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| Photo courtesy of Ritchie Van Cuaderno Angeles of Pasig C3 |
It took TS Ondoy to shake things up with regards to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) from the national level down to the local government level. It became the impetus of RA 10121, the creation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). It replaced the National Disaster Coordinating Council which was headed by the Secretary of National Defense. TS Ondoy became what was called, The Perfect Flood. It inundated 85% of the NCR, large portions of Rizal, Bulacan and Laguna provinces. It’s sudden occurrence was unprecedented. A month’s average rainfall occurred in a matter of five hours. Rescue and recovery operations proved inadequate and the number of deaths was historically high for even flood prone areas that experience perennial flooding.
This spurred the establishment of not only the NDRRMC but also a more wholistic approach. That many government agencies also joined the table in the council. Now, it is the president who is head of the council. There is the Department of National Defense (DND), The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), The Department of Health (DOH), The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),The Department of Agriculture (DA) and even Housing.
These are then replicated all the way down in the Local Government Units (LGUs) and even to the barangay level. Each LGU created their own Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMOs) and Offices (LDRRMOs). This way, an LGU can be the first responders in times of disasters. Also, RA10121 mandates that every LGU have 5% of its budget be committed to their DRRMOs. Trainings, seminars and technology was developed and implemented down the line. Foreign assistance were received and also formed part of early warning systems and communications systems. Everything seemed to be progressing and protocols were formulated.
But like in warfare, the battleplans crafted were designed for use in fighting the last war. Typhoon Yolanda buried those protocols upon contact. Yolanda was different from Ondoy. The catastrophic effects were not in the protocols developed and implemented. The destruction was on a scale not played out in the scenarios by the Technical Working Groups and most of all, the local chief executives never really took the seminars seriously so that information was not cascaded down to the community level. The people who managed the local level were victims themselves.
Moving Forward
The experience in Yolanda prompted a hardening of logistics and communications lines in times of disasters. LGUs invested not only in equipment and infrastructures but also more intensive trainings and information dissemination activities down to the local level. The DA in coordination with the DOST came up with typhoon resilient rice varieties. Early Warning Systems were more distributed and contingency plans were updated and revised.
As Typhoon Karen was approaching, LDRRMOs were already making preparations. Monitoring systems and communications systems were crackling even as there were still no winds and rains. LDRRMO’s mobilized their personnel and round the clock manning of monitoring and warning systems were manned.
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| Photo courtesy of Ritchi Van Cuaderno Angeles of Pasig C3 |
As Typhoon Karen made landfall, all emergency crews of LGUs, utility companies and private institutions were prepared. Pre-emptive evacuations were conducted and even the DPWH and BAPOCOR monitored the water levels at dams.
This is the New Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Painful lessons learned from Ondoy and Yolanda were learned, evaluated and analyzed so that the the battle will be fought for the current war.
As of this writing, a more powerful typhoon named Haiman ia approaching. Batten down the hatches and Stout Hearts!
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