Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has made available P600 million in additional funds for the city’s disaster preparedness program to mitigate the impact of possible earthquakes and other calamity in the coming year.
Estrada’s move came on the heels of reports that the effects of disasters in 2015 cost the country more than P130 billion.
Additional funds were given to 896 barangays, according to Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Johnny Yu. The funds were coursed through the city government’s continuous Disaster Risk Reduction capability-building program.
“With the incremental and year-round preparations of Manila, the city, especially at the barangay level, is now relatively ready to face any disaster or calamity in 2016,” Yu said.
“We have already given the P600 million as additional support to barangays in terms of trainings, tools and equipment, and other DRRM concerns. Rescue vans, amphibious trucks and jeeps and fiber boats were already purchased for the barangays. DRRM is a continuous program of Mayor Estrada,” Yu said.
Estrada has underscored that these long-needed provisions and attention to the DRRM program, especially the increased budget for it, was realized because of the City’s high revenue generation brought about by the enhanced tax collection.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction reported that the Philippines was ranked fourth in the world among countries hit by the highest number of disasters over the past 20 years, with the country experiencing a total of 274 disasters from 1995 to 2015. Among the disasters hitting the Philippines have been some 20 typhoons every year; frequent flashfloods, fire incidents, landslides and storm surges; and occasional volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
The Department of Finance estimated that the country suffers calamity-caused economic losses amounting to at least an initial 1.1 percent of its annual gross domestic product, or around P130 billion in 2014. This could easily reach up to 2.0-2.5 percent of the GDP, though, because of the lingering effects of these calamities, according to the Climate Change Commission.
Estrada prioritized the operationalization of a strong DRRM program at the start of his term. “Calamities cause damages to properties, infrastructure and facilities; paralyze the flow of people and products; hassle businesses, communication and supply of water and electricity; and impact heavily on the economy and the people’s lives in general. With a good disaster program, we can lessen these impacts caused by calamities,” he said.
DRRM program has gained for the City of Manila the Seal of Disaster Preparedness and the Seal of Good Housekeeping from the Department of Interior and Local Government.
“Before Mayor Erap’s assumption into office, Manila had ‘zero disaster preparedness’ program,” Yu said.
The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (Republic Act No. 10121) was enacted in 2010 and mandated the establishment and operation of DRRM offices and programs in every province, city or municipality, and in the barangays, but this law was not complied with by the previous administration in the City.