Situated along the Western Pacific tropical storm region and the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. An average of 20 cyclones affect the country each year, triggering floods, landslides, and storm surges that frequently result in the loss of houses and other infrastructure, lives, and livelihoods. Located between two major fault lines and with more than 20 active volcanoes, the Philippines also experiences high levels of seismic and volcanic activity.
USAID supports robust capacity building and disaster risk reduction programs that coordinate with the Philippine government, local communities, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations to help vulnerable populations prepare for and respond to disasters, while addressing the long-term needs of at-risk communities. USAID also funds rapid emergency responses to natural disasters that address the humanitarian needs of people affected by sudden-onset events, such as Super Typhoon Rai (locally known as Odette). USAID support is critical in helping the Philippines to further develop its preparedness and capacity to deliver timely and effective assistance, as climate change exacerbates natural hazards facing the country.
Area-Wide Business Continuity Management for Key Industries and Lifeline Utilities
With support from USAID, PDRF develops sector-specific continuity capabilities in the Calabarzon Region through an area-wide business continuity management program for key industries, critical sectors, and lifeline utilities. This ensures that documented procedures and mechanisms are institutionalized within the key industries and critical sectors of selected local government units to identify risks and vulnerabilities, analyze impacts of disruptions to critical services, and establish continuity strategies and recovery measures for the immediate resumption of vital processes. The project also aims to improve coordinated efforts with other local government units, government agencies, private entities, and other stakeholders during and immediately after large-scale incidents or disaster events through established and documented procedures for continuity of operations, incident management, and emergency preparedness and response.
Bicol Resilience in Coastal Communities (BRICC)
BRICC increases resilience to disasters and climate shocks in vulnerable, small island coastal communities in Albay and Catanduanes provinces by leveraging best practices, lessons learned, and existing government relationships from previous disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and emergency response programming. The project improves government and community capacity to plan, prepare for, and respond to multiple hazards and climate related events in the Bicol region. BRICC also provides training, builds critical technical capacities, and supports improved community engagement and mobilization for enhanced household level resilience and preparedness for two provincial governments, five municipalities, and 20 barangays. The project also helps vulnerable community members improve the resilience of their homes by training and certifying unskilled builders on construction practices that improve a home’s safety in the face of flooding, earthquakes, wind, and other relevant hazards. BRICC is introducing financial and savings concepts to communities and assisting internal lending entities to facilitate savings among vulnerable individuals to develop improved financial resilience and link households with affordable microinsurance providers.
Capacity-building Support to the Government of Philippines for Improved Emergency Preparedness and Response
With USAID support, IOM is working with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD), and other government agencies and stakeholders to provide enhanced shelter and camp coordination, camp management planning and response, data and information management, and coordination that meets nationally and internationally recognized standards. This project supports the transition of post-disaster shelter response and recovery programs responsibilities from DSWD to DHSUD, while strengthening each of their abilities to comply with their mandates through tailored training and tools. Additionally, the project works to enhance beneficiary registration and aid distribution systems and provide overall support for the transition of data and information management mandates from DSWD to DHSUD, strengthening decision-making processes by DHSUD, shelter agencies, and responders. Other activities include training for the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary members on humanitarian standards and principles in disaster response and capacity building support to first responders during disaster response. In this regard, IOM supports the Philippine government’s response efforts through coordinated technical and tangible support to DHSUD and DSWD to strengthen the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement in the Philippines
With USAID support, the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) is supporting the institutionalization of the PhilAWARE system within national Philippine emergency operations of the Office of Civil Defense. The system enhances early-warning capacity to improve decision making to support national and sub-national disaster management coordination and achieve better disaster outcomes for the country, resulting in less loss of life and property, as well as fewer impacts to livelihoods. The project helps implement, institutionalize, and sustain the PhilAWARE system, building capacity for early warning decision support in the Philippines. PDC is training PhilAWARE staff, trainers, and beneficiaries, as well as sub-national disaster management agency staff, on use of the system to support disaster risk reduction and management.
Enhancing Child Protection Preparedness through Stronger Collaboration of Local Government Units and Civil Society Organizations in the Localization of Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children
The project works with local governments to protect children affected by armed conflict and natural disasters from abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence through appropriate preventive and responsive child protection interventions. It ensures that targeted local government units have child protection preparedness and mitigation actions in place under the Philippine government’s Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children, especially components that help access to and the quality of national and local child protection systems. The project prioritizes the establishment of child and women friendly transitional shelters, and a referral mechanism for orphaned, unaccompanied and separated children; stronger measures to ensure the safety and security of affected children; establishment of child-friendly spaces in evacuation centers and transitional sites; and promotion of children’s rights. The project also works closely with civil society organizations based in the target provinces for child protection.
Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines (PREP)
PREP works with Philippine government partners to prioritize local government units that are most impacted and vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly in BARMM and along the Philippine eastern seaboard from Cagayan Valley in Luzon to Northern Mindanao. The project trains partners to strengthen existing or draft new local climate change action and disaster risk reduction and management plans. PREP also trains the trainers to strengthen the knowledge and skills of DSWD staff at all levels, selected provincial and local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and academia. Participants are then extended to universities through their local centers and local non-governmental organizations. Training content and curricula focus on emergency operations center design, management, and standard operating procedure revision and creation; Incident Command System training; early warning systems; articulating emergency preparedness and response and climate adaptation plans; and other priorities identified by communities.
Resilient Island Local Government Units Actions for Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change (Resilient IsLA)
Resilient IsLA increases the resilience and disaster preparedness of coastal communities in Limasawa and Siargao Islands through a multi-sector approach. The project improves local government units’ and island barangay communities’ capacities in climate-informed preparedness actions; early warning systems and rapid response mechanisms, processes, systems, and planning; and shock-responsive social protection to reduce impacts of natural hazards and climate risks. The project also improves community-level water supply facilities and promotes improved water management practices and planning to increase access to safe water and create more resilient water systems to cope with disasters and climate shocks.
Scaling Across Integrated Risk Management at Local and National Levels
USAID is supporting the Center for Disaster Preparedness Foundation to enhance the resilience and capacity of vulnerable communities in the flood-prone Agno River basin by analyzing and addressing risks, vulnerabilities, needs, and capacities. The project is reducing the risks and vulnerabilities associated with disasters while building the capacity of city and provincial officials to implement safety procedures. Program activities include advocating for public investment in risk reduction planning, establishing early warning systems, and working with local authorities to improve disaster readiness.
Strengthening the Government of the Philippines disaster preparedness and response capacities in Logistics and Emergency Telecommunication
This project strengthens the capacity of national government disaster response agencies to prepare for and respond to disaster events, specifically in the fields of logistics and emergency telecommunications. With USAID support, the World Food Programme conducts training and establishes partnerships to strengthen national and regional emergency logistics response capacity, with a focus on the country’s BARMM region. The project also strengthens the capacity of the Department of Information and Communication Technology to lead the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster and provide direct logistics and emergency telecom support during emergencies.
Transforming Households and Local Organization Capacities for a Resilient and Vibrant Urban Ecosystem (THRIVE)
CRS’ THRIVE project is helping vulnerable households in at-risk communities in Metro Manila to manage, anticipate, recover from, and adapt to multi-hazard risks. Building on partnerships and assessments from the previous BHA-funded projects Preparing for Enhanced Disaster Response (PrEPD) and SHAKE Phases 1 and 2, CRS is enhancing the management of multi-hazard events at the household, barangay, city, regional, and national levels by reviewing and enhancing existing Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans through the incorporation of multi-hazard and rights-based approach risk assessment processes and engaging the private sector and other local humanitarian actors to be part of awareness-raising activities and dialogues to ensure a whole-of-society governance in DRRM. CRS is also working with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and its regional counterparts to develop procedures and guidelines on emergency and recovery shelter options, and to develop and enhance subnational shelter coordination. At the community level, CRS is building the financial resilience of marginalized communities by improving savings and financial literacy, increasing access to financial services, and enhancing the capacity of micro, small, and medium enterprises to ensure their sustainability and enable them to provide essential services such as food, water, and shelter items to affected populations in times of emergency.
Inclusive Community Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Project
With USAID support, Plan International USA is strengthening the capacity of local government units, specifically Barangay and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (B/MDRRMCs), and increasing awareness of disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and mitigation in Eastern Samar and Western Samar. The project targets communities, local structures, and vulnerable populations, especially girls and young women. The targeted provinces of Eastern and Western Samar are among the poorest provinces in the Philippines and among the most vulnerable to natural disasters including floods, typhoons, landslides, and earthquakes. To enhance the resilience of communities and government entities in the target provinces to these hazards, Plan is improving risk knowledge and early warning systems, developing tailored Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation plans, and applying good governance principles to ensure the continuity of basic services, particularly in remote areas.
Disaster Response
Emergency Flood Relief Assistance to Affected Population in Davao Region, Philippines (Mindanao Province Emergency Response)
Action Against Hunger (AAH) is providing multipurpose cash assistance and responding to the water, sanitation, and hygiene needs of 7,500 displaced persons in the areas of Davao Region affected by flooding from January to February 2024. With support from USAID and in coordination with local authorities and WASH actors, AAH is providing 500 of the most vulnerable households (2,500 individuals) with hygiene kits and hygiene promotion sessions to mitigate and prevent the risk of water-borne illness within evacuation centers and affected communities. AAH is also distributing 250 water kits to promote safe water collection and storage in evacuation centers, host communities, and households. To enable the most vulnerable affected households to cover immediate food and other basic needs, AAH is also providing one-time unrestricted and unconditional cash transfers to 1,500 households (7,500 individuals).
Safe and Dignified Response to Davao Flooding
With USAID support, CRS is providing multipurpose cash assistance to meet the immediate basic needs of 2,000 internally displaced households (9,800 individuals) affected by flooding in Davao Region from January to February 2024. To allow vulnerable families and individuals access to this assistance, CRS is also supplying a transportation stipend to allow vulnerable families to reach the Financial Service Providers center. To ensure a coordinated and effective response, CRS has seconded an existing pool of trained partner staff to the project as Emergency Response Field Mobilizers, is providing findings from its assessments to both the WASH and Shelter Clusters, and is coordinating their response with Local Government Units and other actors, including AAH, to share learning and effectively address any logistics issues that arise during implementation. CRS is also mapping existing protection and gender-based violence (GBV) services and coordinating with other actors for referrals to address any protection or GBV concerns that implementing partners may not be able to provide specific services for.
