A DISASTER is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources, thus causing emotional distress and may develop into a mental health disorder, especially to those greatly affected. In other words, a disaster is a destructive event that occurs suddenly and involves loss of life and property.

DISASTER can be classified into Natural Disasters and Man-made Disasters. Earthquakes, Volcanic Activity, Landslides, Floods, Storms, Typhoons, Cyclones, Global Warming, Droughts are Natural Disasters and Man has no control over them. Manmade that causes disasters such asDeforestation, Kaingin, Fire Disaster/Hazards, Transport Failure, Chemical Spills, War, Terrorism, Internal Conflicts, Civil unrest.

The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Located along the boundary of major tectonic plates and sits on a so-called typhoon belt, its islands are regularly impacted by floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes and droughts and is typically hit by 20 storms in a year, some devastating. The strongest super typhoon to hit the Philippines was Haiyan in 2013, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, also tagged as the Monster storm and one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, which left more than 6,500 people dead or missing.

In 2020, aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, two major disasters occurred in our country: typhoon Ulysses and Taal volcano eruption that halted public life, business, and mobility which affected the Philippines’ economy.

Other major disaster that severely hit our country was the Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Odette, the most powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that struck the Philippines in December 2021.

The most frequently impacted areas of the Philippines by tropical cyclones are northern luzon and eastern visayas. Meanwhile, top flood provinces were Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Maguindanao, Bulacan, Metro Manila, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro,  and Ilocos Norte.

In addition to these, a recent study by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reveals that Metro Manila is prone to floods, not just because of the rising seas, but also if dumped with an hour of continuous rain. Furthermore, Marikina City, where one of the biggest pumping stations of MMDA is located, is a catch basin of water from Quezon City and the province of Rizal, making it also a flood-prone area. Marikina City has also become prone to heavy flooding due to clogging of canals and in the absence of an efficient drainage system. 

In most cases, the weather now is unpredictable – one minute it’s blue skies and the next minute it’s pouring rain. On May 22, 2022 at around 5:00 P.M., the skies were clear in Manila but suddenly the tornado struck in the San Lazaro Area in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Crowds immediately took shelter in a nearby SM mall to avoid the heavy rains and very strong winds produced by the weather phenomenon.

As non-government organization, the One Movement and the multi-sectoral groups nationwide is committed to support the new administration of BBM and will play a vital role as partner in Nation-building, guided with our Vision and Mission and SMART goals, that actively engage in the planning process in collaboration with the national government agencies and LGUs towards an effective and efficient implementation of disaster risk reduction and management plan and other priority concerns, which is a long-term national sectoral plan aiming to address four main priority areas of concern, such as disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, rehabilitation and recovery.

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