Philippines

Country profile

The Philippines ranks among the countries with the highest disaster risk in the world. As an archipelago consisting of over 7,000 islands, and with over 30,000km of coastline and 18 major river basins, it is highly exposed to typhoons and floods, which accounted for 80 per cent of natural disasters in the last 50 years. 

Flooding, wind and storm surges associated with these events destroy houses and crops, and disrupt livelihoods. Landslides, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions also periodically threaten the population. Furthermore, the sporadic but ongoing conflict between Moro Muslim groups and the government compounds vulnerability in the Mindanao region by contributing to displacement and infrastructure damage. Across the country, 74 per cent of the population is exposed to multiple hazards.

Disaster policy is guided by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law of 2010, which states that all provinces, cities and municipalities must establish a disaster risk reduction and management office, with an officer in charge, and must “formulate and implement a comprehensive and integrated [local disaster risk reduction and management] plan". This plan must detail the use of the local disaster risk reduction and management fund, which is one source of funding for anticipatory action.

The Philippine Red Cross and partners have been working since 2017 to develop Early Action Protocols (EAPs) for floods and cyclones. They have made significant headway in integrating early action with local and provincial disaster management structures, either by complementing the efforts of the Philippine Red Cross during an activation, or through the allocation of funds for early actions.