President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines talks about reducing risks in one of Asia's most disaster-affected countries. Show
How has Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Yolanda) changed your view, if at all, of natural disasters and how to respond to them?When I came into office, the Philippines was already being hit by increasingly powerful storms every year. Naturally, our approach to these disasters - and how to respond to them - has been steadily evolving: from being reactive, to being very proactive. Even before Yolanda struck, we had already improved our disaster response systems. We had massively updated our scientific capabilities, and on the basis of our increased wherewithal, we had already made a habit of prepositioning goods before calamities. We had also provided lead agencies the necessary funds to immediately address post-disaster needs. Typhoon Yolanda, however, was on a different scale in terms of destruction. Some argue that it was the strongest storm to ever make landfall in recorded history. Not to mention, it came on the heels of several disasters, including the Zamboanga Siege, the Bohol earthquake, and Typhoon Santi. When Yolanda struck, even if we had prepositioned resources and personnel, what happened was that many of the first responders were affected, and the equipment and goods we had prepared were swept away. As a national leader, can you please give us an insight into how priorities are established in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster?The ultimate priority is to be able to anticipate needs. This is why the government makes it a point to preposition goods, equipment, and even personnel: because ideally, relief and rescue should not have to travel great distances; they should already be in the areas predicted to be in the path of natural disasters. When disaster does strike, one of the most vital priorities is reestablishing communications with everyone. We have to organize what we already know, while at the same time fill the gaps in information, in order to maximize our strategic accuracy. We need to be able to answer the vital questions: "Who was affected, and in what manner? What do they need at this moment?" At the same time, we do our best to address the needs of the most vulnerable at the soonest possible time. This means three things: first, prioritize search and rescue, and minimize loss of life and property; second, secure surviving communities with food, basic health support, and water, while maintaining peace and order; third, clear and restore critical infrastructure, such as lifeline roads, sea- and airports, telecommunications, and access to water and electricity. These should not be construed as a step-by-step decision-making process. Rather, all these are simultaneously undertaken within the first 12 to 24 hours after a natural disaster to guarantee that we act based on informed decisions, minimize further loss of life and property, and restore adequate communication between the national and local governments so that real-time information aids decision making and action. Resilience has become the shorthand term for the process of reinforcing communities against natural hazards. But such needs vary widely from country to country. What, in your view, are the common denominators of best-practice resilience for developing countries?A common denominator among resilient countries would be the initiative and ingenuity to adapt to the new normal. In recent years, we have seen natural disasters come with greater frequency and strength. Any truly resilient country would respond to this by trying to adapt to the times and to minimize the effects of disasters. We cannot simply allow the cycle of destruction and reconstruction to continue by rebuilding communities in the exact same manner, because it naturally follows that this will lead to the same results. This is why we have embarked on a campaign to build back better. Houses, communities, and infrastructure in damaged areas are being rebuilt in a sturdier manner, and in much safer and more strategic areas. We have also found creative solutions to some problems. Sometimes it is as simple as fastening the G.I sheets to the edge of the wall to make the sheets more resistant to strong winds. Japan is also sharing its knowledge with us, particularly on how to design and construct buildings that can serve as natural catchments. It is also important to assess the risks that each area is susceptible to, so that the national government and LGUs can strategically formulate and implement plans to reduce or counter such risks. Disaster preparation requires resources. How does your government balance the need to prepare for a disaster with the country's other development-related needs?Like any other country, we are limited by our budget. A 2009 World Bank study estimated that the Philippines needed an amount equivalent to 0.6% to 1.0% of GDP (gross domestic product) annually from 2010 to 2019 to address climate and disaster risks, including investments for replacement and expansion of resilient infrastructure. As the government is still under deficit financing, balancing between disaster preparedness and other needs are obviously very difficult decisions, since we are fully aware of the opportunity costs of our choices.
At the end of the day, however, we look at disaster preparation as a significant part of our development efforts. Let me put it this way: Disaster, quite clearly, stifles development, and minimizing the effects of disaster, consequently, makes development possible. This is yet another reason for us to build back better. There can be no true progress for any country stuck in a vicious cycle of destruction and reconstruction. This is why we are making sure there are enough resources - and sufficient strategic planning - to ensure that we rebuild in a resilient manner. What is your view of the economic impact of natural disasters on developing countries like the Philippines? How can the Philippines prepare better for the financial hit of future natural disasters?The effect of natural disasters on any economy is vast. When thousands of lives are lost and roads and houses are destroyed, productivity and income naturally suffer; economic growth slows; gains previously achieved are wiped out. It interrupts economic activity and income flows and leads to worsening poverty. Natural disasters also create pressure on fiscal policy through the additional funding that the national government has to provide and the manpower and resources that have to be deployed to support emergency relief efforts. Recovery and reconstruction efforts that could last a number of years also create pressure on the fiscal position. We have existing local and international sources of financing, such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program, the Green Climate Fund, and the Adaptation Fund. Now that we are giving more consideration to climate change and disaster risk reduction in our development planning activities, I am confident that we can harness these funds in an even more efficient manner, and we will be better prepared on all fronts. We have already started. At the moment, our priorities for funding include adaptation measures, forecasting and early warning systems, institutional strengthening, and disaster risk financing (e.g., insurance). We are also looking at disaster financing on three levels: on the individual, family, or small enterprise level; on the local government unit level; and on the national government level. For the individual, family, or small enterprise level, we aim to broaden micro-insurance products and enhance the policy and regulatory framework. For the local government unit level, we are studying ways to require local government units to contribute to a pooled disaster insurance fund and insure their assets with the Government Service Insurance System. For the national level, we are looking at possible funding sources for a proposed trust fund that will fund efforts to address climate and disaster risks. What are the common problems in disaster management in the Philippines?An oft-cited issue in the Philippine disaster management is the lack of capacities of line agencies and LGUs to assume DRRM activities. Among the reasons include limited manpower, lack of technical knowledge and understanding, limited financial resources and lack of technology such as multihazard early warning system.
What are the problems relating to disaster preparedness?The major challenges associated with disaster response planning are the failure in strictly applying the law, the lack of public and staff education about disaster risks, poor urban planning, unstable security situation, citizen intervention, endowment of equipment, tools and infrastructure and lack of financial ...
Why is the Philippines not prepared for natural disasters?The Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural disasters due to its geography. The majority of the country's total land area and nearly three fourths of the Filipino population are vulnerable to multiple hazards, such as typhoons, earthquakes, floods, storm surges, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
What is the main reason why Philippines is not prone free on disaster?The Philippines is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. Located along the boundary of major tectonic plates and at the center of a typhoon belt, its islands are regularly impacted by floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, and droughts.
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