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Institutional andPolicy Landscapes

of Disaster Risk Reduction and

Climate ChangeAdaptation

In Asia and thePacific

PHILIPPINES

Rodel D. Lasco and Rafaela Jane P. Delfino

A Joint Project of theWorld Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Philippinesand United Nations International Strategy for

Disaster Reduction Secretariat (UNISDR)Asia and Pacific Regional Office

September 2010(FINALREPORT)



Institutional and Policy Landscapes of Disaster Risk Reduction andClimate Change Adaptation

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PHILIPPINES

INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY LANDSCAPES OF DISASTERRISK REDUCTION AND

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN ASIA AND PACIFIC

SUMMARY

Development faces a growing threat from a changing climate – particularly throughextreme impact and more extreme events. The Philippines has been considered ashighly vulnerable to current (i.e. natural disasters), as well as future climate-relatedrisks. The development goals of the country can be severely affected and a greatnumber of population and livelihoods can be at risk. Managing risks to developmentrequires the systematic integration of disaster risk management (DRM) and climate

change adaptation (CCA) in terms of project activities, coordination and financingmechanisms. However, until now these agendas have evolved independently interms of institutions and policies.

Over the years, there have been several planning and development projects thathave addressed these issues. The outputs of these projects although substantial,have not found their way into the scientific literature. As a result they have not beencited in assessments such as those by the IPCC and thus failed to inform policymaking. This UN ISDR-ICRAF project tries to address those gaps in knowledgetransfer. This paper reviewed the initiatives of the Philippines on DRM and CCA andassesses the progress of its integration to development planning.

Significant program and strategy advances have been gained in strengthening DRM;and pioneering steps, including key national policies and institutions for promotingCCA. The recently approved policies on both DRM and CCA, and other adaptationprojects feature clear overlaps, including efforts to harmonize coordinationstructures. From the review of the DRM and CCA institutional and policy landscapesof the country, the study provides recommendations and immediate priorities forthe Philippines to facilitate effective integration of DRM and CCA into policies andprograms.




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PROJECT BACKGROUND

It is being increasingly recognized that mainstreaming of an integrated approach toCCA and DRR into key sectoral policies, such as agriculture and natural resourcemanagement and urban development, is essential. Indeed, it is crucial for climatechange and disaster risk reduction initiatives to work in tandem and that synergiesbetween the two are further articulated. The need exists for a better exchange of knowledge that will benefit of both disciplines’ experiences, in order to avoidinappropriate adaptation practices and unsustainable policies.

In many Southeast Asian countries, poor and highly vulnerable sectors of thepopulation depend on natural resources for livelihoods. This is has given rise toattempts to develop an ecosystems-based approach to CCA and DRR. Over theyears, there have been several planning and development projects that haveaddressed these issues. The outputs of these projects although substantial, havenot found their way into the scientific literature. In many cases they have verylimited circulation. As a result they have not been cited in assessments such asthose by the IPCC and thus failed to inform policy making. This project will address those gaps in knowledge transfer. Results will be availableto the concurrent investigations that are synthesizing national and regional CCA-DRR efforts and to IPCC as peer reviewed resource documents.

The project generally aims to provide research; writing and literature review tocompile a thorough review of relevant documentation, published and unpublished,on the subject of climate change adaptation and the relationship to disaster riskreduction in the Philippines. Specifically:

• Review existing documentary sources, projects and programmes on climatechange adaptation and disaster risk reduction;

• Investigate all relevant projects that have been undertaken over the last twoyears by key stakeholders, and prepare a list of those projects andprogrammed with a means of reviewing their status, replicability, area of focus (sector, hazard etc.).Compile and categorise such documents in a waythat they can be accessible in electronic form, with the information necessaryto access those documents from the database. And contribute to theupdating of these templates and the overall organizational approach for thedocumentary review;

•

Prepare a shortlist of key topic areas by sector (if appropriate) that can be thebasis of the two stage reviews and lessons learned (practical examples of where good climate change adaptation practices has reduced disaster risk ina sustainable manner);

• Undertake a documentary review through a review all collected documents of possible relevance and prepare a brief annotation on those documents andprovide a brief review of the possible use and value of that publication; andselect key documents from which a synthesis can be derived that is topicspecific, that will contribute to two audiences: i) the IPCC review, and ii) the




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ongoing Regional Synthesis project. The result will be either publishablematerial on the selected topics or complete background documentaryevidence upon which specific publications can be derived.

ACRONYMS

ADB Asian Development BankADPC Asian Disaster Preparedness CenterAPSEMO Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management OfficeAusAid Australia Agency for International DevelopmentBSWM Bureau of Soils and ManagementCAS Country Assistance Strategy

CBDRM Community-based Disaster Risk ManagementCCA Climate Change AdaptationCIRCA Center for Initiatives and Research on Climate AdaptationCLUP Comprehensive Land Use PlaneDA Department of AgricultureDENR Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesDepEd Department of EducationDFID Department for International DevelopmentDILG Department of Interior and Local GovernmentDIPECHO European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department DisasterPreparedness ProgramDOE Department of Energy

DOH Department of HealthDPWH Department of Public Works and HighwaysDRR/M Disaster Risk Reduction/ManagementEC European CommissionEU European UnionEIA Environmental Impact AssessmentEMB Environmental Management BureauENSO El Nino Southern OscillationEWS Early Warning SystemGCM Global Circulation ModelGEF Global Environment FacilityGFDRR Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery

GIS Geographic Information SystemGSIS Government Service Insurance SystemGTZ German Technical CooperationHFA Hyogo Framework of ActionIEC Information, Education and CommunicationIFRC International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesINGO International Non-government OrganizationIPCC Inter-governmental Panel on Climate ChangeIRA Internal Revenue Allotment




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ITCZ Inter-tropical Convergence ZoneIWRM Integrated Water Resources Management JICA Japan International Cooperation AgencyLCF Local Calamity FundLGU Local Government UnitMDG Millennium Development Goal

MGB Mines and Geosciences BureauMO Manila ObservatoryMTPDP Medium-Term Philippine Development PlanNAMRIA National Mapping and Resource Information AuthorityNCF National Calamity FundNDCC National Disaster Coordinating CouncilNDRRMC National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management CouncilNEDA National Economic and Development AuthorityNGA National Government AgencyNGO Non-government OrganizationNPC National Power CorporationNWRB National Water Resources Board

MDG Millennium Development GoalMTPDP Medium Term Philippine Development PlanOCD Office of Civil DefenseODA Official Development AssistancePAGASA Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical AgencyPCCA Philippine Climate Change ActPCIC Philippine Crop Insurance CorporationPDIP Provincial Development Investment PlanPDRRMA Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management ActPGA Provincial Government of AlbayPHIVOLCS Philippine Institute of Volcanology and SeismologyPIA Philippine Information AgencyPNRC Philippine National Red CrossREADY Hazards Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community-Based

Disaster Risk Management ProjectSNAP Strategic National Action PlanUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the

PacificUNCHR United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeUNISDR United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction




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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY.........................................................................................................2ACRONYMS.......................................................................................................41. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................82. DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES...................................11

2.1 Policy Framework .................................................................................132.1.1 Legal Basis and Organization.........................................................132.1.2 Disaster Fund..................................................................................142.1.4 Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA 10121)...............................................................................................16

2.2 Institutions working on DRM.................................................................182.2.1 National Organizations working on DRRM (Appendix A).................182.2.2 Mainstreaming DRR in national and international organizations . .20

3. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION .................................................................423.1 Policy and Institutional Framework.......................................................423.2 Organizations working in CCA...............................................................453.3 Climate Change Adaptation activities in the Philippines.......................47

Mainstreaming climate change adaptation....................................................503.4 Key Areas of Progress and Challenges .................................................55

4. PROGRESS IN INTEGRATION OF CCA AND DRR .........................................59

4.1.1. Disaster risk management............................................................614.1.2 Climate change adaptation............................................................624.2 Current mechanisms and incentives, and barriers to integration ........64

4.2.1 Knowledge on climate risk and vulnerability..................................654.2.2 Institutional capacity and coordination..........................................664.2.3 Local government and community initiatives.................................674.2.4 Financing DRM and CCA.................................................................67

5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................685.1 Conclusions ..........................................................................................685.2 Recommendations................................................................................70

References ....................................................................................................71

Appendices (See Attached Files)A. Disaster Risk Management InstitutionsB. DRM ProjectsC. Climate Change Adaptation InstitutionsD. CCA ProjectsE. Sectoral Initiatives and Key IssuesF. Annotated Bibliography




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List of Boxes

Box 1 Disaster-proofing development in Albay, Philippines…………………………………………………………..32Box 2 Climate change-related initiatives of the Philippine government…………………………………………39

Box 3 Lessons learned: initiatives of the Provincial Government of Albay on CCA………………………….47Box 4 Recommended adaptation priorities of key sectors in Southeast Asia………………………………….52Box 5 DRR as a key result area in the NFSCC………………………………………………………………………………….57

List of Figures

Figure 1 Overlap between Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction…………………………10

Figure 2 Number of people affected by natural disasters in the Philippines, 1972-2009 ……………………11Figure 3 Total economic damages from natural disasters in Southeast Asia, 1970-2008 …………………….12Figure 4 National government agencies working on DRR/M based on NDCCFramework ………………….18Figure 5 National Framework Strategy on Climate Change………………………………………………………………..40

List of Tables

Table 1 Key stakeholders and institutions on DRR/M in the Philippines……………………………………………17 Table 2 Internationally supported projects on DRR/M, 2007 to present……………………………………….....24 Table 3 Summary report: disaster occurrences in the Province of Albay, 1994-2004………………………..32 Table 4 Key stakeholders and institutions on CCA and mitigation in the Philippines………………………..41 Table 5 General characterization of DRR/M and CCA communities in thecountry……………………………54 Table 6 Progress toward integration (incentives and barriers) of DRR/M and CCA inthe country …..58




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1. INTRODUCTION

Climate change has been dubbed the most serious threat facing humanity and thelast four decades have witnessed increased effort to understand the scientific

processes behind it, as well as identify the most sustainable measures for reversingtrends and adjusting to their consequences (Schipper, 2006). There is now a broadconsensus in the scientific community on the reality of human-induced climatechange. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded in itsfourth assessment report (AR4) that it is 90 - 99 percent likely that the rise in globalatmospheric temperature since the mid-19th century has been caused by humanactivities (IPCC, 2007). Among the predicted impacts associated with these rise intemperature is the more frequent and powerful extreme climatic events, such asstorms, heat waves and hurricanes.

The Asia Pacific region suffers the most from extreme weather events and these willlikely increase with climate change. The Philippines, being an archipelagic country,

is highly vulnerable to climate-related hazards. Farmers have to cope with anaverage of 20 tropical cyclones a year as well as recurring El Niño SouthernOscillation (ENSO) events. Recent studies in the Philippines showed that waterresources, natural ecosystems and local communities are very vulnerable. Forexample, the amount of seasonal water supply from watersheds could changeleading to flooding in the rainy season and water deficit in the dry season (Cruz et al., 2006). In addition, forest ecosystems may shift leading to the loss of currentforests types (Lasco et al., 2006). The poorest of the poor are expected to bear thebrunt of the impacts of climate change (Pulhin et al., 2005). The coastal areas mustalso be protected from sea level rise and storm surges. Communities living alongthe coastline and in the uplands must be prepared to meet the challenges to theirenvironment, livelihood and homes.

It is increasingly being recognized that adaptation to climate change must beconsidered as an integral element of development and poverty reduction efforts(Burton et. al., 2006). The achievement of development goals is already jeopardizedby current and still intensifying level of disaster risks while vulnerability to thesehazards is also increasing due to poverty, urbanization, environmental degradationand population growth (Oslo Policy Forum, 2008; DFID, 2003). At the WorldConference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Japan in 2005, climate change wasacknowledged as an underlying threat in relation to disasters in its outcome




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strategy: the “Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015” (UNISDR, 2007). ThePhilippine government adopted the HFA with the goal of substantially reducingdisaster losses by 2015 in terms of lives and social, economic and environmentalcosts (GFDRR, undated).

Climate change and disaster risk management

In the past decade, weather-related natural hazards have been the cause of 90percent of natural disasters and 60 percent of related deaths (IFRC, 2005).Worldwide, the destructiveness of tropical cyclones has increased over the past 30years, due to an increase in their intensity and extent (Emmanuel, 2005). Indeed,the number of intense tropical cyclones has nearly doubled since 1970 (Webster,et.al., 2005).

The growing concerns about climate change come against the backdrop of aworrying rise in the vulnerability to natural disasters. While the past few decadessaw a reduction in the number of people killed by natural disasters, there is a

dramatic increase in the number of people affected and socio-economic losses(International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2003). This risein losses and people affected reflects a growing vulnerability to natural hazards andin particular to weather- and climate-related hazards. While climate change mayalready be playing a role, the key origin of rising disaster losses is increasingvulnerability. The projected trends in extreme events and additional uncertaintiesassociated with climate change will compound these risks and make the challengeof reducing them more urgent yet at the same time more difficult.

Although it is acknowledged that climate change may significantly affect theweather patterns of the earth, the extent of this influence cannot be accuratelydetermined because of the uncertainty about the role played by climate change indetermining extremes in climate variability (Schipper and Pelling, 2006; van Aalst,2001). It is therefore important to promote early and cost-effective adaptation toclimate change risks using current adaptation measures to existing climatevariability and extremes as a starting point (Stern, 2006; Sperling and Szekely,2005). Improving the capacity of local communities, regions and governments indealing with current climate vulnerability is likely improving also their capacity indealing with future climate changes, especially if such measures are dynamic andcan be adjusted to further changes in risks and vulnerabilities.

Integrating CCA and DRM in development policies

Natural disasters and climate change present considerable challenges for povertyreduction and sustainable development affecting a range of socio-economicsystems (IPCC, 2001 as cited by Thomalla, et.al., 2006). Since the late 1990s, therehas been increasing recognition of the need to mainstream disaster risk reductioninto development - that is to consider and address risks emanating from naturalhazards in medium-term strategic frameworks and institutional structures.Increasing appreciation of the need to mainstream DRR into development wasformalized in January 2005 when the HFA 2005-2015 was adopted by the World




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Conference on Disaster Reduction. Thus, a number of development organizationshave begun efforts to mainstream DRR into their work, undertaking variousinstitutional, policy and program changes (Benson and Twigg, 2007).

In the same line, adaptation to climate change has risen on the agendas of researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers in a variety of fields (Mc Gray et.al.,

2007). This emerging consensus is driving the recognition that adaptation to climatechange must be considered as an integral element of development and povertyreduction efforts (Burton et. al., 2006) and, more particularly, will need to facilitateadaptation to the effects of climate change (Mc Gray et.al. 2007). The achievementof development goals is already jeopardized by current and still intensifying level of disaster risks while vulnerability to these hazards is also increasing due to poverty,urbanization, environmental degradation and population growth (Oslo Policy Forum,2008; DFID, 2003).

Adaptation to climate change is considered especially relevant for developingcountries, where societies are already struggling to meet the challenges posed byexisting climate variability (Yamin et al. 2005; Adger et al., 2003), and are therefore

expected to be the most adversely affected by climate change (McCarthy et al.,2001). The recent IPCC AR4 makes clear that “adaptation will be necessary toaddress impacts resulting from the warming which is already unavoidable due topast emissions” (IPCC, 2007).

Among the first to react on this wake up call are the development agencies asevidenced by efforts to “mainstream” adaptation into aid programs and projects.Individually and collectively, international multilateral and bilateral organizationshave responded to the increasing challenge of climate change with an agenda foraction to integrate climate concerns into the mainstream of developmental policymaking and poverty-reduction initiatives (World Bank, 2008).

CCA and DRR have much in common. Both aim to reduce the impacts of shocks byanticipating risks and addressing vulnerabilities. Certainly, the majority of climatechange impacts will materialize through climate variability (e.g. prolonged wet anddry season) and extreme weather events (e.g. heavy rainfall events). Climatechange is shifting the frequency and intensity of hazards, such as heavy rainfall,droughts, high sea levels, and possibly cyclones, with direct implications for disasterrisk.




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Figure 1. Overlap between CCA and DRR (Mitchell and van Aalst, 2008)

However, while reducing the risk of weather extremes is a substantial component of managing climate risk and of the overlap between DRR and adaptation (Figure 1),DRR does not equal adaptation, and effective disaster risk management in achanging climate is more than business as usual (Mitchell and van Aalst, 2008).

2. DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is considered one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world(Bildan, 2003; World Bank, 2005). The country’s exposure to disasters is to asignificant extent due to its geographical location and physical characteristics. It liesalong the Western Pacific Basin (a generator of climatic conditions such asmonsoons, thunderstorms, inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), typhoons, amongothers) making it a path of an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, nine of which makes a landfall. Climate risk includes exposure to super typhoons, and otherextreme weather, El Niño-related droughts, projected rainfall change and projectedtemperature increase. The country is also vulnerable to the El Niño Southern




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Oscillation (ENSO). ENSO-droughts have become much more frequent in the 1990s(2-year average recurrence interval) compared to the 1970s and 1980s(approximately 4-year interval). This year, the country is experiencing another ENSOevent. Although not directly attributable to climate change, existing work on El Ninoevents in the Philippines has identified some evidence of negative associationsbetween El Nino and rice yields in rainfed production systems (Lansigan 2005;

Lansigan et al. 2000). Other work has found that agricultural communities in thePhilippines suffered widespread crop losses during the 1997/98 El Nino. However,the rapidly increasing population together with other anthropogenic factors such asland use and land use changes due to rapid urbanization, globalization andchanging climate are pushing a lot of pressure on water resources.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) estimates that the total agricultural productionlosses under a mild El Niño scenario could reach P8.09 billion, and P20.46 billionunder a severe dry spell (Martin, 2010). Flooding is another hazard facing thecountry due to rains brought about by typhoons and the monsoon.

The risk to human life from natural disasters in the Philippines has increased

dramatically over the past generation (PRB, 2006). From 1971 to 2000, naturaldisasters killed about 34,000 people in the country, but from 1990 to 2000, naturaldisasters killed or disrupted the lives of 35 million people (Figure 2). It is expectedthat climate change will exacerbate existing stresses in the country (The PhilippinesInitial National Communication, 1999). Recent studies in the Philippines showedthat water resources, natural ecosystems and local communities are vulnerable toclimate change (Lasco, et.al. 2008; Villamor and Boquiren 2008; Perez 2002a andb).

Figure 2. Number of people affected by natural disasters in the Philippines, 1972-2009 (Source: UN ESCAP)Along with Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, thePhilippines is among the lower middle income countries (GFDRR, undated). The highrisk due to the hazards above can affect long-term economic development andforeign investments. Figure 3 shows the total amount of economic damages of natural disasters in Southeast Asia from 1970 to 2008. Natural hazards are part andparcel of the Philippine environment, but disasters happen because humansettlements, infrastructure, people and their economic activities are placed where




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hazards happen. Costs of disaster impacts are borne by government, communities,and individual households, thus threatening socio-economic development gains. Thus, consideration of natural hazards and related risks in institutional programmingand policies may be critical in securing sustainable development in the longer termand ensuring the effectiveness of organization’s individual country strategies(Benson and Twigg, 2007).

Figure 3. Total economic damages from natural disasters in Southeast Asia, 1970-2008 (Source: UN ESCAP)

2.1 Policy Framework

Being vulnerable to various hazards, the Philippines have a long history of and arich experience in disaster management. It has developed an extensive institutionalstructure for preparing for and responding to disasters.

2.1.1 Legal Basis and Organization

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) is the highest policy makingbody and the focal organization for disaster management in the country. It wasestablished through the Presidential Decree (PD) 1566 in 1978. Its establishment led

to disaster coordination from the national to regional to the lowest government unit(“barangay”). The basic function of NDCC is to advice the President on the status of national disaster preparedness and management plans, and recommends thedeclaration of state of calamity and the release of the national calamity fund,together with the Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils and Local DisasterCoordinating Council. The NDCC establishes the priorities in the allocation of funds,services, and relief supplied and plays an advisory role to lower DCCs through theOffice of Civil Defense by issuing guidelines. The disaster coordinating councils is an




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inter-institutional arrangement or “collegial body” consisting of 17 nationalgovernment agencies and one non-governmental organization, the PhilippineNational Red Cross (PNRC). The NDCC utilizes the facilities and services of the Officeof Civil Defense (OCD) as its secretariat and executive arm. The NDCC issuesguidelines on emergency preparedness and disaster operations.

The national calamities and disaster preparedness plan, prepared by the NDCC in1988 following the issuance of PD 1566, specifies that disaster coordinating councilsbe established for national, regional, Metro Manila, provincial, city or municipal, andbarangay level. It detailed the composition and respective functions of all keymember agencies. The council is chaired by the Secretary of National Defense with14 Department Secretaries, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP), Executive Director of the Philippine Red Cross, Chairman of the NationalEconomic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Director-General of thePhilippine Information Agency (PIA) as members. All implementing plans shall bedocumented and copies furnished to NDCC through the OCD. The OCD was given avital role in executing and monitoring the implementation of policies and programs –making its Administrator the NDCC Executive Officer, and in providing a secretariat

support to the NDCC. NDCC member agencies are responsible for carrying outrespective tasks and responsibilities, which include preparedness, mitigation,response and rehabilitation. The NDCC is replicated at the sub-national local levelsreferred to as the local DCCs with 17 regional, 80 provincial, 117 city and 1496municipal councils. The local DCCs function substantially like their nationalcounterpart except that they operate and utilize their own resources at theirrespective levels. Each disaster coordinating council shall maintain a disasteroperations center. However, until this time, not all local government units have aworking DCC.

2.1.2 Disaster Fund

The NDCC does not have an annual budget allocation; it operates through memberagencies, regional and local DCCs. One basic source of funding that can be utilizedin the occurrence of disasters is the National Calamity Fund (NCF). This is a lump-sum amount which consists of five percent of the annual budget of the nationalgovernment that is tied to aid, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Releasesfrom the fund are made directly to the appropriate implementing departments oragencies and/or local government units in accordance with the recommendation of the NDCC and upon approval of the president of the Philippines. This is contained inRepublic Act No. 8185 (1996) amending Republic Act No. 474 (1974) that created

the calamity fund. The current operating expenditures of NCF is PHP2 billion (US$42.5 million). No funds are provided by law for mitigation and preparedness per se. This was to strengthen the capabilities of local government in disastermanagement.

To respond immediately to an emergency or disaster, 25 percent of the NCF isreleased to lead departments such as the social welfare and development, publicworks and highways and national defense departments as a Quick Response Fund. The amount is a stand-by fund which shall be utilized in times of calamities and is




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intended primarily to provide relief and rehabilitation to calamity-affectedcommunities and areas and to normalize as quickly as possible the situation andliving conditions of the people in such communities and areas.

Another source of funding is the local government calamity fund set aside by localgovernment units (LGUs) from their annual local budgets. LGUs are mandated by

R.A. 8185 since 1996 to allocate five percent (5%) of its Internal Revenue Allotment(IRA) as Local Calamity Fund (LCF) and can only be used upon declaration of a“state of calamity” is the local legislative body. In 2003, a Joint MemorandumCircular issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and theDepartment of Interior and Local Government (DILG) permits the use of the LCF fordisaster preparedness and other pre-disaster activities. A 2004 World Bank-NDCCstudy reports that an estimated 50 percent of the LCF go unused each year. Thecurrent system, however, puts LGUs in poorer and island provinces (usually hazard-prone) at a disadvantage as they have lower revenues and thus less available forLCF. LGUs faced with disaster impacts will depend on external sources for additionalfunds. Rehabilitation funds promised by the national government cannot be metoccasionally as planned setting back coordination agreements reached by

stakeholders in the affected LGUs.

2.1.3 Paradigm Shift

The country, through the NDCC, is putting greater attention from reactive disastermanagement to a more proactive approach in line with international frameworks onDRM (Jose, 2006). Since the OCD and NDCC’s creation, PD 1566 has been the basiclaw that guides the disaster management programs, projects and strategiesimplementation in the country. However, it has been observed and noted from pastexperiences, combined with lessons learned and gaps examination, that the lawthat creates the Council is more leaning and gives more emphasis on responseaction, thus, making the implementers reactive to possible disasters rather thantaking a proactive stance in disaster risk management. DRM is used in the sense of dealing with risks prior to a hazard event, and therefore increasingly the NDCC hasadded more activities focusing on mitigation and preparedness. In 2005, thePresident approved the implementation of the NDCC Four Point Plan of Action forPreparedness (4PPAP) which aims to increase public awareness and involvement inmeasures put in place by the government to minimize the impact of disasters in thefuture. Since then, the government through NDCC continued improving theforecasting capability of the warning agencies, engaging LDCCs holding the annualdisaster consciousness month in July, and formalizing partnerships with differentstakeholders through memoranda of agreement. Nationwide promotion andinstitutionalization of DRR has been taking place in terms of instilling awareness,crafting plans and policies, establishing mobilization procedures and coordinationmechanisms for response, improving skills and technical know-how; and recognizinggood practices.

The government also pursues a comprehensive disaster management frameworkthat encompasses disaster risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness in the pre-event; and disaster response, rehabilitation and recovery in the post-event. The




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Philippine DRM conforms with the Hyogo Framework of Action 2005-2015 thathighlight “the need to reduce disaster risks more deliberately and systematicallythrough their integration into policies, plans and programs for sustainabledevelopment and poverty reduction, supported by bilateral, regional andinternational cooperation” (WB, 2009 ). This framework also aims to contribute tothe attainment of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),

such as poverty eradication and environmental sustainability.

Further to this paradigm shift is the inclusiveness of DRM that is evolving in thecountry. The past two years were marked with multi-stakeholder consultations,which were conducted as integral part of two projects that provide direction tofuture DRR in the Philippines, namely the national assessment on the state of DRMand Strategic National Action Plan (SNAP) (NDCC, 2009. Aside from providing ideason what needs to be done, stakeholders were able to exchange information inforums that had not existed before. This watershed in DRR also potentially leads toactually forming a national platform that the country needs. National multi-stakeholders held three times during the period, among others all point to thenecessity to continue the discussion and nurture experience. This augurs well in

consolidating ideas and opinions from various sectors in formulating futurestrategies and charting the direction such as formulating a DRM law and adoptingsteps to set up implementing rules and regulations.

2.1.4 Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA10121)

The law acknowledged that there is a need to “adopt a disaster risk reduction andmanagement approach that is holistic, comprehensive, integrated, and proactive inlessening the socio-economic and environmental impacts of disasters includingclimate change, and promote the involvement and participation of all sectors and allstakeholders concerned, at all levels, especially the local community.”

The Act provides for the development of policies and plans and the implementationof actions and measures pertaining to all aspects of disaster risk reduction andmanagement, including good governance, risk assessment and early warning,knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing underlying risk factors, andpreparedness for effective response and early recovery.

The NDCC will now be called the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Council (NDRMC), empowered with policy-making, coordination, integration,supervision, monitoring and evaluation. Among the functions of the NDRMC are thedevelopment of a national disaster risk reduction and management framework,which shall provide for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, inter-agency andcommunity-based approach to disaster risk reduction and management.

The framework would be reviewed every five years or whenever necessary in orderto ensure its relevance to the times. A P1-billion revolving fund will be allocated tothe OCD to support its functions. The OCD would remain, headed by an




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administrator who shall also be executive director of the NDRMC.

At the local government level, the barangay disaster coordinating councils are nowabolished and its functions would be assumed by existing barangay developmentcouncils, which shall serve as local disaster risk reduction and management councils(LDRRMC). The LDRRMC would ensure the integration of disaster risk reduction and

climate change adaptation into local development plans, programs and budgets asa strategy in sustainable development and poverty reduction.

While the NDRMC would still be recommending the declaration and lifting of a stateof calamity, the LDRRMC may also make its own recommendation to the localSanggunian for immediate implementation. Once a state of calamity is declared,various remedial measures to be undertaken by the member agencies have alsobeen defined by the law, such as the automatic imposition of price ceilings on basicnecessities and prime commodities by the president as provided in the Price Act.

The present calamity fund appropriated under the annual General AppropriationsAct would now be known as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Fund and it shall be used for disaster risk reduction or mitigation, prevention andpreparedness activities such as but not limited to training of personnel,procurement of equipment, and capital expenditures.

It can also be utilized for relief, recovery, reconstruction and other work or servicesin connection with natural or human-induced calamities, which may occur duringthe budget year or those that occurred in the past two years from the budget year.Of the amount appropriated for NDRRM Fund, thirty percent shall be allocated asQuick Response Fund or standby fund for relief and recovery programs in order thatliving conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities,epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be normalized as quickly as possible. Thelaw also provides for the integration of disaster risk reduction education into theschool curricula and Sangguniang Kabataan program and mandatory training forpublic sector employees.




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2.2 Institutions working on DRM

2.2.1 National Organizations working on DRRM (Appendix A)

Table 1. Key stakeholders and institutions on DRRM in the Philippines

Key Institution/s Roles with respect to DRRM

a. Disaster Management Coordination

Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) The OCD is entrusted toensure the protection and public welfareduring disasters or emergencies. The OCDserves as the operating arm of NDCC,supporting discharge of its functions.

National Disaster CoordinatingCouncil (NDCC); Regional Disaster

Coordinating Council (RDCC); andLocal Disaster Coordinating Council(LDCC)

The highest policy-making body on mattersof disasters in the country. NDCC advises

the President on efforts in disastermanagement undertaken by thegovernment and the private sector, therebyserving as the highest policy-making bodyon disaster management. The NDCC isreplicated at the regional and local levels,and these bodies function substantially likethe NDCC, operating and utilizing resourcesat their respective levels.




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Sectoral Government Agencies(e.g. DPWH, DOTC, DOST, DA, DOE,DENR, etc.)

Responsible for carrying out their respectivetasks and responsibilities in disastermanagement including preparedness,mitigation, responseand rehabilitation.

b. Research Institutions

Philippine Institute forDevelopment Studies; Klima/ManilaObservatory; Bicol University;Economy and EnvironmentProgram for Southeast Asia(EEPSEA)

Research (basic and applied) on disaster –related issues.

c. Multilateral and bilateral

organizations and InternationalNGOs

World Bank, UNDP, ADB, USAID,AusAID, GTZ, DFID, JICA

Philippine National Red Cross,Christian Aid , DFID, DRRnet, CDP,etc.

Funding various development andconservation programs in the country,including most of the above-mentionedprojects and institutions.

d. Local partners, CSOs, and private sector

LGUs (e.g. Provincial Governmentof Albay, Iloilo, Marinduque, etc.);Centre for Initiatives and Researchon Climate Change Adaptation(CIRCA); various communityorganizations, corporations andtheir foundations

Implement disaster risk reduction andmanagement projects at the ground




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Figure 4. National government agencies working on DRR/M based on NDCC DisasterFramework

This shows that the cluster approach as a coordination tool to ensure a morecoherent and effective response by mobilizing groups of agencies, organizationsand NGOs to respond in a strategic manner across all key sectors or areas of activity. In the last three years, the disaster response capabilities at the local leveland coordination through the cluster approach were given more attention. Nationalcluster leads (national government agencies like DENR, DEPED and DPWH as shown

above) are lending support to regional DCCs to institutionalize the standards anddimensions of the cluster approach, which aids particularly in the last two phases of disaster framework (response and rehabilitation).

2.2.2 Mainstreaming DRR in national and international organizations

This section provides a background on what national government agencies aretasked to do in the current existing system, prior to the HFA. Relevant legalinstruments and planning tools are mentioned where applicable.

Development Planning

The government started a process to integrate disaster mitigation and sustainabledevelopment issues within the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP),under Development Sector Administration. Within this framework, localgovernments are required to integrate the disaster management plan into the localdevelopment plan. The MTPDP has integrated DRR issues and investment projects.

DSWD




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The MTPDP 2004-2010 has chapters devoted to the environment, infrastructure andnational defense sectors with relevant disaster preparedness and mitigationmeasures. In the Philippine Agenda 21 and Philippine Millennium Development Goal(MDG) there is a lot of emphasis on adaptation to risks associated with currentclimate variability and extremes.

National agencies

Education. The DepEd has put DRR topics as part of the curricula for primary andsecondary public schools.

Science and technology. PAGASA and PHIVOLCS are the country’s warning agenciesunder the DOST. Both are service institutes, as differentiated from purely researchand development institutes. PHIVOLCS operates and maintains a system of monitoring for earthquake occurrences, tsunami detection, volcanic eruption whilePAGASA has one for weather, hydrological phenomena, and climate variability. ThePhilippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) looks after the issuance of advisories on

radioactive fallouts, contamination and radiation accidents to the public, as well asdecontamination of areas impacted by radiation.

Land Use Planning. With respect to siting and land use, the Housing and Land UseRegulatory Board (HLURB) and National Housing Authority (NHA) provide guidelinesfor LGUs and real estate developers. HLURB develops the Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) Cookbook, which promotes GIS as a tool in spatial planning. Diffusionof needed tools and techniques has proven to be a challenge. Some LGUs havebeen using GIS in the preparation of their respective Comprehensive Land UsePlanning (CLUP). The HLURB Resolution, Series of 1992 has a provision againstconstructing buildings within 5m of an active fault.

Environment. The country’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) system hasbeen in place since 1970s. The Department of Environmental and NaturalResources (DENR) oversees its implementation to ensure that hazards and risks aretaken into account in siting development projects. These require sufficient data andinformation from PHIVOLCS regarding geological risks, and land use plans fromHLURB, as well as the identification of mitigating actions in order to address riskmanagement issues. Through its Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), technicalassistance on geohazard mapping and assessment studies of major urban areas andcritical areas is provided in order to reduce disaster risks. The DENR promulgatesrules and regulations for the control of forest fires and forest pest and diseases. Italso undertakes reforestation and establishes control measures in areas prone toflooding, landslide, mudflows, and ground subsidence.

Poverty alleviation. The country’s Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act (RA No.8425) counts victims of calamities and disasters among “the disadvantaged sectorsof Philippine society.” The implementation of the Social Reform Policy is done by theNational Anti-Poverty Commission. A coordinating body under the Office of thePresident, NAPC focuses on programs on poverty alleviation and resourcemobilization for the poor.




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Public works and infrastructure. The Department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH) prepares and identifies evacuation sites during emergencies; provideswarning on impending water releases from dams within its control; providestransportation and communication facilities for disaster operations, and heavy andlight equipment for rescue and recovery operations. It also restores destroyedpublic works, offices and other buildings. The relevant instruments are: (1) R.A.

6541 National Building Code of the Philippines (1972); (2) R.A. 1185 Fire Code of thePhilippines; and (3) the National Structural Code of the Philippines. The fifth editionof the Structural Code (2001) introduces two important improvements: the near-fault criteria which gives “a higher base shear for a building near a known activefault compared to the same building at a remote location. And […] rewardsstructures with more redundancy and alternative load paths.”

Interior and Local government. Among the DRR functions of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is to oversee the organization and activationof the LDCCs in coordination with the OCD. It organizes the Police Auxiliary Servicesand Auxiliary Fire Services in the LGUs. Since 2002, the DILG chairs the NDCCcommittee tasked to give the award called “Gawad Kalasag” to LDCCs,

humanitarian organizations, NGOs, auxiliary/volunteer groups, and international andlocal organizations to recognize exemplary deeds and achievements in the field of disaster management.

Social welfare. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) hasseveral functions that pertain mainly to relief and rehabilitation. Its pre-eventfunctions include the updating of the national relief and rehabilitation master plan incoordination with other partner NGAs; technical assistance for capability buildingpreparedness, mitigation, relief and rehabilitation; linking and coordinating withlocal, foreign and multi-donors for disaster management programs. It also chargedto provide technical guidance in the conduct of post-disaster evaluation to identifystrengths and gaps in disaster management.

Health. The Department of Health has an organized Health Emergency System(HEMS) for more responsive and integrated health response to disasters andemergencies. It also assists LGUs during emergencies in the areas of sanitation,public health concerns, prevention of epidemics, and other health hazards.

Finance and budget. The Department of Finance issues rules and regulations jointlywith the Department of Budget and Management on the preparation of localgovernment budget and the utilization of the 5% reserve for disaster operations. Inline with the government’s program of strengthening the country’s disaster controlcapability the Disaster Management Assistance Fund (DMAF) was created by virtueof Municipal Development Fund – Policy Governing Board Resolution No. 06-10-21-2007. It aims to provide financing, support to mitigation and prevention, responseand relief, and recovery and rehabilitation initiatives of LGUs.

Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture undertakes post-event agriculturalsurveys and maintains data on agricultural crops, livestock, and fisheries in disaster-prone areas to facilitate damage assessment.




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Trade and Industry. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ensures that pricesof basic and prime commodities are stabilized, and that basic necessities areaffordable and complying with fair trade laws.

Transportation and communication. The Department of Transportation andCommunication (DOTC) coordinates the deployment of transport services during

and after disaster occurrence from the national to the local DCC, mobilizes staff,transport and communication facilities of the DOTC Action Center in the disasterarea, and initiates immediate restoration of destroyed infrastructure facilities fortransportation and communication. Through its offices, the DOTC mobilizestransport means to facilitate evaluation of people, undertakes aerial for search andrescue operations in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, andmobilizes regional telecommunication facilities in coordination with the National Telecommunications Center and private providers.

National defense. The Department of National Defense (DND) provides the budgetfor activities to be undertaken by the NDCC Technical Working Group. The ArmedForces of the Philippines (AFP) organizes reaction teams in all military installations

and establishes communication linkages and makes these available in disasteroperations. The AFP also provides assistance to Philippine National Police inproviding security coverage, in reconstructing public infrastructure, and providingtransportation for movement of relief supplies and evacuation of disaster victims.

Tourism. The Department of Tourism (DoT) is obliged to organize and train disastercoordinating groups and reaction teams in hotels, restaurants and other facilities.

International Organizations

Consideration of natural hazards and related risks in country programming of international organizations is critical in securing sustainable long-term developmentand ensuring the effectiveness of organizations’ individual country strategies. Theimportance of DRR has been increasingly recognized in development organizationpolicies since the late 1990s. This shift has been driven by increasing understandingof disasters as unresolved problems to development and by increasing losses fromdisasters. Attention is now turning to the integration of disaster risk concerns intocountry programming and mainstreaming disaster risk management withindevelopment initiatives.

The scope, level and emphasis of country strategies differ between developmentorganizations depending on their areas of specialism, their developmental approachand the scale of assistance provided. To assess how far DRM has been integrated inthe portfolio of development organizations in the country, we assessed whether andin what way disaster risk reduction and management has been considered in theircountry programming through Country Strategy Papers, Country AssistanceProgrammes or Country Assistance strategies in the last or next two to five years. The documents reviewed includes: World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy (FY2010-12), AusAID’s Australia-Philippines Development Assistance Strategy (2007-11), European Commission’s Philippine Strategy Paper (2007-13), USAID’s CountryAssistance Strategy (2009-13), United Nations Development Assistance Framework(2005-09), and JICA and ADB’s Annual Report (2009).




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First, we reviewed whether disaster risk was included as a fundamental componentin describing and analyzing the country’s current situation and medium- and long-term development outlook. AusAID, JICA, UN, ADB and the WB considered disasterrisk and related hazards and vulnerabilities as major development challenges. Forinstance, the Australian government recognizes that the poor are particularly

vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters, among others. Natural disasters areconsidered as one of the major risks to the implementation and effectiveness of AusAIDs country strategies. JICA also emphasized that frequent disasters, such asrecent spell of floods and earthquakes, are critical impediments to sustainedeconomic growth. In addition, the UN believes that “improving the environment andstrengthening the national response to natural disasters will contribute to betterhealth, education and social protection as well as lessen vulnerabilities”. This showsthat most of the development organizations consider natural disasters and relatedhazards and vulnerability are themselves a major development challenge and are acontributory factor underlying other development challenges such as poverty andweak governance.

Next, we tried to identify whether the country programme objectives and strategiesinclude DRR/M. Our review revealed that most of the country programmes, asoutlined below, have direct and prominent treatment to weather-related hazards,disasters and vulnerabilities. Most development organizations considered disasterrisk management as a key area of cooperation and a cross-cutting theme.

AusAIDOne of AusAID’s objectives is to help the population better prepared for andprotected from natural disasters and avian influenza pandemic. This is in responseto the government’s goal on effective emergency and disaster management. Thestrategies include: providing technical advice, equipment and training for disastermanagement agencies, local governments and communities; supplying earlywarning equipments and initiatives to improve avian influenza preparedness.

JICAUnder the ODA loan-supported environmental development project which begun in2008 and executed through the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), JICAprovided mid- to long-term financing to both the private sector and LGUs to help inpreserving and improving the nation’s fragile environment.

ADBADB continued to align its strategies and programs in 2009 through providing a US$ 3 million grant under the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund to assist peopleaffected by Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) and participated with partner agencies in apost-disaster needs assessment to determine the extent of losses caused by Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng (Parma) and to identify recovery and reconstructionmeasures. The loan program expanded significantly due to ADBs support to assistthe government in dealing with difficult economic situation and natural disasters.

UN The UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is focused on the achievementof MDGs and provides for a common strategic framework for the operational




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activities of the UN system, setting out collective priorities and linking these outputsand outcomes to individual UN agency country programs. One of the majoroutcomes included in the current UNDAF is that by 2009, the capacity of stakeholders shall be increased in order to protect and enhance the quality of theenvironment and sustainably manage natural resources. Under this outcomes areoutputs to be delivered by UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, and WTO such that the

environmental disaster management framework and disaster preparedness andresponse plans, and natural disaster management team is better able to provideemergency response services.

World Bank The WB CAS provides the most comprehensive framework for disaster managementassistance for the country. Over the CAS period (2010-2012), the WB group will aimto contribute to achieving more inclusive growth by supporting the Philippines toreduce vulnerabilities by expanding and rationalizing the country’s social safety net,improving DRM, piloting CCA measures and expanding mitigation programs, amongothers. In addition to current commitments for development policy loans, the bankwill use development policy operations in support of DRM and in the context of a

strong reform program in government financial management. Under the strategicobjectives is the reduction of vulnerabilities which aims to support governmentefforts top reduce vulnerabilities for a large part of the population.

In our review, it was apparent that development organization country programmesare mostly aligned with national development and poverty reduction strategies(MTPDP) and set out how they intend to contribute to the achievement of nationalgoals, it is essential that the next administration prioritize disaster risk reduction asa critical development challenge. In addition, more participation from CSOs andNGOs and the vulnerable communities to ensure that their interests are adequatelyaddressed.

2.3 Disaster Management Strategies

With the adoption of HFA in 2005, the Philippine Government (mainly members of NDCC, the country’s focal point for DRM took steps to shift from the focus on relief and response; various stakeholder groups are supporting this anticipatory move.Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – international and national – saw an ally ingovernment as it took on projects with a comprehensive approach to disasters.Foreign-assisted projects provided opportunities where government could take aproactive role in identifying hazards, assessing risks, mapping, informing, andcommunicating with community residents, working with LGUs and LDCCs devisingearly warning systems (EWS), and mainstreaming operations. Below is a list of internationally supported projects on DRR/M in the Philippines for the past threeyears.

Table 2: Internationally supported projects on DRR/M 2007 to present (Appendix B)




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Past and current projects with donor andinternational financial institutions

Funding Agency/ Localand InternationalPartners

HFAActivityArea(s)

Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction andClimate Change Adaptation in LocalDevelopment Planning and Decision-makingprocesses

UNDP, AusAID1

Strategic National Action Plan Project EU, UNISDR, UNDP 1

Learning from Good Practices: Case Studyon the Institutionalization of AlbayProvincial Safety and EmergencyManagement Office

OXFAM-GB,DevelopmentAcademy of thePhilippines (DAP) andPDCC-Albay

1,3

ASEAN Agreement on Disaster andEmergency Response (AADMER)

ASEAN 2

Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction intothe Education Sector and Development inthe Philippines

ADPC/UNDP/ECHO 1,3

Hazard Mapping and Assessment forEffective Community-Based Disaster RiskManagement (READY)

AusAID; UNDP;PHILVOLCS, PAGASA;MGB-DENR, NAMRIAand the OCD

2

Hazard Mapping and Assessment forCommunity-Based Disaster RiskManagement (READY II)Multi Hazard Mapping, Community Based

Disaster Preparedness, Mainstreaming DRR

OCD-NDCC, AusAID;UNDP; PHILVOLCS,PAGASA; MGB-DENR,NAMRIA

2

National Assessment of the State of DRM inthe Philippines

ADB, UNDP 2

Improvement of Methodologies forAssessing the Socio-economic Impact of Hydro-meteorological Disasters

UN-ESCAP; UN-ECLAC;UNDP

2

Emergency Response Network (ERN)IBM InternationalFoundation (ERNSahana Philippines)

2

Web-based Event Database (CALAMIDAT.PH) ADRC 3

Simultaneous Nationwide Earthquake Drillsand the Nationwide Water Search andRescue (WASAR) Training and the Programfor Enhancement of Emergency Response(PEER)

Miami Dade FireRescue Department;USAID, ADPC

3

Online Natural Disaster Risk ManagementProgram

World Bank Institute(WBI); HazardManagement Unit andProVention Consortium

3




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Disaster Risk Reduction City-to-city SharingInitiative for developing countries

WB 3

Mainstreaming DRR in Development Plansparticularly on Land Use and PhysicalFramework Plans

NEDA; DEPED 4

National Geohazards Mapping andAssessment DENR; PHILVOLCS,PAGASA 4

Construction of Hazard Resilient schoolBuildings

DepED 4

Construction of Innovative Buildings

United ArchitectsPhilippines; PrivateSector DisasterManagement Network

4

Community-based Disaster Preparedness:Development of Information and EducationCampaign Materials (2nd Component of theREADY Project)

AUSAID; UNDP;PHILVOLCS, PAGASA:MGB-DENR, NARMRIAand the OCD

5

Partnership for Disaster Reduction inSoutheast Asia (PRDSEA) Phase 4 Project

ECHO/ADPC 2

Search for Excellence in DisasterManagement (Gawad KALASAG) 2007

NDCC 3

Strengthening the Disaster PreparednessCapacities of REINA Municipalities toGeologic and Meteorological Hazards(REINA Project)

UNDP 5

Upgrading the forecasting capability of PAGASA and PHILVOLCS

Japanese Grant AidProgram, JICA, MMDA

5

Disaster Preparedness and EmergencyResponse Facility AusAID 5

Disaster Preparedness in the PhilippinesEuropean CommissionHumanitarian Aid

5

Enhancing the capabilities of local chief executives and their DCCs

LGUs 5

Housing and Livelihood Support to DisasterVictims

DSWD5

Programme on Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (Environmental sectorprogramme) Component: Disaster

Preparedness in the Eastern Visayas

EC, BMZ 5

The following discussion focuses on key cases from strategies, actions, programs (asenumerated above) and policies at the national, regional and provincial level tohighlight the areas of progress in accordance with the five priorities of the Hyogoframework of Action (mostly cited from the official HFA report of the Government of the Philippines).




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HFA Priority No. 1: Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a localpriority with a strong institutional basis for implementation

National institutional and legislative frameworks

The NDCC has been working towards decentralization of DRR in different levels of government. The current legislation on DRR, PD 1566, has been under review sinceamendments were proposed to the Philippine Congress ten years ago. PD 1566 doesnot reflect a comprehensive approach to DRM being more response-oriented. AsDRM covers cross-cutting issues related to land use planning, gender, conflict,multi-hazard approach, indigenous practices, regional differences, povertyreduction, it is essential that coverage is comprehensive and specific articles in thedraft bill are harmonized with existing laws. Interestingly, the recently signedPDRRMA adopts a DRR/M approach that is holistic, comprehensive, integrative andproactive in lessening the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of disasters

including climate change, and promotes the involvement and participation of allsectors and all stakeholders concerned from the national to the local level.

Since the HFA, various stakeholders have been actively pursuing DRR activities. There is institutional commitment from various stakeholders towards recharging thelegal basis of DRR actions. This is shown by active advocacy undertaken by NDCCand NGOs and the consensus is built as opportunities to dialogue increase. Relatedlaws and regulations pertaining to safety, mining, the building code, landmanagement, forestry, etc. are poorly enforced. These legal instruments haveconventionally been dealt with without due attention to their function andcontribution to reducing disaster risk and hazard vulnerability (Appendix E).

This country’s main instrument for socio-economic development, MTPDP 2004-2010incorporates DRR issues and investment projects in different sectors – dealing withenvironment and natural resources, responding to the needs of the poor (disasterrelief), peace and order, science and technology, defense against threat to nationalsecurity. However, the plan has no specific policy statement about DRR and its rolein sustainable development and attainment of the MDGs. It is essential that not onlydoes the MTPDP acknowledge damage from natural resources but that vulnerability jeopardizes development gains due to socio-economic, environmental, andinformation losses. As a national planning document, the next MTPDP shouldexplicitly and formally adopt DRM, with a section dedicated to it. A review of threemajor development plans and programs by Lasco and others (2009) revealed theMTPDP have direct and prominent treatment of adaptation to natural disasters,which in turn may be seen as an indirect manner of addressing climate change,climate-related vulnerabilities and extremes. In the same study, the review of twoother major plans and programs of the Philippine government indicated the sameresults. In the MTPDP 2004-2010, at least four chapters discussed the governmentaim of addressing the needs of victims of disasters and calamities which at leastfour chapters discussed the government aim of addressing the needs of victims of disasters and calamities which mainly refer to climate extremes. The Philippine MDGprogress report has a one-sentence reference on adapting to climate extremes by




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“improving flood control and drainage facilities to help urban settlements cope withdamages caused by flooding and typhoons”. While climate change impactassessment was highlighted in the PA 21, the context implies the need to adapt toit.

DRR is integrated into the National Physical Framework Plan (NPFP). To mainstream

DRR into local development plans such as the provincial physical framework plan,comprehensive land use plan (CLUP), and comprehensive development plan, thenational planning body, NEDA, is developing guidelines for regions and provinces.

Disaster risk reduction is also being integrated in national and local policydevelopment and planning processes. This commitment resulted towards thedrafting of "Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippines: StrategicNational Action Plan (SNAP) 2009-2019" as well as the "Strategic Plan onCommunity-Based Disaster Risk Management (SP-CBDRM) 2007-2011." A series of dialogues and consultations among stakeholders – INGOs, NGOs, academe, andgovernment facilitated the planning process. Field experience of NGOscomplements the scientific knowledge of the science and technology institutions

and academe, and the practical skills and knowledge on post-disaster activities of NDCC. The DRM field has grown to be inclusive of several other players – fromdevelopment planning, housing, environment and disaster fields and thusbroadened the work of NDCC.

Just recently, the SNAP and its 18 priority programs and projects were adopted asthe government policy for DRR/M. The same Executive Order (888, approved 7 June2010) enjoins the systematic institutionalization of DRR in all government agenciesand government owned and controlled corporations through: (1) integrating DRRinto policies and plans; (2) incorporation of DRR programs, projects and activitiesinto their budgets through the explicit recognition of budget lines for these projectsand activities that are appropriate for disaster mitigation and preparedness; (3)participation in the 18 priority projects and programs of the SNAP; and (4)cooperation with national/international NGOs and the private sector towards saferand more resilient communities. LGUs are likewise encouraged to integrate DRR intheir day-to-day operations and planning.

Community Participation and Resource Mobilization

Prior to 2007, there has been minimal exchange of information and coordinationamong stakeholders. New fora for government and other stakeholders (private andcivil society) were initiated. Only the NDCC has a Technical Working Group whichoffers a regular forum which is limited only to its members. However, the FirstNational Conference in Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (NCDRR) in LocalGovernance was convened in 2007 by DILG in cooperation with donor organizationsand academic institutions. Two consecutive National Multi-stakeholder Dialogueswere held in 2007 and 2008 which provided for a platform for local, regional,national and international players in DRR to exchange information and experiencesand move forward. There has been organized networks and federations formed tofacilitate better communication and dialogue such as the Corporate DisasterResponse Network (CDRN), and the Disaster Risk Reduction Network Philippines(DRR NetPhils).




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The NDCC has adopted community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) as amodel to engage communities in DRR undertaking. The evidence for this is craftingof the Strategic Plan to Integrate Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (SP-CBDRM) for 2007-2011 as part of the Partnerships for Disaster Reduction inSoutheast Asia (PDRSEA) Phase 4 Project supported by the Asian Disaster

Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the European Commission. Projects after HFAadoption have championed community participation. While many NGOs possess theskills and resources to mobilize people, many LGUs do not have such capacity.

Mobilizing resources also led to linking non-governmental/private volunteerorganizations, the government apparatus and communities altogether. Partnershipsat national and local levels facilitated actions that were directed at all phases of thedisaster cycle, and not just response or relief.

HFA Priority No. 2: Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance earlywarning

Risk assessments and early warning systems

There has been increasing institutional commitment among research and academicinstitutions as well as national agencies on science and technology towardsdeveloping practices to streamline risk assessment in the country and it is beingattained through projects funded by international donors. The evolving practicescome from experiences built on a previous post-disaster project, scientists, localgovernment leaders, NGOs and community members are increasingly finding waysto collaborate in science-based monitoring and early warning in prioritized townsand cities.

The NDCC is undertaking a multi-hazard mapping and assessment project inpartnership with key government agencies such as PHILVOLCS, PAGASA, MGB,NAMRIA, and other government agencies. The project, which is consideredsignificant in terms of DRR assistance which set a trend, is the READY project orHazards Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community Based Disaster RiskManagement (dubbed as such to connote disaster preparedness). It is built onexisting structures and it provides the environment for stakeholders to worktogether with clear roles and responsibilities to perform. For instance, it utilized themulti-agency group called Collective Strengthening of Community Awareness forNatural Disasters (CSAND) that existed previously and supported by the UNDP. Italso works with the PNRC project on “Strengthening the Disaster Capacities of Communities in the Philippines” (supported by AusAID). Risk assessment issupported by science-based information, technological know-how, tools and multi-hazard maps.

READY project focuses on high risk areas which were selected based on the size of the population and the number of hazards to which they are vulnerable. It marksthe first attempt to approach disasters in a multi-hazard fashion. The goal of strengthening capacity of key stakeholders sits well in terms of creating an enabling




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environment in communities. The project encompasses the DRM process (includingcommunity-based early warning system and information, education, andcommunication (IEC) activities and provides invaluable input to creating a standardmethodology that can be replicated to the rest of the country (Fernandez and Javier,2010). The data and information generated are used for disaster risk managementand planning by sectoral agencies and LGUs.

The government is also strengthening on early warning systems for all majorhazards. PHIVOLCS and PAGASA are expanding facilities and equipment and trainingof personnel to enhance monitoring and forecasting capabilities. The early warningsystem had improved with the acquisition of new Doppler radars of PAGASA whichenable it to give more accurate local weather forecasts in five regional centres inthe country (WB, 2009).

Regional cooperation

Dialogue among NGOs and international donor agencies takes place through roundtable discussions. Recently, the Philippines' Senate ratified the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Agreement on Disaster Management andEmergency Response (AADMER), and with that the agreement is expected to enterinto force by the end of 2009. The ratification marks a significant highlight inASEAN's collective efforts to build a disaster-resilient community by the year 2015. The agreement binds ASEAN member states into legal responsibilities to promoteregional cooperation and collaboration in reducing disaster losses and intensifying joint emergency response to disasters in the ASEAN region. The Philippines activelyparticipates in ASEAN regional cooperation on risk reduction. This is mainly throughthe joint disaster drill called ASEAN Regional Emergency Response SimulationExercise (ARDEX) held annually in a host ASEAN country and each with a differentdisaster scenario. The exercise tests regional capacity to respond and renderhumanitarian assistance using a different disaster scenario every year. In 2009,ARDEX will be hosted by the Philippine Government. Also, the Philippines is a partof the Partnerships for Disaster Reduction South East Asia. Now in its fourth phase,the project aimed to enhance leadership, national capacity and regional knowledgein the institutionalisation of community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM)into the socio-economic development process in four countries (Cambodia,Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam).

HFA Priority No. 3: Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels

In early 2005, the NDCC implemented the Four Point Plan of Action on DisasterPreparedness (4PPAP) which strengthens the DRM stance of the country andenhances its disaster prevention strategies. This aims to increase public awarenessand involvement in measures put in place by the government to minimize theimpact of disasters in the future. This plan of action also provides direction to allNDCC member-agencies in terms of the allocation of capacities, capabilities andresources. Among the activities contained in NDCC’s 4PPAP, notable is thedesignation of July as the National Disaster Consciousness Month in order to




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heighten public awareness on the importance of disaster prevention, mitigation andpreparedness through simultaneous nationwide earthquake drills, search and rescueexercise, seminars, and the “Gawad Kalasag” award.

Public awareness and information campaigns on disaster risks are being conductedby NGOs, private and civic organizations and national and local government

agencies. For example, a component of the READY project is the IEC campaign inwhich maps are disseminated to vulnerable communities. The Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) under DOST produces articles and pressreleases to the media. Film showings are also utilized by PHIVOLCS regularly andPAGASA also conducts annual seminars on themes like disasters, ENSO and climatechange. The cyber world is starting to be utilized. Website such as CALAMIDAT.PHand online learning programs such as the Online Natural Disaster Risk Managementprogram of the World Bank Institute and partners.

Schools are integrating DRR concepts in their curricula. The Department of Education (DepEd) is working on including DRR in elementary and secondarycurricula. The teachers are also informed in DRR by including the concepts in Teacher’s Education Curriculum. At present, education in DRR is still limited in scopeand education materials are still inadequate. NDCC and DepEd, in partnership withADPC, undertook a project to develop DRM modules for integration into thesecondary school curriculum. The module includes information on disasterpreparedness, prevention and mitigation of hazards and risks of natural events tovulnerable communities and areas. Disaster awareness has formed part of thelearning core competencies under the Science and Social studies subjects in publicelementary and high schools.

Programs such as Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies (HOPE) under the Programof Emergency Response (PEER) has been organized by NDCC, along with concernedgovernment agencies and supported by USAID.

HFA Priority No. 4: Reduction of the underlying risk factors

While environmental laws in mining, forestry, protected areas, agriculture andfisheries, wildlife resources, toxic substances, hazardous and nuclear wastes andpollution control exist, most of these do not explicitly include disaster risks plan andresponse. Furthermore, the enforcement of these laws is weak causing furtherdecline and degradation of the natural resource base of the country. The degradedcondition of forest, mangroves, river systems from which most of the communities

depend on leads to severe disaster impacts.

NEDA is trying to sensitize local planning capacities with DRR. NEDA is activelybuilding awareness and capacity to mainstream DRR in land use and physicalframework plans. The National Land Use Committee prepared the NationalFramework for Physical Planning which indicated hazard prone areas for future landuse and physical plans. Some progress is foreseen as capacities of the regionaldevelopment councils and development councils of provinces, municipalities andcities built to implement risk-sensitive planning.




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The government has implemented social development policies and plans such ashousing for informal settlers, livelihood projects and health care to reduce thevulnerability of populations at risk. It is also currently working on the establishmentof a conditional cash transfer system that will help to cushion shocks experiencedby poor households. In the rural sector, crop insurance for palay and high valuecrops and livestock insurance through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation(PCIC) are available but many farmers do not subscribe or are not aware that suchinsurance exist. In accordance with RA 656 which mandates all heads of government office to secure from the General Insurance Fund all insurance coveringpropertied and other insurable risks of natural and manmade disasters, GovernmentService Insurance System (GSIS) called on all government agencies to insuregovernment properties.

Since the NDCC institutionalized the cluster approach through a circular issued in2007, some significant DRR actions have been initiated. The cluster approach isproviding a forum for stakeholders sharing a specific concern called “cluster” (forexample, education) to be proactive in terms of all phases of DRM. Regularmeetings of a few clusters have thus created a continuum, increasing prospects forDRR integration in the disaster cycle, including rehabilitation and recovery. TheBuilding Safe Learning Environments (BSLE) Project (June 2007-June 2008)implemented by DepEd with funding support from UNICEF, Swedish and Dutchgovernments, covers both structural and non-structural mitigation measures indisaster-affected schools and daycare centers in four provinces.

Mainstreaming DRR in the infrastructure sector is being addressed by an ADPC-NDCC project that incorporates risk impact assessment procedures beforeconstruction of new roads and bridges. The DPWH has provided a venue for othergovernment agencies, professional organizations of civil engineers, and otherinterest groups through a national workshop on MDRR in the infrastructure sector. The DepEd also started a program on school building resistant to hazards, forlearning and public use, serving as evacuation centers in post-disaster situations.NDCC has also partnered with My Shelter Foundation, United Architects of thePhilippines, and the Private Sector Disaster Management Network in planning andorganizing for the construction of innovative school buildings. Under a partnershipwith other civic and media organizations, the Millennium School DesignCompetition, an international search for a durable and environmentally-friendlydesign was held.

HFA Priority # 5: Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all

levels

The government is intensifying efforts to institutionalize DRR at the national,regional and local levels through memoranda of agreement (MOAs) and programsfor institutional capacity building. Steps had been undertaken in the form of preparation and contingency plans crafted by DCC. OCD has assisted more than 50priority provinces (total: 81 provinces) in preparing contingency plans. Otherprovinces will be assisted as funds become available. Based on insights from LGUs




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experiences, the manual on “Contingency Planning for Emergencies” for LGUs hasgone through its 3 rd edition in 2007. UN Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR)continues its support to the manual’s production, and the conduct of contingencyplanning and training activities. A few communities though showed outstandingperformance in many areas of DRR. It is also noteworthy that in September 2008,the DILG through its regional offices is conducting an “audit” to assess the disaster

preparedness of LGUs and to generate benchmark information on whetherprovinces, cities and municipalities are prepared or not. In relation to disasterpreparedness training, the OCD has initiated the crafting of a DRM Capability Plan of the DND. Towards this end, key officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines andDND are invited to participate in the Strategic Planning Workshop on September2008.

During hazard events, relevant information is exchanged among the keystakeholders on response and relief. The OCD operates and maintains the NDCCOperations Center (NDCC OPCEN), a 24/7 facility with continuously trained staff backed up by equipment, stable systems, and sound procedures. The NDCC OPCENis activated into an Emergency Operations Center in the event of a disaster. All

NDCC member agencies with disaster response mandate are required to send focalpersons to the facility during the activation period to speed up coordination andinformation management. The facility is linked with international response systemslike the UNDAC, INSARAG, the virtual onsite operations and coordination center, andthose within the ASEAN region. Post-event reviews that involve various stakeholdersare starting to be regularly conducted. For example, a significant post-event reviewof the December 2006 typhoon disaster in Bicol region was undertaken through a“lessons learned” workshop five months later. This workshop was organized by theNDCC and the UNDP.




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Box 1. Disaster-proofing development in Albay, Philippines

The Province of Albay, under the leadership of its governor, recognizes disaster andclimate change as major threats to social and economic development and to theattainment of the MDGs and to the improvement of Human Development Index andthat it will make difficult to alleviate poverty in the developing world like thePhilippines.

Albay along with the rest of Bicol Region is highly vulnerable to natural disastersbecause of its geographical location. Located at the eastern Pacific seaboard, Albayis especially vulnerable to tropical storms and cyclones, which bring destructivewinds, heavy rainfall and storm surges several times a year. Typhoons affecting theprovince and the Philippines as a whole, form in the Pacific Ocean, and move in awest-northwest direction, many times the wind intensifying to speeds of 200 kph.

Table 3 shows the affected population and damages caused by tropical cyclonesfrom 1994 to 2006 in Albay Province. Although there is no clear temporal trend onthe number of people affected and cost of damages, it is important to recognize thehigh vulnerability of the province to typhoons. Human settlements living along thecoastlines are vulnerable to storm surges. Similarly, houses located atmountainsides with steep and unstable slopes are prone to landslides andmudslides.

Table 3. Summary Report: Disaster Occurrences in the Province of Albay (1994 –2006)

TyphoonOccurences

Year

Affected Population TotalDamages

(US$)Person

sDea

dInjured

Missing

1 Typhoon Akang 1994

18,036 47 112 1 2,211,904

2 Typhoon Gading 1994

6,799 1 2 1 1,546,644

3 Typhoon Mameng 1995

10,126 0 0 0 1,588,884

4 Typhoon Rosing 1995

440,372

44 20 2 11,991,106




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5 Typhoon Pining 1997

1,800 0 0 0 836,956

6 Typhoon Loleng 1998

201,834

1 7 1 6,754,448

7 Typhoon Sendang 1999

1,122 0 0 0 2,444

8 Typhoon Reming 2000

27,547 12 1 2 7,188,989

9 Typhoon Senyang 2000

22,882 0 0 0 91,111

10

Typhoon Dindo 2004

33,892 0 6 1 5,038,046

11

Typhoon Unding 2004

1,744 0 0 0 942,094

12

Typhoon Yoyong 2004

18,372 0 10 1 1,124,229

13

Active Low Pressure– ITCZ

2005

19,062 4 0 0 3,099,983

14

Tropical Storm Caloy 2006

47,065 0 5 0 2,207,708

15

Typhoon Milenyo 2006

698,460

14 176 37,007,025

16

Typhoon Reming 2006

1,060,875

604 1465 419 71,787,460

TOTAL 153,419,031

Source: APSEMO and Provincial Social Welfare Department [2007]

Box 1. continued

Albay is the only province in Bicol that has an operational management office thatprovides effective coordination of the various stakeholders towards promotingefficient intervention on disaster preparedness and emergency response. Thesuccessful implementation of sustainable disaster management programs is due tothe presence of a permanent office overseeing disaster-management-relatedactivities in the local level (Arguelles, 2007). The Provincial Disaster OperationCenter (PDOC) was established in 1992 and was tasked to provide technical andadministrative functions of emergency-related services. In July 1994, the AlbayPublic Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) was institutionalized byvirtue of Sanguniang Panlalawigan Resolution (SPR) No. 155-94. It is an independentdepartment that serves as the technical secretariat and administrative arm of theProvincial Government of Albay (PGA) in terms of DRM. It was created to empowerthe management of the PGA along public safety and disaster risk management.

It supports the Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) in theimplementation of organization’s objectives as mandated by the Presidential Decree




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No. 1566 and other related laws. It is tasked to administer effective and efficientinterventions into distress areas in coordination with the different PDCC organic andregular members in the Province of Albay. APSEMO administers and supervises thesystematic delivery of services to the public in terms of Disaster Risk Managementand Public Safety coordination with the Local Disaster Coordinating Councils(LDCCs), PHIVOLCS, PAGASA, GAs and NGOs due to the effects of natural and man

made calamities. It also facilitates the restoration and rehabilitation of disaster-stricken communities. Specifically it is tasked to: (1) delineate the functions of Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council members and volunteers before, during andafter the calamity impact; (2) enhance communication linkages within theorganization and between sectors involved in public safety anchored on disasterpreparedness, mitigation, response and recovery; and (3) maintain activecoordination between and among the LGUs, GOs, NGOs and PDCC member agenciesto ensure timely and appropriate action on disaster-related activities.

Various indigenous local response mechanisms to landslides, floods, strong windsand heavy rainfall are apparent in some communities in the province. However, theAPSEMO is still on the process of documenting and verifying the effectiveness of

these mechanisms (Daep, 2007).

The institutionalization of the Provincial Disaster Management Office into APSEMOas one independent department has strengthened the disaster managementcapability of the provincial government of Albay. The establishment of thisindependent body has ensured the continuity of the province’s programs on disastermanagement and strengthened the effective coordination of the various institutionsfor more efficient management. It has also been chosen as a venue of disastermanagement seminars and trainings, and conduct of drills and exercise due to theavailability of facilities and resources and competent staff. According to Salceda(2010), among the key features of Albay’s disaster risk management are outlinedbelow:

Mitigation

Since 1994, the provincial government allocates 2% of its annual budget to theAPSEMO aside from the 5% calamity fund. Another specialized unit has beencreated in 2009, the Albay Millenium Development Goals Office (AMDGO) so as toensure that the current and future plans and programs are aligned with the MDGs.Risk assessments are also conducted with the help from national researchinstitutions andBox 1. continued

foreign funders. Activities include risks and resource mapping, geostrategic(relocation) and engineering (flood control and alternative routes) interventions; andupdating of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) with climate-related hazardsand vulnerabilities. Another feature that the government has pioneered is that allprovincial facilities and school buildings in the province are insured with the GSISand provides for universal health coverage which provides all households withaccess even to private medical services during emergency situations.

Disaster Preparedness




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The PGA maintains close coordination with warning agencies (e.g. PAGASA andPHIVOLCS) and some DRR NGOs. Community-based warning and evacuationplanning is continuously being conducted. Institutional unit such as Albay HeathEmergency Management (AHEM) is being organized and strengthened. SafeSchools, Safe Hospitals and permanent safe evacuation centres are being built and

prepared. Validation survey of all school buildings for structural safety (design),safety from hazards (location) and safety for health are conducted and water-sanitation facilities to 700 school building are being provided. Rescue equipmentsare being acquired and deployed as well as communication facilities. Education andtraining are continuously conducted.

Response and Relief

Information boards (infoboards) for alerts and announcements are being installed inareas most accessible to the public. Evacuation protocols are well-establishedencouraging village-initiated evacuation. The provincial government also providesfunds for maintenance of evacuation centers and needs of evacuees. Pre-emptive

evacuation is considered as key response mechanism to achieve zero-casualty goal.For 16 years, Albay maintained its zero casualty performance during Mayon Volcanoeruptions and previous disasters, except for 2006 when Typhoon Milenyo claimed 14lives (Ramo, 2010). The province is declared as an open-city once a disaster strikesso as to facilitate the flow of disaster relief. Demand-side relief was introduced inthe premise that cash is most flexible relief support and has pump priming effect.

Rehabilitation

Damage and Disaster Assessment System (DDAS) is well-established processrefined over many cases of disasters. It is coordinated by APSEMO that leads aninterdepartmental team who coordinates with their national counterparts. Damageassessment process uses Risk Mapping as its starting point, preparedness activitiesand the pre-disaster warning phase and the emergency phase. Data gathering isspread out and information analysis and dissemination is centralized.

Albay’s DRM initiatives essentially integrate risk reduction to its entire developmentgoals- MDG. Thus, as part of the overall development strategy, DRM becomes aninvestment with huge economic returns in the long run. Like the PGA, localgovernments assume primary mandate in the DRM effort as they are in the frontlinein confronting the escalating impacts of climate change on their constituents on theground (Salceda, 2010). The PGA considers funding for risk reduction and itssustainability as one of the barriers to their DRM programs since internal revenueshas remained to be limited.

2.3 Challenges and recommendations to mainstreaming DRR

Governance




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PD 1566 does not reflect a comprehensive approach to DRM. The new DRM billrecently approved provides a more comprehensive coverage. However, itsimplementing rules and regulation should also cover cross-cutting issues related toland-use planning, gender, multi-hazard approach, poverty reduction, amongothers. It should also be anchored on existing environmental laws and regulations,which are mostly poorly enforced. And environmental laws and regulations shall be

dealt with due attention to the possible functions and contribution to reducingdisaster risk and vulnerabilities.

Prior to 2007, there was minimal exchange of information and experiences amongstakeholders. Since the HFA, various stakeholders have been actively pursuing DRRactivities; however, multi-stakeholder fora should be intensified and needs morefunding. The representation of other stakeholders should be more sufficient.

The capabilities of local government in disaster preparedness and response need tobe strengthened. All LGUs, particularly the most vulnerable ones, should have adedicated office to handle disaster management. This, however, entails cost. Thecoordination between municipal, provincial, regional, and national preparedness and

response mechanisms should also be strengthened. Many LGUs and DCCs are notaware of their DRR function; their organizational and institutional capacities areweak. Changes in the local officials every after elections brings in new personnelthat are not properly trained and do not have proper orientation in terms of DRM. The use of the LCF is not known and often misunderstood by local officials,particularly; they are unaware that the LCF can be used for pre-disaster activities. There is a need to inform them about how to strategically make use of the fund forDRR activities.

Risk identification and early warning

Availability of data and information and a more coherent strategy towards puttingup an ‘information system’ (e.g. database). Information exchange and knowledgesharing should also be encouraged and promoted among and between LGUs. Earlywarning and forecasting systems exist, howevertechnical equipment and facilitiesneeds constant updating and maintenance. The challenge of setting up earlyeffective and accurate early warning system (EWS), that delivers accurate warninginformation of potential hazards dependably and in a timely manner to authoritiesand populations at risk that will enable them to take action, remains.

Knowledge management and education

IEC should be progressive so there is a need to measure the degree of awarenessand knowledge enhancement. Information dissemination programs should involvelocal communities, NGOs and other civil society orgs to promote ‘ownership’ toensure sustainability. The job of facilitating stakeholders’ involvement bears mostlyon local DCCs, which themselves need capacity building in the area of communityparticipation. Local officials can be ‘champions’ in raising public awareness aboutDRR. They have an important role to play in raising public awareness for DRR.Learning opportunities through seminars, workshops, fora, field trips, among others,




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can be utilized. Good practices on DRR can be shared so as to motivate and provideknowledge to make DRM a priority in the local governments. DRR training courses,seminars, and workshops (such as those that are organized by PAGASA andPHIVOLCS) should be conducted for specific target groups and localities based onthe hazards and vulnerabilities. Training needs assessment for prioritized groupscan also be conducted.

Much work is needed to integrate the EWS in the emergency preparedness andresponse planning. NGAs also need to be alert on what guidelines may be neededand what technical assistance and knowhow can be shared to communities andtheir LGUs and LDCCs.

Reducing underlying risk factors

Integrating DRR into natural and social support systems should be institutionalized.Coping with disasters should be an important part of poverty alleviation programs

and environmental protection and conservation activities.

Although there have been actions on mainstreaming DRR in the construction of roads and bridges, it should be highlighted that the key for a more successfulintegration of DRR in construction is to include risk reduction measures in theplanning phase. Also, in building safety of schools, it is important to make sure thatthe school building are resistant to hazards, particularly those that are serving asevacuation centers.

In addition, building on the strengths of the DSWD and in partnership with otheragencies/organizations oriented towards social service (health, water andsanitation, housing), the lessons learned should be incorporated into developmentplanning and disaster/emergency planning, especially at the local level. LDCCsshould play an active role in addressing pre-event concerns of safety and well-beingof the vulnerable population and the poor communities, in cooperation with thesocial service providers in their respective LGUs.

Insurance and risk transfer options (and incentives) should be put in place . Thereare very few financial institutions that provide emergency loans for poor andaffected families. The key players in the insurance industry and governmentagencies should work on exploring risk transfer options. Micro-financing should beexplored wherein savings and insurance instruments could protect poor communitymembers who are most vulnerable to disasters through life insurance benefits, loanredemption fund, and burial benefits.

Disaster preparedness

Mainstreaming in line agencies is hampered by unresponsive organizationalstructures and practices that need modification and adaptation to the riskmanagement process. More contingency planning and training activities should beconducted. LGUs need further guidance from national government agencies and




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their regional offices to pursue DRR as an intrinsic part of a devolved function andas an element of the development strategy. Updating plans, particularly CLUPs andcontingency plans, pose a challenge to most LGUs. Disaster and other climate-related hazards should be included in CLUPs.

As institutionalized by NDCC, the cluster approach has worked well in terms of

coordinating stakeholders in rehabilitation and response process. This approachcould also be used for preparedness and contingency planning. Updating plans,particularly contingency plans, pose a challenge to most LGUs. Also, differenthazards identified in different parts of an LGU needs corresponding appropriateemergency preparedness methods. Therefore, hazard identification should be madewell and scenarios analyzed as necessary. OCD should also enable RDCCs toconduct contingency planning exercises and in turn provide assistance to theLDCCs.




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3. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

3.1 Policy and Institutional Framework

The Philippine Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729) was signed into law on 23October 2009. The main content of RA 9729 is the creation of Climate ChangeCommission (see Appendix C) which will incorporate climate change concepts inpolicy and development plans, as well as receive funds and endowments to addressthis problem. The law also provides for the formulation of the Framework Programon Climate Change and National Climate Change Action Plan, aims that have

already been mentioned in previous legislations. Three commissioners assumedoffice for a span of six years. A total of 23 government agencies, local governmentunits and representatives from the academe, business sector, and non-governmentorganizations (NGOs) will compose the body’s Advisory Board to ensureaccountability. The final Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of the ClimateChange Act was signed by the President, and the new commissioners last January18, 2010.

Since 2007, there is a significant rise in interest on climate change issues amongpolicy makers and government agencies. However, the country’s attempt toaddress climate change begun in the early 1990s with the creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change (IACCC). The IACCC is tasked to coordinate

various climate change-related activities, propose climate change policies andprepare the Philippine position to the UNFCCC negotiations. Prior to that was theformulation of the Philippine Strategy for Sustainable Development (PSSD) which ledto the official adoption of the Agenda 21 by formulating the Philippine Agenda 21and the creation of the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development in 1992. Thecountry signed in June 1992 the United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC) and ratified it on August 2, 1994. It also signed the Kyoto Protocolon April 15, 1998 and ratified it on November 20, 2003 in order to participate in theClean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Prior to the creation of the PCCCA was the creation of the Presidential Task Force onClimate Change (PTFCC) on February 20, 2007. PTFCC is tasked to address the issue

of climate change, mitigate its impact, and lead in adapting to these impacts. It iscomposed of the DENR Secretary as chair, with the secretaries of Department of Energy (DoE), DOST, DA and Department of Interiors and Local Government (DILG),with two representatives from the private sector/civil society, as members. Amongits functions are: a) conducting rapid assessments on the impact of climate change,particularly on the most vulnerable sectors of water resources, agriculture, coastalareas, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, among others; b) ensure strict complianceto air emission standards and urgently combat deforestation and environmental




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degradation; c) undertake/initiate strategic approaches and measures to prevent orreduce GHG emissions, including fuel efficiency, energy conservation, use of renewable energy, waste management, etc.; d) conduct nationwide massive andcomprehensive public information and awareness campaigns; e) design concreterisk reduction and mitigation measures and adaptation responses, especially toaddress short-term vulnerabilities on sectors/areas where climate change will have

the greatest impact; and f) collaborate with international partners to supportstabilizing GHG emissions, and institute mitigating and adaptive measures; and g)integrate and mainstream climate risk management into development policies,plans and programs of the government.

Box 2. Climate change-related initiatives of the Philippine Government

The national government has in the last 20 years undertaken a number of milestones critical to addressing climate change in the Philippines:

• Creation of the Philippine Climate Change Commission by virtue of theRepublic Act 9729: Climate Change Act of 2009

• Creation of the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change (PTFCC) onFebruary 20, 2007

• Designated the DENR as the National Authority for CDM by virtue of Executive Order No. 320 signed on June 25, 2004, and issued theImplementing Rules and Regulations last August 2005 through DENRAdministrative Order 2005-17.

• Signed the Kyoto Protocol on April 15, 1998 and ratified it on November 20,2003 in order to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).CDM is a flexibility mechanism established under the Kyoto Protocol thatallows governments or private entities in developed countries to implementcost-effective emission reduction projects in developing countries as asupplement to domestic actions, and for which the developed countries

receive carbon credit in the form of "certified emission reductions" (CERs). Itin turn allows developing countries to achieve sustainable development bydirecting private sector investment into emission reduction projects.

• Philippine Clear Air Act (1999) provides that the DENR together withconcerned agencies and LGUs prepare and implement national plans that arein accordance with UNFCCC and other international agreements, conventionsand protocols on reducing greenhouse emissions. In addition it establishesthat meteorological factors affecting ozone depletion and GHGs should bemonitored and standards set

• Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (1997) establishes that theDepartment of Agriculture together with other appropriate agencies, shouldinto account climate change, weather disturbances and annual productivity

cycles in order to forecast and formulate appropriate agricultural andfisheries programs.

• Signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) on June 1992 and ratified it on August 2, 1994

• Creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change (IACCC) on May 8,1991 by virtue of Presidential Administrative Order 220. Chaired by the DENRSecretary, co-chaired by the DOST Secretary and composed of 15government agencies and NGOs, the IACCC is tasked to coordinate various




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climate change-related activities, propose climate change policies andprepare the Philippine position to the UNFCCC negotiations.

National Framework Strategy on Climate Change

One of the mandates of the CCC is to formulate a National Framework Strategy onClimate Change (NFSCC). With the vision of creating a climate risk-resilientPhilippines with health, safe, prosperous and self-reliant communities, and thrivingand productive ecosystems, the President signed the National Framework Strategyon Climate Change last April 28, 2010.

The NFSCC is committed towards ensuring and strengthening the adaptation of ournatural ecosystems and human communities to climate change. In the process, theFramework aspires to chart a cleaner development path for the Philippines,highlighting the mutually beneficial relationship between climate change mitigationand adaptation. As a matter of principle, the Framework aggressively highlights thecritical aspect of adaptation meant to be translated to all levels of governance

alongside coordinating national efforts towards integrated ecosystem-basedmanagement which shall ultimately render sectors climate-resilient.

Figure 5. National Framework Strategy on Climate Change

The national framework is formulated within the context of the country’ssustainable development goals and governance/institutional factors that affect thecountry’s ability to respond to climate change. This Framework Strategy provides a




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basis for the national program on climate change. It identifies Key Result Areas tobe pursued in key climate-sensitive sectors in addressing the adverse effects of climate change both under adaptation and mitigation. In order to achieve the keyresult areas, it is important to ensure that cross-cutting strategies are likewise givenattention. As means of implementation, the framework puts forward multi-stakeholder partnerships, financing, valuation, and policy planning and

mainstreaming.

Among the sectors which have taken climate change issues into their programs isthe water resource sector. The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) formulatedthe Water Sector Adaptation Strategy on Climate Change (NWRB, 2009). It wasdeveloped to reduce the vulnerability of the water sector and increase the resilienceof communities and ecosystems to climate change utilizing a broad basedparticipatory process of key stakeholders of the sector. Four strategic outcomes tobe achieved by 2050 are identified supported by 12 strategic objectives and severalkey actions for 2010 to 2022. The strategic outcomes for the sector include:effective, climate change response, and participative water governance; reducedwater sector vulnerability and resilient communities and natural ecosystems;

improved knowledge on water sector adaptation and climate change; andsustainable and reliable financing and investment for climate change adaptation inthe water sector.

3.2 Organizations working in CCA

Climate change measures require coordinated efforts among the different sectors of society. This is recognized and demonstrated in current institutions created tooversee climate change measures in the country. Other key stakeholders andinstitutions are also identified and described in this section following Table 4.

Table 4. Key stakeholders and institutions on CC adaptation and mitigation in thePhilippines

Key Institution/s Roles with respect to CC

a. Climate Change Coordination and Advisory Bodies

Philippine Climate Change Commission(PCCC)

[IACCC; PTFCC; Advisory Council onClimate Change Mitigation, Adaptationand Communication; PresidentialAdviser on Climate Change]

Primary agency for the formulationand implementation of plans for thecountry to better prepare for andrespond to climate change and

natural disasters

Coordinating bodies (created prior toPCCC) in charge for all climatechange activities by the government




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b. National Agencies

NEDA

NDCC – and its local version (regional,

provincial, and municipal DCC)

Sectoral National Government Agencies(e.g. DENR, DOE, DA, DOST, DND, etc.)

PAGASA, NAMRIA

Preparation of blueprint of government programs (i.e. MTPDP)

Coordination of disaster

management measures duringemergency

Implementation of CC Adaptationprojects based on their sectoralmandate, as stated in their names

Provision of weather information

c. Academic/ Research Institutions

UPLB; ICRAF; Klima/Manila Observatory(ADMU); Bicol University; Economy andEnvironment Program for SoutheastAsia (EEPSEA); CI; UP-MSI and NIGS;Silliman University

Research (basic and applied) on CCAdaptation – related issues.

e. Multilateral and bilateralorganizations and International/nationalNGOs

World Bank, UNDP, ADB, BritishEmbasssy-Manila, USAID, AusAID, GTZ,DFID, JICA, WWF, CI, Oxfam, PLANInternational, NTFP-EP, Christian Aid,Earth Savers Movement, CARENetherlands, Philippine Network onClimate Change; Greenpeace; PRRM,EDC

Funding various development andconservation programs in thecountry, including most of the above-mentioned projects and institutions.

f. Local partners, CSOs, and privatesector

LGUs (e.g. Provincial Government of Albay- CIRCA, Iloilo, and Palawan);various community organizations,corporations and their foundations

Implement CC adaptation projects atthe ground




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3.3 Climate Change Adaptation activities in the Philippines

Development Planning

A review of major development plans and policies (i.e the 2004-2010 Medium TermPhilippine Development Plan (MTPDP), the Philippines Millennium Development Goal(MDG), and the Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) showed that (a) climate changeadaptation has not been mainstreamed in the Philippines; (b) whenever climatechange is recognized, the focus has been more of mitigation especially now withrising interest in the CDM; and (c) because of the geographical location, there ismore emphasis on adaptation to risks associated with current climate-relatedvariability and extremes (e.g., tropical cyclones, floods, and landslides) (Lasco et al.,2009). This showed that clearly, national decision makers do not yet see climatechange (adaptation) as a high priority issue in the context of national developmentplans. This is primarily because national priorities are biased towards more pressingconcerns and the pervasive lack of awareness on the impacts of climate change tosustainable development. However, there are massive investments oninfrastructure projects designed to adapt to climate-related hazards such as floods. These projects could provide an entry point in integrating climate changeadaptation.

The recent MTPDP, 2004-2010 mid-term updating exercise shows additionalprogress in the mainstreaming of climate change in decision-making. The latestdraft shows more mention of climate change in the updated document. Climatechange was mentioned in the Green Philippines chapter but also in the samemanner as stated above. However, climate change was, for the first time,mentioned in the Agribusiness chapter; firstly, in the context of S&T-basedinnovations in the sector, especially for mitigation, and, secondly, in the call for theadoption of climate change adaptation models/technologies for agriculture.

In the energy sector, the major programs focus on energy efficiency as well aspromotion and use of new and renewable energy (NRE) sources. Under thePhilippine Energy Plan (PEP) – 2004 to 2013, the NRE sources are envisioned tocontribute significantly to the country’s electricity requirements. The primaryenergy supply from NRE by 2013 is projected to increase to 53 percent of the totalsupply (400.91 MMBFOE ) from 51 percent of total supply (273.98 MMBFOE) in2004. Furthermore, the Biofuels Act (2007), which was designed to pursue energysufficiency and security, in a way helps reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines’ Midterm Progress Report on the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, it is suggested that climate change creates an opportunity for

the Philippines’ to channel large-scale debit-for-equity programs to reforestation,clean water, irrigation and food production programs. In other words, climatechange is seen to have a devastating impact on the attainment of the MDGs mostlythrough a series of natural disasters, and, therefore, the report highlights theimportance of climate change adaptation and long-term disaster risk management(NEDA, 2007).

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awareness-raising and capacity-building and to empower LGUs in autonomouslyresponding to climate change and preparing their adaptation plans. Among thenational government issuances are:

• DILG-MC 2008-69 (Encouraging LCEs and Sanggunians to ImplementClimate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Measures);• DILG-MC 2008-123 (Mobilizing Local Actions to Address the Impacts of

Climate Change);• DILG-MC No. 2008-161 (November 3, 2008) (Trainer’s Training on MobilizingActions to Address the Impacts of Climate Change);• DILG-MC No. 2009-21 amending MC No. 2008-123 to include the NationalMovement of Young Legislators as one of the institutional partners inMobilizing Local Actions to Address the Impacts of Climate Change; and• DILG-MC 2009-73 (National Conference on Empowering LGUs to Clean theAir and Address Climate Change Through Partnership).

Compliance with these memorandum circulars had been slow and limited. Forinstance, as of April 2009, only four out of 17 regions have complied with thesecirculars (APN-GCR, 2009).

In December 2009, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) andthree University of the Philippines (UP) units recently signed memoranda of agreement (MOA) to conduct programs and projects amounting to some P11 millionfor climate change adaptation. Through the agreement, NEDA will tap the academicexpertise of various UP units to deliver three outputs – sectoral climate changevulnerability and impact assessments, a climate change monitoring and evaluationsystem, and a compendium of good and innovative climate change adaptationpractices. The sectors that will be covered for climate change adaptation areagriculture, forestry (including biodiversity), health and water. There are otherinitiatives by government agencies on climate change, including those funded byinternational donors.

As a signatory to the UNFCCC, the Philippines is committed to submit the NationalCommunication. The Initial National Communication that was submitted in 1999outlined the plans and options for mitigating GHG emissions and climate changeadaptation options (Philippines Initial National Communication, 1999). Inpreparation for the Second National Communication (SNC), technical studies onclimate change vulnerability and adaptation and greenhouse gas inventory of thefive sectors: agriculture, waste, energy, transportation and LULUCF are beingundertaken. The SNC is expected to be completed soon.

Vulnerability and risk mapping

It is only recently that climate change adaptation interventions have been initiated. The focus of these interventions is the agriculture sector. This includes theProvention Consortium grant-funded “Agriculture Climate Risk Assessment Project”which focuses on crop modeling, insurance, and agricultural assets. The Coral Triangle Initiative, which is a new multilateral partnership to help safeguard themarine and coastal resources of the Eastern Pacific that has also been launched.

The Manila Observatory implemented a project entitled, Mapping Philippine




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Vulnerability to Environmental Disasters, which identified areas in the country thatare at high vulnerability and risk to environmental disasters. It involved downscalingglobal climate models to sub-regional levels and an atlas which mapped andanalyzed hazards and disasters via geographic information systems (GIS) andenvironmental modeling tools was produced. These national-scale vulnerability andrisk maps point to where hotspots are likely to occur as well as their possible forms.

Disaster preparedness strategies and plans may, thus, be pursued on the initiativeof the concerned sectoral representatives as well as stakeholders within localities. The projections were based on shorter time frames to improve forecast changes andprovide information on their agricultural implications at the local levels(Resurrrecion et al, 2008). In terms of access to information, MO’s Klima ClimateChange Center serves as the national body to disseminate information on climatechange, raise awareness and conduct relevant research, and support nationalcapacity building.

The DENR with funding support from the World Bank is currently identifying andmapping vulnerable and hazard prone areas (Resurrecion et al, 2008). This projectaims to guide policy makers in their decisions. For instance, vulnerability and

hazard maps will help planners to appropriately identify the land use for suchvulnerable areas.

The Adaptation on Climate Change and Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCBio) in thePhilippines is a three year project (2009-2011) being implemented by the DENR withsupport from the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The project aims to developand implement relevant adaptation strategies to compensate the impacts of climatechange and loss of biodiversity in the country. The project is composed of fourcomponents: (1) institutional strengthening and capacity development; (2)adaptation of policies and strategies; (3) showcasing of best practices throughprovision of funding for climate change adaptation strategies and biodiversityconservation projects; and (4) awareness creation.

Aside from research organizations, the private sectors are also taking their share inthe climate change adaptation efforts of the country. For instance, Smart, atelecommunication company, is working with MO and PAGASA on telemetric raingauges in disaster-prone areas. Also, Unilever, a private company is working with Yes2Life Foundation to restore dead coral reefs (Resurrecion et al, 2008).

There are also a number of projects-based adaptation initiatives implemented andfunded by bilateral and multilateral agencies. One such project is implemented bythe International Labor Organization (ILO) in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte to build theadaptive capacity of the farming communities affected by severe flooding due toclimate change (ILO, 2009).

The World Bank’s Philippine Climate Change Adaptation Program (PHILCCAP)provides a window for sectoral initiatives to reduce climate change vulnerability of key productive sectors. The project aims to reduce the negative impacts of theincreasing risks due to climate change on poverty alleviation and economicdevelopment, particularly in agriculture and natural resources management, andthrough enhanced interagency coordination with respect to climate changeadaptation and natural hazard risk management. The project, which is envisaged as




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the first phase of a long-term adaptation program by the Government of thePhilippines, is expected to have the following four building blocks: (i) improvecoordination of adaptation policy by DENR; (ii) implement climate risk reduction inkey productive sectors; (iii) strengthen proactive disaster management within theNDCC; and (iv) enhance provision of scientific information for climate riskmanagement. The first phase, costing about $5 million, will focus on establishing

the institutional set-up best suited for guiding country and sector responsiveadaptation activities to reduce the country’s vulnerability to associated risks;develop country specific solutions to adaptation risk management; and developreliable climate risk information. The second phase will focus on scaling up bestpractices and lessons learned in the first phase; and more generally cause climatechange and disaster risk assessment and awareness in the key development sectorsof the country; while expanding investments to all major sectors of the Philippines.

The joint UN programme on Strengthening the Philippines’ Institutional Capacity toAdapt to Climate Change seeks to assist the Philippines address the above keystrategic issues directly affecting the achievement of the MDGs by pursuing thefollowing three (3) outcomes: climate risk reduction (CRR) mainstreamed into key

national & selected local development plans & processes; enhanced national andlocal capacity to develop, manage and administer plans, programmes & projectsaddressing climate change risks; and coping mechanisms improved through pilotdemonstration adaptation projects.

Mainstreaming climate change adaptation

One of the first initiatives to integrate climate CCA and DRM in the country was theproject by the Manila Observatory in 2006. The project was a pilot project forcommunity-based, inter-disciplinary work which aimed to integrate existing disasterrisk management concerns with long-term climate change response and overallsustainable development through capacity building and technical assistance. Thecommunity of the project was the Mag-asawang Tubig Watershed, which iscomposed of Calapan City and the municipalities of Naujan , Victoria , Baco, San Teodoro, and Puerto Galera. This area is particularly vulnerable to flooding,landslides and heavy siltation brought about by the frequent episodes of extremerainfall, as well as to earthquakes and tsunamis.

The First National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation in Albay last October2007 brought the concern of climate change and adaptation into the public’sconsciousness. The First Conference aimed at exploring concrete adaptation optionsto address the potential impacts of climate change and discuss the policy

implications for local government units. Graced by no less than Her ExcellencyPresident Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice President Noli De Castro and thesecretaries of key executive agencies and public intellectuals, climate chang eadaptation soon gained momentum and has become a priority agenda in thenational policy arena.

The Albay Declaration on Climate Change Adaptation (Albay Declaration 2007) isthe embodiment of a convergence of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary effortsto arrest the imminent threats and dangers posed by radical ecological shifts




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occurring to our beloved planet earth. Both Congressional houses recognized theAlbay Declaration as the national framework for the mainstreaming of globalwarming leading to climate change adaptation.

Following the initiative of the Provincial Government of Albay, other localgovernments are looking into mainstreaming climate change adaptation into their

local policy and developmental planning process. A Policy Dialogue with main actorsconvened by the DENR Secretary and the Presidential Advisor on Climate Change inMay 2009, has paved the way towards developing a National Strategic Frameworkon Climate Change Adaptation with Technical Working Groups from various sectorsnow developing the key inputs for a Philippine Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.However, there is a need to examine the current initiatives on adaptation at thenational, regional and local level to ensure harmonized and concerted efforts in linewith local requirements and taking into account recent scientific knowledge and theactual discussion in the international policy dialogue on climate protection underthe UNFCCC.

Among the pioneering initiatives to mainstream climate change adaptation in thecountry is the project implemented by the NEDA with support from UNDP andAusAID in 2009. The project was entitled Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction andClimate Change Adaptation in Local Development Planning and Decision-makingprocesses which aimed to mainstream the integrated concerns of DRR and CCA intolocal decision making and planning processes. DRR is conceived as a defenseagainst the hazardous impacts of climate change and variability such as extendeddroughts and floods. The project aimed to bring awareness and understanding of DRR/CCA to the community level, incorporating it into local level land-use anddevelopment plans. The project also included the enhancement of multi-stakeholdercooperation by creating mechanisms for their participation. The project is verytimely as it will promote a medium- to long-term strategy to rebuild the disasteraffected areas into stronger and more resilient communities, while frontlineagencies and local government units currently focus on the quick recovery of theseareas.

The project built on the DRR methodologies and tools developed under the recentlyconcluded NEDA-EC-UNDP Project on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management intoSubnational Planning which are embodied in the Guidelines on Mainstreaming DRRin Subnational Development and Land Use/Physical Planning.

The National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation + 2 (NCCCA+2) wasconducted two years after the first conference. It looked back at the gains of theFirst Conference after two years of concerted efforts and how national and local

policies have been translated into actions in the light of international developments.Participants from national agencies, local governments, academe, NGOs and otherinterest groups was informed of the developments in international policydiscussions on climate change, particularly adaptation as it relates to disaster riskreduction and mitigation. Discussions in plenary was structured around thePhilippine climate scenario (from the Second National Communication to UNFCCC)and the advances made in national and local policies as in the National StrategicFramework on Climate Change Adaptation. The participants discussed further issuesand actions towards adaptation. The Second Conference served as a venue to




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validate the relevance of the National Strategic Framework on Climate ChangeAdaptation to local governance. A Leaders Forum was organized in the morning of the third day targeting the Regional Development Councils and a high-level PolicyDialogue in the afternoon for the adoption of the Philippine Strategic Framework onClimate Change Adaptation. The Manila Declaration urging the President to adoptthe Climate Change Action Agenda on technology transfer, new additional financial

assistance, capacity building and research.

Box 3. Lessons learned: Initiatives of the Provincial Government of Albayon Climate Change Adaptation

The Province of Albay was among the hardest hit during the 2006 typhoon season, withdeadly mudslides that descended the slopes of Mt. Mayon volcano, which looms high over Legazpi City,burying homes and farmland, killing almost a thousand people and displacing almost half a million. Duringtyphoon Reming alone, according to the NDCC, more than a thousand people lost their lives, three thousandwere injured, 891 missing and 300,000 displaced, countrywide.

The devastation brought by the string of typhoons in 2006 and the pressure beingput on the province by the unpredictability generated by climate change served aswake-up call to local authorities. The PGA immediately came up with activities andmeasures that would increase the resilience of the community to existing risks andevents at the same time develop sufficient room to allow for uncertain futureclimate events.

From a local government perspective, the extent to which an issue such as climatechange becomes successfully institutionalized in its day-to-day operations, planningand decision-making can be evaluated, the PGA follows a four-step-principle in itsinitiatives:

1. Making it a goal

At the initiative of the Governor, the province has a strong drive to address climatechange. Also, several of his staff has an understanding on climate change and thevulnerability of the province to present and future climate risks.

The interest of decision makers in climate change has been enhanced in Albay asthe result of a series of extreme weather events in 2006 (i.e. a series of storms andhigh tides), which resulted in loss of thousand of lives and extensive infrastructuraland agricultural damage. Although not directly attributable to climate change, andhave been aggravated by the presence of volcanic hazards, these events haveraised general awareness of the kind of impacts that may be experienced in aclimatically changed future. As a result, there has been increased political andadministrative support for climate change-related work in the province.

The creation of these actions is reflective that the present political leadershipconsiders disaster management and climate change adaptation as top priorities of the province. One should not, however, be naïve and imagine that the integration of climate proofing considerations into political and administrative decision-making is




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likely to be a smooth process. Based on past experience, anything that affectsbudget lines and the province’s current desired development path is likely to resultin contestation between the various parties involved.

It is also important to note that climate change is ostensibly a global concern, theimplications of which are focused on global levels, and that very little has been

done to fully understand its local impacts. It requires a move to the understandingand communicating the impacts of climate change that is locally applicable.

Also, it is a difficult challenge convincing policy makers to integrate climate changeadaptation to development policies since climate change impacts are based onlong-term projections. Given the significant development pressures that exist at thelocal level (i.e. poverty, hunger, unemployment,

Box 3. Continued.

among others) local government planners and decision makers in many cases donot have the luxury of being concerned about global change. It is important to find

ways to integrate climate change adaptation into sustainable development planningin such a way that the policy makers will see climate change as an issue needingimmediate action. Therefore, key to any attempt to embed the climate change issueat the local government level is the ability to answer the question: “What does itmean for my province, city, or town?”

The need to answer this question in Albay resulted in the creation of the Center forInitiatives in Research on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) and strengthening of its APSEMO. The governor and some of his staff are actively participating on localand international climate-related conferences to further strengthen their knowledgeand understanding on the issue.

2. Ordaining Policies and budget lines

As a result of the first NCCCA and followed by the creation of CIRCA, climate changeconcerns are gradually influencing the development planning of the province. Theprovince has passed a number of legislations with regards to climate changeadaptation. Also, there have been several memoranda promoting awareness DRMand CCA.

Currently, the province is on the process of updating and reviewing its CLUP for DRRand CCA. In the 2008 Plan Objectives and context of the province, it is recognizedin the settlement and land use issues that the province is host to active volcano andis situated in the typhoon belt. Likewise, the existence of communities orsettlements in volcanic hazard areas and other areas prone to severe flooding andlandslide, necessitates that disaster management awareness among populace andthe disaster management operations of LGUs should be strengthened to effectivelyrespond to natural and man-made calamities occurring in the province.

The provincial government of Albay has allocated 9 percent of its total regularbudget for climate change and disaster risk management activities. The CIRCA and




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A2C2 program, APSEMO and calamity fund receives 2, 2 and 5 percent respectively. The A2C2 program is under the Environmental Management category which alsoinclude solid waste management and environmental enhancement program;rehabilitation and protection of mangrove and micro-watershed areas; enforcementof forest laws in CBFM project areas; conduct of tree planting activities; quarryingregulation program; and maintenance of soil, water and conservation station (PAIP

Albay, 2007).

3. Executing Programs

In August 2007, the provincial government resolved that environment (i.e. theimportance of environmental protection, conservation and management) should beincluded in the curricula of all schools, colleges and universities in the province. Aseries of capacity-building activities was conducted starting off with the Training of Trainors to facilitate the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation in thecurricula of education. In partnership with DepEd, Commission on Higher Education(CHED), Bicol University (BU) and private universities in the province, Albay initiated

various activities such as theBox 3. Continued.

conduct of essay writing and poster making contests, viewing of documentaries andconduct of seminars to propagate global warming awareness.

Also, the province’s agricultural rehabilitation program (AIARP) indicates its short term and long termgoals: disaster preparedness and rehabilitation, and climate change adaptation, respectively. Currently, theprogram is focusing its activities to organized farmer clusters for typhoon preparedness and rehabilitation.Adaptation strategies in the agriculture sector i.e. resilient varieties and water conservation practices arecurrently being explored. Following are some initiatives in line with its aim to promote environmentallysustainable practices, most in partnership with private corporations and government agencies:

The Barangay Level Composting project aimed to reduce the volume of

garbage dumped at landfills by processing compost into organic fertilizer,thus reducing methane emissions form agricultural lands;

The Linis Kalog (Clean up of rivers and creeks) is constantly done to reducethe occurrence of floods and the damage it may cost;

The conduct of mangrove reforestation in several areas (e.g. theestablishment of 10ha of mangrove plantations in the coastal areas of Manito, Albay;

The implementation of watershed management seeks to adapt to the impactof heavy rain on soils.

4. Building institutions

A further outcome of the 1st NCCCA was the realization that successful developmentand roll-out of the Albay Declaration would require that the task be appropriatelyresourced, both from a human and financial perspective. This required institutionalchange, as no formal climate change mandate existed anywhere within theprevailing provincial structures. Thus, the creation of CIRCA. This change to theprovincial institutional structure was approved in 2007 and funds have now beencommitted, placing a full time staff to CIRCA and supporting its activities, as a first




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step towards realizing its functions.

Since the institutionalization of the APSEMO in 1994 and CIRCA in 2007, both havestaff that are dedicated and committed to disaster management and climatechange adaptation, respectively. In the earlier stages of CIRCA, there are limitedinteractions between the staff of the two organizations (Daep, 2008) although some

of the activities of CIRCA are more on disaster risk management particularly withregards to information dissemination and conduct of training and workshops ondisaster preparedness and risk reduction. Recently, the coordination between thetwo institutions flourished as seen in the involvement of both in communityvulnerability assessments, contingency planning, and curriculum development. AClimate Change Academy was recently established to strengthen the PGAscampaign for education and awareness on climate change, not only in the provincebut nationwide.

It is, however, important to note that mainstreaming climate change adaptation inthe day-to-day decision-making in LGUs may require considerable additional workand wider responsibility –thus, may require additional staff and time. Also, there is a

need to clarify and strengthen the links between climate change adaptation,disaster risk management, and development. In addition, the activities, programsand projects to be launched by new institutions like CIRCA should be made relevantto or integrated with existing institutions like APSEMO, structures, procedures andactivities.

3.4 Key Areas of Progress and Challenges

It is noteworthy that the province of Albay, through its governor is taking a stronginitiative to promote climate change adaptation not only in the province, butnationwide as well. This drive is embedded in the fact that the province is among

the most vulnerable in terms of climate-related and geologic hazards. It is the firstlocal government to work on climate-proofing development.

Aside from Albay, a number of provinces such as Iloilo - province most ravaged by Typhoon Frank (Fengshen) in 2008, and Palawan – an island province, are starting toimplement activities on addressing climate change specific to the needs of theirareas.

The province of Palawan undertook some action planning and initiatives to addressclimate change concerns (Perez, undated). They provided some recommendationsfor National Government (NG) action which include the creation, enhancement orstrict implementation of coastal laws (Fisheries Code of 1998, mining laws, etc),

regulations (on land use, zoning, etc) or programs (Disaster Management Program,Coastal Environment Program, Coastal Zone Management); and the formulation of guidelines and legislation for the implementation of an integrated coastal zonemanagement for all coastal zones in the Philippines. Climate change is expected tofurther stress the world’s natural ecosystems. Among the projected impacts of climate change is the loss of thousands of species as well as changes in naturalecosystems. The loss of these ecosystem goods and services hits hardest the poorin developing countries since they are heavily dependent on natural systems andlack resources to protect themselves from ecosystem changes (Duraiappah, 2004




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as cited by Villamor and Boquiren, 2008).

While Iloilo started a project aimed to establish sustainable end-to-end institutionalsystems for the generation and application of locally tailored climate information; tobuild capacity to apply these in real-time in selected locations in the Philippines;and to scale up applications nationally in order to mitigate the impacts of droughts

and floods. The Bangkok-based ADPC, PAGASA, IPG, LGU-Dumangas implemented aprogram entitled “Climate Forecast Applications (CFA) for Disaster Mitigation” withsupport from USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. It aims to strengthennational capacity to manage impacts of climate variability on climate-sensitivesectors, such as agriculture. Climate Field School (CFS) was established as a flagshipactivity under Climate Forecast Applications (CFA) piloted in Dumangas, Iloilo in Julyto September 2007. It hopes to enhance the capacity of extension workers andfarmers to understand and apply climate information in order to reduce flood anddrought risks in agriculture (Toledo, 2009).

With more than half of the total area of the Philippines at risk of natural disastersmaking 81% of its population at risk, more local governments are likely to draw

lessons from the Albay initiatives and eventually from Iloilo and Palawan, and applythem into their respective localities, wherever suitable.

At the national level, climate change is slowly being integrated in different plansand programs. However, the progress is slow. Although climate change has beenmentioned more frequently in the updated MTPDP, it continues to be narrowlydirected, being mentioned in only two chapters. Climate change proves to be a lowpriority in terms of public resource allocation. Similarly, in terms of national laws,Lasco et. al. (2007) found that few environmental laws address climate changemitigation (i.e. Clean Air Act) and/or prescribe adaptation strategies to potentialimpacts of climate change. In a study conducted by Lasco et. al. (2009), there was aconsensus (95 percent of the respondents) that mainstreaming climate change in

policies and programs is important and about 59 percent concurred that it has notbeen mainstreamed in the country. The study concluded that climate change is stillseen as peripheral when compared to more pressing social issues such as povertyand economic growth. However, there is a great opportunity to improve the linkagebetween climate change adaptation and development particularly in terms of disasters and weather-related hazards.

There has been a little progress in terms of mainstreaming of climate change in thedecision-making processes of LGUs, however, this will still take some more effortsdue to lack of information as well as the short planning horizon of local governmentexecutives. The former challenge can be handled through a more extensive andintensive IEC campaign through trainings, seminars and dialogues. Getting localexecutives to consider climate change in their decisions is, however, more of achallenge. Thus, the need to further instill ownership in local government staff.

While some adaptation strategies and awareness raising activities are undertakenby some groups in communities, there is weakness regarding linking these with thelarger municipal, provincial and regional plans and programs. Ways and means tosystematically involving volunteers and community members in climate changeadaptation activities and development processes should be done by the LDCCs led




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by the local chief executive. Roles and responsibilities must therefore be assignedto all stakeholders.

At the national level, the newly crafted National Framework on Climate Change hasput greater emphasis on adaptation. The document was formulated within thecontext of the country’s sustainable development goals and governance and

institutional factors that affect the country’s ability to respond to climate change.However, the document does not detail specific steps but sets the strategicdirection the government, the private sector and the general public would follow tocome up with their precise programs to address the effects of climate change.

It is important to note that agriculture and water resources should be the prioritysectors, which are inter-linked, and food security and water scarcity issues shouldbe looked at in parallel in the context of climate change. The water resource andagriculture sectors are starting its initiatives on including climate change in itsmajor strategies (Appendix E). There is the need to mainstream climate changeadaptation in other sectors besides water and agriculture. Appendix E alsosummarizes the main features of selected Philippine policies on environment and

natural resource management, and their respective possible impacts relating toclimate change in the country. It is noticeable that only very few of thesegovernment policies directly address the mitigation of climate change, and/orprescribe adaptation strategies to the potential impacts of climate change. Most of the policies appear to prescribe merely reactive – not proactive – strategies tomitigate the impacts of and/or adapt to climate change (Lasco et.al., 2008).

Integrating CCA into support systems for the poor and victims of disasters needs tobe institutionalized. Issues pertaining to food and grains, in particular and povertyalleviation, in general are dealt with in a piecemeal manner. Coping with climatevariabilities and future climate changes should be an implicit part of povertyalleviation programs and very much associated with post-event relief activities.

It is also important to note that hazards present risks to societies because of humanity’s vulnerability to them, and underlying vulnerability are factors such asinequality, marginalisation and globalisation. But acknowledging that the impactsof hazards on the environment are also, and increasingly, the cause of heightenedrisk emphasizes the need to address not only humans’ vulnerability to changes inclimate, but also how anthropogenic changes to ecosystems affect and characterizerisk.

Box 4. Recommended adaptation priorities of key sectors in SoutheastAsia (ADB, 2010)

Key sectors (i.e. water, agriculture, forestry, coastal and marine, and health) of Southeast Asian countries have made encouraging initiatives for climate changeadaptation. Below are the recommended priorities for these sectors.

In the water resources sector, the priority is to scale-up existing good practices of water conservation and management, and apply more widely integrated water




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management, including flood control and prevention schemes, irrigationimprovement, and demand-side management.

In the agriculture sector, the priority is to strengthen local adaptive capacity byproviding public goods and services, such as better information, research anddevelopment on heat-resistant crop varieties and risk-sharing instruments such as

index-based insurance schemes.

In the forestry sector, the priority is to enhance early warning systems andawareness-raising programs to better prepare for potentially more frequent forestfires as a result of climate change; and implement aggressive public-privatepartnerships for reforestation and afforestation.

In the coastal and marine resources sector, the priority is to implement integratedcoastal zone management plans, including mangrove conservation and plantation.

In the health sector, the priority is to expand or establish early warning systems fordisease outbreaks, health surveillance, awareness –raising campaigns, and

infectious disease control programs.

In the infrastructure sector, the priority is to introduce “climate-proofing of transport-related investments and infrastructure.

There is a need to further mobilize greater and more diverse sustainable sources of financing that are nationally appropriate for climate change, especially in theprivate sector. In terms of mainstreaming, among the first to react are thedevelopment agencies as evidenced by efforts to “mainstream” adaptation into aidprograms and projects. Individually and collectively, international multilateral andbilateral organizations have responded to the increasing challenge of climatechange with an agenda for action to integrate climate concerns into the mainstreamof developmental policy making and poverty-reduction initiatives (World Bank,2008). This is proven by the increasing number of programs supported by theseorganizations in the country particularly on climate change adaptation. The nationalgovernment should make sure that climate change is one of its priority since mostof the country strategies (as the argument been proven in the disaster section) arereflective of the governments’ development agenda.

Although several organizations like Manila Observatory, ICRAF, CI, and EEPSEA andsome NGOs started efforts to find solutions to address climate change, there stillremains a huge information gap in terms of vulnerabilities, risk, and adaptationstrategies. There is a need for more research support from the government andother funding organizations. The science and research wings of the governmentparticularly the agencies of DOST, DENR, and DA should further widen theirresearch thrust to include climate change issues.

Finally, there is also a need to nationally promote climate change issues, problemsand solutions to be translated into local context and with a language that peoplecan understand.




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4. PROGRESS IN INTEGRATION OF CCA AND DRR




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4.1 Overall gaps and needs

Natural disasters and climate change affect various natural, economic, social, andpolitical activities and processes. Hence, these challenges need to be addresses in amore holistic, integrative and participatory manner at all scales, on all politicallevels and all sectors of society.

Historically, there are two separate communities of policy makers, practitioners, andresearchers working on DRR/M and CCA evident in the limited overlap in approachand strategies, organizations and institutions, funding mechanisms (see Table 5)and even in meetings and conferences, research methods and tools, and language.

Table 5. General characterization of the CCA and DRR/M communities in the country

Disaster Risk Management Climate Change Adaptation

Approach

- Risk management, VulnerabilityReduction

- Engineering and national science-based events and exposure

- Shift from reactive to proactiveapproach

- Local scale- Community-based- Short-term, real-time forecasting

(but increasingly long-term)

- Risk management- Strong scientific basis- Vulnerability perspective- Multi-disciplinary approach- Global scale- Top-down- Long-term perspective

Organizations and Institutions

- United Nations- Provention Consortium (The World

Bank)- IFRC- International, national and local civil

society groups and NGOs

National Council for DRR/M- National Defense (DND) as lead

- Interior and Local Government,Social Welfare and Development,Science and Technology andNational Economic Development

- UNFCCC- IPCC- Academe and research- National and local NGOs

Climate Change Commission- Environment and Natural Resources,

Agriculture, Energy, and National

Economic Development

Strategies

- NDCC/DCC Response Systems - National Communication to the




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- UN ISDR- Hyogo Framework of Action- ; 4 point Agenda from 2005National

DRR/M Framework (to be adopted)- SNAP

UNFCCC- National Framework Strategy on

Climate Change

Major Policies

- Philippine Disaster Risk Reductionand Management Act of 2010 (RA10121), 27 May 2010

- Adopting SNAP and institutionalizingDRR (EO 888), 7 June 2010

- Philippine Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729), 23 October 2009

Funding

- National Defense/ emergencyresponse (National Calamity Fund,now the National DRR/M Fund)

- International Humanitarian Funding- Multilateral Bank- Bilateral Aid

- Special Climate Change Fund- Adaptation Fund

Modified from Thomalla, et.al., 2006

The increasing political momentum due to the number of typhoons that ravaged thecountry in the past four years, the overlapping objectives of DRM and CCA in

general are increasingly being reflected in international agreements, governmentpolicies, as well as in some projects and programs in the country. There has indeedbeen an increase in mutual interest evidenced by the recent policies and programs,growing number of major conferences and policy dialogues, knowledge sharing andmulti-stakeholder coordination, but there is still some way to go.

4.1.1. Disaster risk management

Based on the last two to four years of experience, multi-stakeholder participationand consultation have increased. The changes in policy framework andmanagement strategies on DRR are adequate to show that the country has shiftedfrom a reactive disaster response to a more proactive disaster management. Amongothers, the issue that needs to be resolved is how to efficiently and effectivelyensure the implementation of a more proactive DRM in the country. The newlysigned PDRRM Law, though provides for a more holistic, comprehensive, integrativeand proactive approach in lessening the socioeconomic and environmental impactsof disasters including climate change, and promotes the involvement andparticipation of all sectors and all stakeholders concerned from the national to the




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local level, should be harmonized with existing environmental laws. Moreimportantly, institutional coordination is needed between and among national,regional and local agencies. While more stakeholders from the NGOs and privatesector are getting involved, the inclusiveness of DRM in terms of actors should beenhanced by conducting more stakeholder consultations to provide for futuredirection of DRR in the country (i.e. in the preparation of the Philippine DRRM

Framework and Action Plan).

The LGUs seem to be in the best position to implement DRM effectively. Localchampions are necessary to instill DRR and ensure DRM ownership particularly inraising public awareness and instilling knowledge and capacity specific to the needsof their constituents. Capacity building is deemed necessary particularly to LGUs. Itis also important to discover how existing capacities can be used to the fulladvantage of the entire DRM community. However, financing mechanisms need tobe explored. Local internal resources are insufficient, thus resource mobilization isneeded.

Progress in terms of mainstreaming DRR in the country has been encouraging but

rather slow. There have been significant steps taken from both the nationalgovernment through its agencies, more particularly in the education andinfrastructure sector. Development organizations’ programming shows promise interms of mainstreaming DRR into their development work in hazard-prone countrieslike the Philippines. Thus, it is necessary that the government makes DRR a priorityin its development agenda. It is also essential to put in place mechanisms andprocesses through which stakeholders can contribute and participate withinappropriate legal mandates and institutional arrangements.

The newly signed PDRRM Law encourages the National DRRM Council, to be led bythe OCD, to coordinate with the Climate Change Commission in the development of assessment tools on the existing and potential hazards and risks brought by climatechange to vulnerable areas and ecosystems as well as the formulation andimplementation of a framework for DRRM and CCA in all policies, programs andprojects.

4.1.2 Climate change adaptation

Though there have been a number of significant steps the national governmenthave taken, there is still a need to design national policies, programs and

development interventions so that adaptation to current and future climate-relatedchanges is enabled and not hindered.

The government has created the PCSD in response to its 1992 Earth Summitcommitments. The IACCC was established a year earlier in 1991. More recently, thePTFCC and the Advisory Council on Climate Change (ACCC) were also formed afterthe ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2003. Additionally, President Arroyo hasmade “Green Philippines”, which is also a chapter in the Updated 2004-2010Medium Term Philippine Development Plan, as one of the “8 in 8” priorities (NEDA,




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2008). And most recently, the country has signed into law it’s Climate Change Act of 2009 and established the Climate Change Commission, a first in the region.Increasingly the Philippines, both at the national and local levels, have begun to payattention to the adaptation-side of climate change, by promoting climate changerisk management initiatives.

It is interesting to note, however, that the newly crafted NFSCC considers disastersi.e. natural meteorological and meteorologically-influenced hazards of primaryrelevance to the overall resilience of the country to climate change. The NFSCCsuggests cross-cutting strategies, multi-stakeholder partnerships, financingvaluation and policy planning and mainstreaming. It also considers DRR in its cross-cutting strategies i.e. in capacity development, knowledge management andinformation, education campaigns.

Box 5. Disaster Risk Reduction as a key result area in the NFSCC

In the overall effort of combating the effects of climate change, disaster riskreduction (DRR) shall be the first line of defense. Thus, beyond normal relief operations, the Framework Strategy shall expand and upgrade the country’scapacity to address and anticipate disasters such as typhoons, floods, andlandslides. This would bring a renewed focus on science-based early warningsystems and capacity-building for local government units and organizations fordisaster preparedness and risk management. This would also entail vulnerabilityassessment of communities as well as prioritized disaster planning andmanagement for areas in the typhoon-path and flood-prone areas.

Objective: Reduce disaster risks from climate change-induced natural hazards.

Strategic Priorities

a. Adoption of a responsive policy framework to serve as an enabling environmentfor reducing losses from natural disasters, including climate change-related risks.

b. Use of the best available and practicable tools and technologies from the socialand natural sciences as decision aids and support systems to stakeholders inpreventing, reducing and managing disaster risks.

c. Enhancement of institutional and technical capacity to facilitate the paradigmshift from disaster response to disaster preparedness and mitigation.

d. Enhancement of national monitoring, forecasting and hazard warning systems;and improve effectiveness of early warning systems available to communities.

e. Mainstreaming of climate and disaster risk-based planning in national and localdevelopment and land use planning thru the application of disaster riskassessment and by further supporting capacity development, including thepreparation/ gathering and dissemination of appropriate data and mapsnecessary for national, regional, provincial and city/municipal planning.




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4.2 Current mechanisms and incentives, and barriers to integration

This study assessed current efforts to address disaster risks and climate change inthe Philippines, focusing particularly on aspects that can help build the inter-linkage/s between DRM and CCA. In this context, we tried to explore several keycomponents of climate proofing development including knowledge on climate riskand vulnerability (i.e. information and communication), institutional capacity andcoordination, local government and community initiatives, and financing DRM andCCA. Drawing from the review of institutional and policy initiatives on DRM and CCA, Table 6 summarizes the principal mechanisms and incentives, and barriers thatshaped how integration progressed to date. These key points are expanded in thesections that follow.

Table 6. Progress toward integration (incentives and barriers) of DRR/M and CCA inthe country

Existing Mechanisms/Incentives Existing barriers to integration

Knowledge on climate risk andvulnerability:

Updating of forecasting capabilities Increasing IEC campaigns Schools are integrating DRR

concepts in their curriculum(primary and secondary schools)

Starting to incorporate risk andimpact assessment procedures

before construction of new roadsand bridges

Increasing institutionalcommitments towards developingpractices to streamline riskassessment

Involvement in regional discussions,agreements, and dialogues

Limited forecasting capability Unutilized existing data sources Difficult access to data and

information Past and current adaptation

strategies to disaster-related eventsare largely not documented

Lack of/limited analysis of potential

climate change impacts andvulnerabilities;

Education in DRM and CCA is stilllimited in scope and educationmaterials are still inadequate

Gaps in awareness andunderstanding of risk

Institutional capacity and coordination:

Existing coordination structures forDRM i.e. cluster approach

Strategic and policy advances instrengthening disaster riskmanagement

Key policy initiative and coordinationmechanism for CCA

Institutional commitment from

Relatively weak coordinationmechanisms regarding DRM and CCA

Impacts of and contribution to DRMand CCA not anchored on existinglegal instruments




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various stakeholders towardsrecharging the legal basis for DRRactions

Local government and community

initiatives:

Political momentum from majordisaster events to consider futurerisks

National government is activelybuilding awareness and capacity tomainstream DRM and CCA in landuse and physical framework plans

Adopted a community-driven andengaged approach to DRM

Local government initiatives (e.g.Albay, Iloilo and Palawan) toinstitutionalizing DRM and CCA

Threat of discontinuity in policies,structures, programmes, plans dueto short planning horizon

DRR and CCA a low priority fornational and local leaders

Limited capacity, skills and resources

Financing DRM and CCA:

Increasing funding for DRM and CCA SCCF pay special attention to DRR in

guidance Few bilateral and multilateral donors

have integrated their support for

DRR and CCA Several donors are investing directly

on capacity building for DRM andCCA

Use of LCFs are unknown and oftenmisunderstood by local officials

Absence of insurance and risktransfer options

Projects that address climate change

in disaster management arefragmented and tend to be donor-driven

Disaster emergency responsecontinues to divert funds

Barriers to investment in riskreduction and adaptation

4.2.1 Knowledge on climate risk and vulnerability

The generation and provision of reliable and appropriate information on present andfuture climate risks is a key component of adaptation. Improvement of data sourcesand modeling capacity is both an adaptation in itself and a resource on which tobase adaptive decisions and action. Both communities, DRR and CCA, havedeveloped a wide range of analytical and assessment tools to assess risk andvulnerability and identify appropriate strategies. There is an improving science basewith respect to climatic extremes and climate change, including recent studies onclimate risk and vulnerability mapping in both government




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meteorological/hydrological agencies and academe. Forecasting capability of relevant government agencies i.e. PAGASA and PHIVOLCS are regarded as limited.Existing data sources i.e. climate/weather date are often not fully utilized and datafrom national and/or other external agencies can be difficult to access, especially forlocal researchers and local stakeholders. Past and current adaptation strategies todisaster-related events are largely not documented.

Information dissemination is another issue. There has been an increase inawareness campaigns in the form of seminars, trainings, film showing andparticipation of media mostly through partnerships of national agencies, NGOs andthe academe. However, more intensive and targeted IEC is needed particularly toLGUs and their constituents.

4.2.2 Institutional capacity and coordination

The recently approved policies on both DRR and CCA, and other adaptation projectsfeature clear overlaps, including efforts to harmonize coordination structures. Theeffective reduction of vulnerabilities to current natural hazards and to climatechange requires coordination across different levels and sectors of governance andthe involvement of a broad range of stakeholders. The DRM community, having thenewly signed PDRRM Law, is expected to increasingly adopt a more anticipatory andproactive approach, bringing it closer to the longer-term perspective of the CCAcommunity. To strengthen the link between disaster risk management andadaptation to climate change, it is also important to understand when, and at whatlevel, coordination is required, and who should take the lead. Adaptation to climatechange is not simply an extension of disaster risk management. Adaptation toclimate change not only means addressing changes in the intensity and frequencyof extreme events, but also more subtle changes in climatic conditions as well asnew emerging risks, which have not been experienced in a region before. Shifts inthe timing of and magnitude of rainfall, rising temperatures and changes climatevariability will in many ways affect natural resources and the quality of ecosystemservices and hence impact on livelihoods and economic sectors that depend onthem.

The cluster approach to DRM has further strengthened coordination across sectorsfor disasters in the country. Disaster coordination is achieved largely through anested network of coordinating councils from national, provincial to municipallevels. Coordination in relation to CCA is generally less well developed at present. The creation of the Climate Change Commission is expected to clarify the roles and

responsibilities of the concerned government agencies; encourage participationfrom different sectors i.e. private, NGOs, and research; and enhance coordinationamong all stakeholders.

The capabilities of local government in DRM and CCA need to be strengthened. AllLGUs, particularly the most vulnerable ones, should have a dedicated office tohandle disaster management. This, however, entails cost. The coordination betweenmunicipal, provincial, regional, and national preparedness and responsemechanisms should also be strengthened.




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Progress toward climate change adaptation in government agencies depends onpolitical commitment and institutional capacity, reflected in robust policies andstrategies geared toward consideration of disaster risk reduction and long-termchanges in risk. Significant policy advances have been gained in strengtheningdisaster risk management, including key national policies/strategies in the country.

However, having two separate “institutional homes” while sharing the sameobjectives and same challenges, they fail to coordinate themselves. Thus, it iscrucial to emphasize the importance of integrating both DRR and CCA effortstowards the common objective of reducing risk to development. This is to avoidduplication of efforts, governance inefficiencies and even misunderstanding andcompetition among various stakeholders.

4.2.3 Local government and community initiatives

Efforts to forge greater capacity at the national scale have to be reflected by workat the local scale to increase the ability of local institutions and communities tocope with present and future risks from climatic hazards. Initiatives targeted at localand community level in DRM are evident in the projects and programs supported bydonor organizations. More importantly, the LGUs, like that of the Province of Albay,possess a unique role of bridging local and national scale activities in terms of disaster coordination and CCA policies. These practices may also be used as vehicleto raise awareness and spread the strategies to other LGUs.

4.2.4 Financing DRM and CCA

Financing for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation can come fromnational budgets, international donors and private sector sources. Funding for DRMis growing, as reflected by the increasing number of projects by several bilateraldonor organizations that have specific funding for DRR. CCA, on the other hand, isslowly getting attention and more funding. Few bilateral organizations haveintegrated their support for DRR and CCA. Many DRR/M projects are funded fromhumanitarian aids, CCA on the other hand is typically funded out of environmentaldepartments from bilateral donor organizations.

There is a need to further mobilize greater and more diverse sustainable sources of

financing that are nationally appropriate for climate change, especially in theprivate sector. A number of bilateral and multilateral donor organizations haveintegrated their support for DRM and CCA. Most CCA funding are typically containedin environment-related projects. Several donors are also investing directly incapacity building through NGOs and research networks.




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5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusions

The Philippines has been considered as highly vulnerable to current (i.e. naturaldisasters), as well as future climate-related risks. The country experiences anaverage of eight to nine tropical cyclones making a landfall plus recurring floods andlandslides, periodic ENSO phenomenon, among others. The rapidly increasingpopulation together with other anthropogenic factors such as land use and landcover changes due to rapid urbanization, and accelerated globalization are exertingtremendous pressures on already limited resources from which majority of the

population are dependent with. Climate change is expected to exacerbate existingstresses, thus the development goals of the country can be severely affected byclimate change and a great number of population and livelihoods can be at risk.

Managing such risks to development requires the systematic integration of DRM andCCA in terms of project activities, coordination and financing mechanisms. Progresstoward DRM and CCA in government agencies depends on political will andinstitutional capacity, reflected in robust policies and strategies geared towardconsideration of short- and long- term climate risk to development. Significant




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program and strategy advances have been gained in strengthening DRM; andpioneering steps, including key national policies and institutions, for promoting CCA.At the local level, LGUs and local chief executives, possess a unique role of bridginglocal and national scale activities in terms of disaster coordination and CCA policiesand programs.

The recently approved policies on both DRM and CCA, and other adaptation projectsfeature clear overlaps, including efforts to harmonize coordination structures.However, progress in terms of integration of DRM and CCA in political agendas andinstitutional priorities remains slow. Though significant policy advances have beenrecently gained, the continuing perception that DRM and CCA are of less priorityhinders moves towards mainstreaming.

The slow progress in terms of recognizing or accepting that disaster riskmanagement is fundamentally part of good governance lies in the national and localpoliticians and chief executives who have not recognized the value of DRM todevelopment. LGUs and DCCs are not aware of their DRR function; theirorganizational and institutional capacities are weak. The use of the LCF is not known

and often misunderstood by local officials, particularly; they are unaware that theLCF can be used for pre-disaster activities. There is a need to inform them abouthow to strategically make use of the fund for DRR activities. Early warning andforecasting systems exist, however technical equipment and facilities needsconstant updating and maintenance. The challenge of setting up early effective andaccurate early warning system (EWS), that delivers accurate warning information of potential hazards dependably and in a timely manner to authorities and populationsat risk that will enable them to take action, remains. Much work is still needed tointegrate the EWS in the emergency preparedness and response planning.

While some disaster risk management and adaptation strategies are undertaken bysome groups in communities, there is weakness regarding linking these with thelarger municipal, provincial and regional plans and programs. Ways and means tosystematically involving volunteers and community members in climate changeadaptation activities and development processes should be done by the localgovernments led by the local chief executive. Roles and responsibilities musttherefore be assigned to all stakeholders. Though there have been a number of significant steps in promoting climate changeadaptation that the national government have taken, there is still a need to designnational policies, programs and development interventions so that adaptation tocurrent and future climate-related changes is enabled and not hindered.

It is also important to point the significance of linking DRM and CCA activities andintegrate with poverty reduction activities and development objectives. Being botha condition and determinant of vulnerability, poverty reduction should be anessential component of reducing vulnerability to natural disasters and climatechange.

The political momentum and leadership brought by several disasters for the last twoyears tends to suffer from coordination conflicts, political instability, and short-termpolitical cycles. Long-term issues such as CCA may suffer from the threat of unsustainable program and discontinuity of policies, therefore strengthening the




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need for ownership. The promising role of local champions and units should beemphasized and further supported by the national government.

5.2 Recommendations

Given the above realities on DRR and CCA policy and institutional landscapes in thecountry, the following recommendations and immediate priorities for the Philippinesto integrating DRM and CCA into policies and programs are forwarded:

On knowledge on climate risk and vulnerability

Aggressive systematic knowledge generation and IEC campaign about DRM andCCA is needed. More research to better understand the local and sectoral impacts of climate change, climate variability and extreme, and disasters should beundertaken. This needs documentation and organization of all climate change,variability and risk-related data and information in the country to properly identifyhazards and risks. Useful action may include stepping up efforts in documentingexisting strategies and knowledge on past and current adaptation strategies tocurrent climate variabilities and DRM in general, more research on technicalsolutions and capacities to enhance adaptive capacity of vulnerable communitiesand provide for sustainable livelihoods; and step up efforts to raise publicawareness and IEC campaigns. Such campaigns ought to be targeted to a widerrange of stakeholders such as the research and academe communities, policymakers and civil society.

On institutional capacity and coordination

The cross-sectoral nature of natural disasters and climate change warrants a similarapproach to addressing the issue. A more integrative, participatory, and multi-stakeholder approach, as been highlighted in both Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Act and Climate Change Act, should be implemented. This entails notonly increased policy dialogues but a more concerted and coordinated partnershiparrangements and stronger operational links for research and policy.

On local government and community initiatives

The local leaders can be champions, and LGUs seem to be in the best position toimplement DRM and CCA effectively. Local champions are necessary to instill DRRand CCA and ensure ownership particularly in raising public awareness and instillingknowledge and capacity specific to the needs of their constituents. Capacitybuilding is deemed necessary particularly to LGUs. It is also important to discoverhow existing capacities can be used to the full advantage of the entire DRMcommunity. However, financing mechanisms need to be explored. Local internalresources are insufficient, thus resource mobilization is needed. Ways and means tosystematically involving volunteers and community members in climate change




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adaptation activities and development processes should be done by the localgovernments led by the local chief executive. Roles and responsibilities musttherefore be assigned to all stakeholders.

On financing

The implementation of the above recommendations and of other development plansrelated to DRR and CCA may be hampered by inadequacy of funds and other(human and material) resources. As such, more concerted efforts, together with theall-important political will, ought to be devoted to establishing regular sources of funds at local, national and even international levels, to finance climate change-related initiatives

Finally, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to improving risk management strategiesof the country i.e. integration of DRR agenda into CCA structures, or vice versa. Thiscalls for the government to build and strengthen existing capacities. This will require

further dialogues between the DRM and CCA communities to identify existingmechanisms and potential entry points to foster broader integration and facilitatestronger connections. Needless to say, the response of the Philippines should gobeyond having institutions and policies put in place.

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