The Philippines, is a leading regional actor in disaster risk management. However, a full picture of who is doing what, how, where and when on resilience and disaster preparedness does not exist. Consequently there is no single study that compares the impacts and results that different preparedness measures are having in the Philippines. We recommend further research focused on mapping the network of actors, understanding community perceptions of disaster risk preparedness and resilience, and investigation into the socio-ecological systems of different communities.
The government of the Philippines and numerous relief organizations work together to move beyond the immediate response to the disaster-stricken areas and embark on the longer-term recovery process, the challenge will be how well they can realize the vision of' "building back better" in order to have communities in a stronger position to withstand the unforgiving nature of these disasters. This approach to humanitarian assistance has grown as best practices have been captured during other disaster relief operations, from carrying out reconstruction that properly accounts for future hazards and addressing the urgent need to restore livelihoods. Being situated in the "Pacific Ring of Fire" and expecting future natural calamities, the approach of managing disaster risk reduction has been embraced from national authorities down to many local government units.
This paper assessed the extant research and practice of resilience and disaster preparedness in the Philippines, which serves as a good model on how to strengthen resilience and promote disaster risk reduction at the local level. Research and inventions are already identifying examples of best practice in disaster preparedness, response and recovery; however, important underlying drivers of disaster risk, such as a degrading environment and inequality, still remain over looked. With the frequency and intensity of disaster set to increase, communities are going to have to prepare more for worse events. This poses the question of how much longer we can react to disasters rather than mitigating them in the first place. The urgency with which we must address the research gaps across the disaster cycle, and in particular in preventing and mitigating disaster risk alongside preparedness, is mounting. Research findings must then be translated in policy decisions with committed implementation. A greater prioritization of mitigation, prevention and preparedness is not only economically advantageous, but from a humanitarian point of view, reduces the human costs, and aligns with initiatives on sustainable development.
References:
http://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/resilience-and-disaster-trends-in-the-philippines-opportunities-for-national-and-local-capacity-building/
https://www.diplomaticourier.com/resilience-in-the-philippines-in-the-face-of-natural-calamities/
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