Villar Calls for a Review of National Disaster Preparedness Programs
The government should heed the threat of climate change that causes 'megadisasters' among others

Nacionalista Party President Senator Manny Villar filed Senate Resolution 1194 urging the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to conduct an inquiry on the measures employed by the National Government in disaster management and preparedness programs with the end in view of directing concerned government bodies to consider emergency plans in dealing with the occurrence of threatening disasters and to allot substantial budget to facilitate the same.

"Recently, the UN raised the concern that "megadisasters" will continuously risk the life and property of the people especially in some of the world's biggest cities unless the people and also the government heed the threat of climate change," Villar stated on SRN 1194.

Citing figures from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Red Crescent Societies, Villar expressed alarm that nearly a quarter of a million or 242,662 people were killed due to natural and man-made disaster occurrences in 2008--the second biggest annual toll of the past decade related to casualties in disasters.

"Nine out of ten of the fatal disasters that claimed the lives of people worldwide are weather-related. The Philippines is no stranger from these. As an archipelago, we are hit by typhoons frequently. We are now feeling the ill effects of climate change and we should enhance our disaster preparedness programs," added Villar.

Indeed, the Philippines ranked as the 12th 'unsafest place on earth' in the recently released Mortality Risk Index (MRI) released by the United Nations' International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

It is estimated that between 1970 and 2000, the Philippines have incurred an average annual direct damage of PhP15 billion yearly or equivalent to 0.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP) as a direct consequence of natural disasters. During the same period, an average of 866 lives were lost annually, with typhoons accounting for 65% of the deaths. Typhoons alone kill an average of over 500 people every year and about Php4 billion are lost due to tropical cyclones.

According to Villar, "Preparedness is vital in mitigating the damage of any disasters or calamities. And global warming is already wreaking havoc to our climate. We cannot rely on forecasts anymore; the weather patterns have been disrupted. We are already into the so-called "ber" months and yet we are still experiencing an extended rainy season"

The UN and ICRC have been pushing global awareness campaign all through countries in the hope that more communities will seriously take part in reducing the peril to the lives and save the community from the vicarious effects of drastic weather incidents, and at the least avoid contributing actions which trigger disaster occurrences.