Resilience and Disaster Trends in the Philippines: Opportunities for National and Local Capacity Building

Abstract

Introduction: The Philippines is one of the top countries in the world at risk of climate-related disasters. For populations subsisting at the poverty line in particular, but also the nation as a whole, daily lives and wellbeing are routinely challenged. The Philippines government takes disaster risk seriously and has devoted significant resources to build disaster capacity and reduce population exposure and vulnerability, nationally and locally. This paper explores the policy and institutional mechanisms for disaster risk reduction management and research which have been conducted in the Philippines related to disaster preparedness, management and resilience. Methods: This study draws on direct observations of and conversations with disaster management professionals, in addition to a review of the extant literature on resilience and disaster preparedness, in the Philippines. This is a descriptive study based on a search of mainly peer-reviewed studies but also articles, reports, and disaster risk reduction and response projects in the Philippines. Search words used in various combinations included: Resilience, Philippines, Disaster Preparedness, Community-based, Disaster Risk Reduction, Capacity-building. Results: Numerous activities in community based resilience and DRR have been identified across the whole disaster continuum. Yet, important gaps in research and practice remain. Discussion: The Philippines, is a leading regional actor in disaster risk management. However, a full picture of who is doing what, how, where and when on resilience and disaster preparedness does not exist. Consequently there is no single study that compares the impacts and results that different preparedness measures are having in the Philippines. We recommend further research focussed on mapping the network of actors, understanding community perceptions of disaster risk preparedness and resilience, and investigation into the socio-ecological systems of different communities.

Regional Policy for Disaster Risk Management in Developing Countries Within the Sendai Framework: A Systematic Review

“…Discussion results: The Philippines is a leading regional actor in disaster risk management. However, a full picture of who is doing what, how, where, and when on resilience and disaster preparedness does not exist [12].…”

Youth sports activity and young people’s well-being after a disaster: a trial with the Mastery Approach to Coaching (MAC) in the Philippines

“…However, this is the first intervention study that looked into the effects of sports activity with MAC to students’ self-esteem. In a country where occurrences of disasters had become a new normal [ 27 ], such post-disaster activity would be meaningful and could be part and parcel of the school curricular and extra-curricular activities after a disaster. Moreover, these kinds of interventions timely respond to the mandate of the Republic Act No 11036 otherwise known as the Philippine Mental Health Act recently passed and signed into a law.…”

Evolving social capital and networks in the post‐disaster rebuilding process: The case of Typhoon Yolanda

“…communities and has to be examined through the "social norms, social capital and social networks in which individuals are embedded, [as it] will determine disaster behaviour and the outcomes of a disaster" (Alcayna et al, 2016) There are many factors that enable communities' abilities to rebuild more efficiently in a post disaster context, and social capital is one important and well-discussed component of this process (Aldrich, 2012;Aldrich and Meyer, 2015;Bankoff, 2007).…”

“…Resilience is also difficult to measure as it often involves spiritual and social capital and relates to intangible ‘assets’ such as trust, faith, mental health and familial and community cohesion. As such, the ability to recover is very much embedded in communities and has to be examined through the ‘social norms, social capital and social networks in which individuals are embedded, [as it] will determine disaster behaviour and the outcomes of a disaster’ (Alcayna et al ., 2016). There are many factors that enable communities' abilities to rebuild more efficiently in a post‐disaster context, and social capital is one important and well‐discussed component of this process (Bankoff, 2007; Aldrich, 2012; Aldrich and Meyer, 2015).…”