Sona promises: Has Aquino enhanced PH disaster resilience?

A typhoon survivor stands on rubbish in Tacloban, central Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO

President Aquino’s term was plagued with natural calamities.

A year and a half into his presidency, in December 2011, Tropical Storm “Sendong” (international name: Washi) dumped an unprecedented amount of rain on the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao and triggered massive floods and landslides, killing more than 1,200 people, and causing around P2.1 billion in damage.

Around the same time the following year, Typhoon “Pablo” (international name: Bopha) struck Mindanao, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and P37 billion in damage.

The world also watched when Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), the strongest typhoon to hit land, swept through the Visayas in November 2013. Yolanda left more than 6,000 dead.

LOOK: Yolanda: Before and after

Hence, many of Aquino’s promises in his State of the Nation Addresses focused on not only restoring normalcy in the lives of the calamity-stricken families, but also completing the multihazard mapping of the country and the modernization of weather equipment, among things.

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Promise: Complete the multihazard mapping for the greater Manila Area by 2014. Geohazard maps covering every last corner of the country finished before the end of 2015 (Sona 2013)

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Geohazard Mapping and Assessment Program, implemented by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, is among the department’s priority programs.

As of July 2014, multihazard mapping of the 28 most vulnerable locations in the country has been completed.

As of July 2014, flood, rain-induced landslide, storm surge and earthquake hazard maps at 1:5,000 scale for Metro Manila have been completed. Hazard maps for flood, rain-induced landslide, storm surge and earthquake at 1:10,000 scale have likewise been completed for selected areas in Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite provinces. Enhanced flood and rain-induced landslide maps at 1:50,000 scale have also been completed for Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite.

BACKSTORY: President Aquino: Geo-hazard maps to help identify disaster-prone areas

Landslide maps of 59 of the 81 provinces have also been enhanced using high resolution imagery, historical landslide data and cutting-edge modeling technologies.

Geohazard assessment and mapping of all the 1,634 cities and municipalities, with a scale of 1:50,000, has also been completed. The DENR has also distributed 75,000 map sheets to local governments down to the barangay (village) level, with corresponding training and capability-building to interpret the maps. The geohazard maps are also available online at https://gdis.denr.gov.ph/mgbviewer/

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Promise: Modernize weather detection technology and train users of equipment (Sona 2013). Install 600 rain gauges and 422 water level monitoring sensors in various regions (Sona 2012)

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), as of July 2015, there are 187 automatic rain gauges and 155 automatic weather stations installed strategically across the country through Pagasa initiatives.

These cover the following river basins and the respective provinces: Pasig-Marikina River Basin (covered: Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna); Pampanga River Basin (covered: Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Bulacan); Agno River Basin (covered: Benguet, Pangasinan and Tarlac); Bicol River Basin (covered: Camarines del Norte, Camarines del Sur and Albay); Cagayan River Basin (covered: Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Cagayan and Ifugao); Cagayan de Oro River Basin (covered: Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental); Tagum-Libuganon River Basin (covered: Davao del Norte).

According to Pagasa, weather equipment purchased by the government as of June 2015 include Doppler Weather Surveillance Radars, mobile radar, Automatic Aviation Weather Observation System and communication facilities (VSAT, KUB and, IPVTN).

READ: Weathermen plead for new equipment

At every radar site installation, an average of 30 participants attended the “Forecasters’ Training,” while at least 15 participants attended the “On-site Training.”

Meanwhile, the Pagasa modernization bill passed third and final reading at the Senate on June 9, and will soon go through the bicameral conference committee. The House approved its own version of said bill in May 2014. The reconciled version will have to be ratified by both the Senate and the House before being submitted to the President for signing, Pagasa said.

As of April 2015, there are also more than 1,500 weather devices installed by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, the organization under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) tasked with the local assembly of the automated weather gauges, among other equipment. Included in this count are 838 automated rain gauges, 472 water level monitoring stations, 86 automated weather stations and 108 agro-meteorological stations, according to the DOST.

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Promise: Build back better from Yolanda: “Our work is not done. There are still many houses that need to be constructed; many more of our countrymen need to be assisted in getting back on their own feet; the work to build back better for all those affected by Yolanda continues.” (Sona 2014)

The country marked its official transition from humanitarian relief phase to rehabilitation and recovery phase in July 2014, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This gives way to medium- and long-term interventions.

With damage to infrastructure and other sectors estimated to cost close to P90 billion, the government in August 2014 proposed the Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP), which involves the implementation of more than 25,000 disaster rehabilitation and recovery-specific projects, programs, and activities.

The CRRP has a funding requirement of P168 billion. According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), close to P52 billion has been released to fund the typhoon relief, rehabilitation, and recovery efforts.

As of November 2014, out of the target 8,629 housing units, 1,252 units had been completed. The rest (7,377) were estimated to be ready by March 2015.

In livelihood efforts in typhoon-ravaged areas, as of October 2014, 4,981 families out of the targeted 517,214 families with partially damaged houses have been provided with cash-for-work assistance, while all 236,916 families targeted received cash for building livelihood assets.

As of October 2014, 2,254 families have received livelihood assistance using Community-Driven Enterprise Development Approach, surpassing the target of 1,908 families.

READ: PH disaster-ready after ‘Yolanda’, shares best resilience practices in world forum

Of the targeted 34,692 beneficiaries, 33,283 beneficiaries have benefited from the Emergency Employment Program, while 33,338 of the 44,778 target beneficiaries have benefited from various forms of livelihood assistance.

Meanwhile, 15,409 micro, small and medium enterprises, out of the targeted 32,359, have been assisted by the government.

As for vocational education, technical skills, training and capacity development, 21,843 people have completed training, out of the targeted 24,535 as of October 2014.

Early this month, President Aquino signed the P3-trillion 2016 budget. Malacañang has said the President’s priority next year is to ensure the completion of programs during his term, specifically public infrastructure and rehabilitation of calamity areas, particularly those affected by Yolanda.

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Promise: Restore normality to the lives of calamity-stricken families (victims of Typhoons Sendong and Pablo) (Sona 2013)

According to the DSWD, as of December 2014, 12,361 of 16,790 core shelter units have been completed for victims of Sendong. These are mostly in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities.

READ: Bounty back in village after “Sendong”

Meanwhile, for victims of Pablo, 13,236 units have been completed, while 20,942 are being constructed mostly in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

As of June 2014, educational assistance worth P5.83 million has also been extended to affected high school students in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental areas damaged by Pablo. Around P290 million has been allocated for the provision of shelter kits for the repair of partially damaged houses in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

Meanwhile, P2.31 billion has been set aside for the construction of permanent houses for families whose homes were destroyed by Pablo. Of the target 32,643 units, 4,118 have been completed, of which 3,966 had been turned over as of July 2014. The remaining 28,525 units were to be completed by December 2014.

On the other hand, around P4.1 billion was allocated for the construction of 17,480 off-site permanent housing units for families in danger zones whose houses were destroyed by Pablo. As of July 2014, 9,179 units had been completed, while the remaining 8,301 were to be completed by November 2014. Fourteen national roads damaged by Pablo have also been rehabilitated and repaired, with the government allocating P108 million.

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Promise: Work with Congress to pass the mining law. “We are hoping that Congress will work with us and pass a law that will ensure that the environment is cared for, and that the public and private sectors will receive just benefits from this industry.” (Sona 2012)

Mining-related proposals have remained pending in Congress. Some of the pending measures filed in the 16th Congress include:

— House Bill No. 4052 by Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez and Maximo B. Rodriguez Jr. (An Act Requiring Mining Firms to Reforest Lands That They Destroy and Forests That They Denude, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof). It has been pending on the Committee on Natural Resources since March 2014.

— House Bill No. 2888 by Rep. Regina Ongsiako Reyes (An Act Instituting Independent Health and Environmental Assessment for All Mining Projects, Amending for the Purpose the Philippine Mining Act of 1995). It has been pending on the Committee on Natural Resources since September 2013. Meanwhile, its counterpart in the Senate, Senate Bill No. 334 by Sen. Pia Cayetano, has also been pending in the Senate since July 2013.

— House Bill No. 171 by Representatives Neri Colmenares, Carlos Isagani T. Zarate, Luzviminda Ilagan, Emmi de Jesus, Antonio Tinio, Fernando Hicap and Terry Ridon (An Act Reorienting the Philippine Mining Industry, Ensuring the Highest Industry Development Standards, and for Other Purposes). It has been pending on the Committee on Natural Resources since July 2013.

BACKSTORY: Environment, economic execs agree to revisit mining laws

Other mining-related bills pending in the Senate include:

— Senate Bill No. 2676 by Sen. JV Ejercito (An Act Declaring the Province of Biliran a Mining-free Zone). It has been pending in the Senate since March 2015.

— Senate Bill No. 2374 by Sen. Bam Aquino (An Act Providing for the Mandatory Domestic Processing of All Mineral Ores, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 7942 Otherwise Known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and for Other Purposes). It has been pending in the Senate since August 2014.

Source: Sona 2014 Technical Report, Inquirer Archives, Pagasa, DOST, denr.gov.ph, oparr.gov.ph, gov.ph/crisis-response/updates-typhoon-yolanda/