Answer:
Have we learned from the avoidable mistakes made in past disasters? Are we prepared to effectively handle any emergencies that might happen in the coming days? Can the government coordinate well with other sectors in responding to all possible situations? (READ: What gov't has done so far to prepare for Typhoon Ompong)
It has been nearly 9 years since the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila, yet memories of extreme flooding and strong winds remain vivid among those affected by the disaster. The unprecedented devastation it brought to the nation’s capital and surrounding provinces led to climate change becoming fully integrated into national and local policymaking. Laws such as the Climate Change Act of 2009 and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act of 2010 were institutionalized to ensure better management of and response to disasters.
Have we learned our lessons?
Yet the following years saw different parts of the Philippines suffer losses and damage to one extreme event after another. Super typhoons, El Niño-enhanced droughts, and monsoon rains left communities struggling to fully recover from their impacts. Some rehabilitation efforts, most notably those affected by Yolanda in Eastern Visayas, remain uneven or unfinished to this day.
Truth be told, improvements have been made in our preparedness for natural hazards. New equipment for PAGASA has allowed improvements in weather forecasting and modeling climate change. Early warning systems and communicating climate and disaster-related information to the public have also seen progress in the past decade. Some regional DRRM Councils have even initiated projects to reduce disaster risks in their areas and increase the resilience of their constituencies.
Nonetheless, glaring problems in the national and local DRRM remain evident. A lack of sufficient manpower and financial and technical resources hinder the implementation of programs throughout the DRRM framework. Awareness in dealing with disasters remains low in some regions, partially worsened by corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency. Some government agencies even refuse to provide necessary data for planning against disasters to other agencies or civil society organizations. (READ: EXPLAINER: Who's supposed to be in charge during disasters?)
The most significant of these problems is the focus of governance on responding to disasters instead of prevention and mitigation. Despite improvements in its capacity and its importance in preventing disasters, the science and technology sector remains underfunded and underappreciated. Poor land-use planning and ineffective building codes repeatedly expose the most vulnerable sectors, including the urban poor and the marginalized, to the worst of such impacts. (READ: Expert: PH tech, understanding of disasters 'on par with world's best')
While more avenues for climate change adaptation-based support have opened in recent years, local government units are either unaware of the availability of these options or unsure of how to access these much-needed resources. Specifically, LGUs are not familiar with engaging with academic institutions in coming up with proposals to get support. (READ: Disaster imagination: 3 steps toward disaster preparedness)
Political will, effective leadership
These are the issues that House Bill 8165, which seeks to create the Department of Disaster Resilience, attempts to address. The resulting super-agency will lead the national coordination of efforts for reducing the risks, preparing for the impacts of hazards, and rehabilitating should disasters occur. The bill also attempts to streamline disaster risk reduction management and climate change adaptation planning to enhance implementation efficiency. (READ: Duterte sends Cabinet members to Luzon provinces in Ompong's path)
The need for enhancing our DRRM framework is undisputable, given the endorsement of President Duterte, the recent history of damages inflicted by tropical cyclones, and projected worsening climate change impacts. Modifying the systems in place cannot be done overnight but the urgency of the problem requires immediate action.
There must be adequate manpower and funding for all aspects of DRRM, but efforts on disaster prevention and mitigation must be prioritized. In this regard, the government should engage and coordinate with the private sector, civil society organizations, the academe, and local communities to minimize, if not avoid altogether, loss and damage to extreme events. (READ: Thousands flee in Isabela, Cagayan ahead of Typhoon Ompong landfall)
