REAP country case studies: Philippines

This is an in-depth analysis of the enabling environment for early action in the Philippines.The country is exposed to multiple hazards - at least 60 per cent of the total land area is exposed to multiple hazards, and 74 per cent of the population is vulnerable to impacts. The country is situated on the typhoon belt of the western pacific and located within the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fires. On average, about 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippines waters each year, with approximately eight or nine making landfall, causing the greatest damage.

The paper finds that at the local levels it needs to be clear that although anticipatory action (AA) can be considered as part of the DRRM system, it reinforces the need to make ‘clear’ and ‘timebound’ early interventions which can further improve the preparedness action of LGUs. AA has specific SOPs which are vital in anticipating major crises which can be forecasted in terms of occurrence and impact to population and assets. This is particularly pertinent since the CERF pilot will increase funding greatly. In addition to this, EWSs need to be strengthened and become people centric, so that communities actually receive the message. This is essential for the CERF pilot once the threshold is reached.