RP world’s most disaster-prone – study

BAGUIO CITY – The Center for Research and Epidemiology Disasters (CRED) here disclosed the Philippines ranked first worldwide in the most number of disasters that hit a country with 25.

In an annual statistical review complied by the group, the country led the list of natural disaster events with 24 followed by China with 16 thereby making the country as the hardest hit in terms of calamities that pose a serious threat to life and limb.

Based on a 46-page report, natural disasters are defined as events where 10 or more people are killed; 100 people or more are affected; a state of calamity was declared; and there’s a call for international assistance.

Because of the alarming report, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the Cordillera said the strategy must now focus on preparation rather than mitigating measures in combating the serious negative effects of natural disasters that frequently strike the country.

Disaster preparedness and risk reduction measures, which is one of the initiatives being undertaken by the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera, should now be prioritized by all local governments by coming up with emergency plans during disasters.

According to the report, the disasters that often hit the country are often classified as geophysical-like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, hydrological like floods and landslides, meteorological like typhoons, climatological like El Niño and biological like animal infestation and epidemics.

The CRDE added 14 out of the 24 disasters that hit the country last year were classified as meteorological, 9 were hydrological, and 2 were geophysical.

Furthermore, it disclosed the world experienced at least 335 natural disasters killing an average of 10,655 people and affecting more than 119 million others.

Subsequently, the economic damages from the natural calamities cost more than $41.3 billion which creates a big impact to the economic condition of developing countries like the Philippines, thus, international assistance is always being requested from international humanitarian organizations that provide sufficient food and shelter aid to calamity-stricken places in the different parts of the global village.

The report cited that three strong typhoons – “Kiko,” “Ondoy,” and “Pepeng” – which badly hit the country, particularly the Northern Luzon area made it to the top 10 most important disasters in terms of mortality and damage to property.

Under the CRD report, 11 million Filipinos in almost all parts of the country were badly affected by the aforesaid typhoons that greatly contributed to the depletion of the country’s meagre calamity funds.

With the onset of the rainy season, the OCD-CAR reminded people, especially in identified disaster-prone areas like the Cordillera and lowland communities, to prepare for the worst case scenario. –DEXTER A. SEE, Manila Bulletin