The flood and susceptibility map of Eastern Visayas region. (Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – The absence of strong typhoons in Eastern Visayas this year is seen as an opportunity to build more disaster-resilient communities in the region frequently hit by natural calamities.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) said fewer severe typhoons this year allowed local authorities to save their resources to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the future.
“We are happy to see our DRRM officers in preparatory mode and not in response mode this year. Our region has been spared by strong typhoons, and this allows us to train, capacitate, and organize our response team,” said RDRRMC chair and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion.
Eastern Visayas is among the areas worst hit by typhoons that form over the Western Pacific Ocean. To date, the most destructive typhoon that made landfall in the region and tested its resiliency and post-disaster recovery was Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
In 2023, only Typhoon Betty and Egay, as well as the shear line, caused flooding in some areas of Leyte and Samar provinces.
The latest destructive weather disturbance in the region was experienced in April 2022 when Tropical Storm Agaton struck Leyte Island with 126 flooding and 23 landslide incidents. The storm killed at least 122 people and injured hundreds.
The RDRRMC reported that the storm caused damage to the agriculture sector amounting to PHP942.9 million and the housing sector with 1,008 damaged houses, among others.
In December 2021, Super Typhoon Odette battered the southern part of Leyte Island, killing at least 75 people and injuring 1,174 others. It also incurred an estimated PHP61.74 billion in damages and PHP10.26 billion in losses.
“Recent experiences have raised the awareness of our local DRRMs to be more prepared through the conduct of capacity-building activities and information drives in communities, among others,” Torrecarion added.
From just eight “Gawad Kalasag” awardees in 2022, the number of areas recognized rose to 30 this year.
Kalasag is the Filipino term for "shield," used by early Filipinos to protect themselves from enemies' attacks or harmful animals. Relatedly, Gawad Kalasag was conceived to protect high-risk communities against hazards by encouraging the participation of various stakeholders in designing and implementing DRRM programs.
To qualify for the award, entries must have demonstrated effectiveness and innovation in disaster risk reduction and management, community participation, sustainability, and replicability.
Two provinces, two cities and 26 municipalities were awarded the “kalasag”.
Recognized as beyond compliant are Northern Samar and Southern Leyte provinces; Can-avid, Eastern Samar; and Catarman, Northern Samar.
Fully compliant local governments are the towns of Arteche, Balangiga, General Macarthur, Guiuan, and Maydolong in Eastern Samar; Tabango, Ormoc City, and San Miguel in Leyte; Gamay, Laoang, Lope De Vega, Palapag, San Antonio, and San Roque in Northern Samar.
Also awarded are Marabut and Tarangnan in Samar; Bontoc, Liloan, Limasawa, Maasin City, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, Silago, Sogod, and Hinundayan in Southern Leyte.
Meanwhile, at the regional level, among the DRRM-related strategies are strengthening the capacities of local governments and communities in disaster prevention and preparedness across sectors, scaling up public spending for climate and disaster risk management, and strengthening existing inter-agency bodies that serve as venues for improving policymaking and implementation of DRRM.
Other strategies are strengthening the collaboration and accountability of the private sector, civil society organizations, volunteer groups, and academe in local and community-based risk resiliency measures; ensuring access to climate and disaster resiliency financing and insurance; popularizing public service continuity planning among government agencies; and improving the early warning system to include a community-based alert system.
In line with the vulnerability reduction sub-strategy, Eastern Visayas strives to enhance climate change adaptation and strengthen DRRM by 2028.
Being geographically located in the eastern portion of the archipelago and within the Pacific Ring of Fire, Eastern Visayas is highly vulnerable to natural hazards aggravated by climate change. The resulting economic loss from disrupted supply chains and biodiversity loss further depicts the region’s exposure to climate risks. (PNA)
