susceptibility and capacity to prepare, absorb, and recover from hazard

H * R+V = Disaster

Where
•Hazards(H)
•Risk(R)
•People or Community
•Vulnerability
•Exposure. Elements affected by hazard
Disaster Risk Management – What and Who?
Disaster risk reduction and management(DRRM)includes administrative decisions
and operational activities that involve:
1. Prevention The Disaster Cycle
2. Mitigation The disaster life cycle describe the process through
which emergency managers prepare for emergencies
3. Preparedness and disasters, respond to them when they occur, help
4. Response people and institutions recover from them mitigate
their effects, reduces risks of loss, and prevent
5. Recovery disasters from occurring.
6. Rehabilitation
• Disaster risk management involves all levels of government- decision makers and local
government.
• Non- governmental and community-based organizations play a vital role in the process.
• Communities themselves are the responders.
Disaster Management Cycle
1. Traditional Model – DM Cycle. The traditional approach to disaster management is to
regard it as a number of phased sequences of action or a continuum. This can be represented
as a cycle.
Disaster Management
Disaster management refers to the efficient and effective utilization of resources and the
application of measures that will mitigate the impact of unfortunate events and facilitate return
to normalcy and redevelopment.
1. Disaster management occurs before, during, and after a disaster.
2. Disaster management consists of the DRM component as well as relief, response, early
and long –term recovery, including rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
a. Disaster response, including relief activities, is conducted immediately after a
disaster occurs primarily to save lives and for humanitarian purposes.
b. Recovery occurs over the short, mediums and long term in the aftermath of a
disaster. Rehabilitation and reconstruction, on the other hand, are long-term
activities necessary to restore public infrastructures, services, and critical facilities.
c. Building back better during this process means not generating new risks and
mitigating existing one.
Rationale for Risk Management
1. Comprehensive risk management process has the potential to break the
cycle of damage and reconstruction when a community is subjected to
repeated natural hazards.
2. To be effective, a strategy must be in place and ready for immediate
implementation when necessary.
3. This can only be done through advance preparation and planning.
Disaster Risk Management Objectives
4. Reduce vulnerabilities in the community.
5. When sustained over a long term, reduce unacceptable risk to acceptable
levels and make the community become disaster resistant/resilient.
Disaster Risk Management refers to a range of:
1. Policies
2. Legislative mandates
3. Professional practices
4. Social, structural and non-structural adjustments
5. Risk transfer mechanisms to prevent, reduce or minimize the effects of hazards on a community

Range of Risk Management Measures

6. Engineering measures (keep hazard away from people)
7. Land use planning and management measures (keep people away from hazard)
8. Control and protection works (modifying the hazard)
9. Early warning (predicting hazard)
10. Preparedness planning (prepare in anticipation of a hazard event)
11. Reconstruction planning after a disaster with the aim of reducing the vulnerability
12. Mainstreaming risk management in development practice and institutionalization
 Evolving DM Concepts and Paradigms
Traditional/Reactive Risk Management/Proactive
Disasters as "Acts of God" and "Acts of Nature" Disasters as "Acts of Man"

From a humanitarian approach, relief and response To a developmental approach, where disaster is a
approach in which intervention was provided only developmental concern and may arise as a result of
during or immediately after a disaster. unsustainable development practices
From a technocratic approach, where engineering and To promotion of non-structural and non-engineering
technological solutions used including prediction and measures such as community-based disaster
modifying the hazards preparedness and early warning, indigenous
knowledge, and land
use planning, emphasizing the need to modify
vulnerabilities (and capacities) instead of the hazards
Single hazard approach Multi or all-hazards approach

Sectoral Inter-sectoral, inter-agency, all-of- government effort

Public sector led All-of-society approach, participatory, inclusive,

transparent, gender-fair
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Paradigm
1. The Disaster Risk Reduction paradigm has become dominant in the twenty-first century. DRR is
proactive by aiming to establish a culture of disaster prevention and resilience. DRR measures
emphasizes non-structural mitigation measures are therefore a must.
2. Disaster Risk Management is a range of related activities for coping with risk, including how
related activities are identified and assessed and how social interventions to deal with risk are
monitored and evaluated".
3. DRRM is undertaken during "normal times" and before another disaster strikes (e.g. during
recovery). It focuses on the following:
a. Mitigation and Prevention. This is a sustained measure taken before a disaster occurs and is aimed to
minimize the potential impacts of a disaster or reduce disaster risks.
b. Preparedness. This helps reduce severity of impact or certain disasters, particularly slow-onset
disasters. Proactively with risk identification and capacity development. Common preparedness
measures: hazard maps, food and material stockpiling, emergency drills, installation of early warning
systems, and preparation of emergency kits.
c. Risk Assessment (identification and monitoring). The information generated by this is essential to the
development of non-structural mitigation measures (e.g, institutional and capacity building, information
sharing and dissemination, land use planning)
Risk Reduction focuses on
prevention and mitigation.
involves:
• Development and
Implementation of Policies,
Regulations and Standards
• Land Use Planning, Zoning,
Building Codes, Structural
Best Practices
• Preparedness Planning,
Investment Decision Making,
Institutional Frameworks and
System
• Education/Training, Public
Awareness
Components of Risk Identification
• Understanding the Nature of Hazards
• Understanding the Nature of
Vulnerabilities
Disaster Response and Recovery
• Focuses on relatively narrow window
post-event
• Focuses on triage, stabilization, bridging
back to “normal” state
Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework

Paradigm Shift from Reactive to Proactive

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The government pursues a comprehensive disaster management framework that encompasses

disaster risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness in the pre-event, and disaster response,
rehabilitation and recovery in the post-event. A framework that has evolved and adapted to the
lessons of past disaster events as well as emerging concerns, and anchored on the national authority's
program thrusts aimed to, among others, implement the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015:
Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters with the five (5) Thematic
Areas/Priorities for Action, as follows:
1. Governance. Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and
local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation.
2. Risk Assessment and Early Warning. Identify, assess and monitor
disaster risks and enhance early warning.
3. Knowledge Management and Education. Use knowledge,
innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at
all levels.
4. Risk Management and Vulnerability Reduction. Reduce the
underlying factors.
5. Disaster Preparedness. Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective
response at all levels.