Resiliency of Filpinos

                The Philippines is one of the top countries in the world at risk of climate-related disasters. For populations subsisting at the poverty line in particular, but also the nation as a whole, daily lives and wellbeing are routinely challenged.

                  Despite the staggering impact from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) that ravaged across the central Philippines in November 2013 and the 7.2 magnitude Bohol Earthquake just weeks before that, the country managed to sustain its economic momentum as its Growth Domestic Product (GDP) finished the year up by a rate of 7.2 percent. Fully expecting the impact of the severe disasters to be felt more intensely in the year ahead, the Moody’s March 2014 upward revision from a rate of 5.4 to 5.8 percent of annual GDP for the year is a welcome indicator. The solid economic growth trajectory combined with critical domestic reform efforts and energetic diplomacy continues to strengthen the outlook for the Philippines. Disaster is indeed a development concern; however despite this recognition, we argue that many disasters are rooted mainly from many development failures (UN-ISDR, 2010). The lack of appropriate development planning where disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are loosely or weakly integrated into the local and national agenda is seen as a weakness to development. And the inadequateness of top-down and one-way approach in dealing with disaster management, is considered ineffective stance in providing rightful and productive solutions among problems encountered at the community level, frequently, resulting to failure in addressing local needs, untapped potential local resources and capacities, consequently, increasing peoples vulnerabilities (Victoria, 2003).

                    As a country frequented by various natural disasters, the possibility of another major disaster in the Philippines is not a matter of where, but when. Although there are no short-term solutions to the array of challenges the Philippine government faces in terms of coping with climate change-affected disasters, forming a separate department for disaster preparedness and response is a first step forward to improve the county’s disaster resilience.

http://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/resilience-and-disaster-trends-in-the-philippines-opportunities-for-national-and-local-capacity-building/

https://www.diplomaticourier.com/resilience-in-the-philippines-in-the-face-of-natural-calamities/
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-sciences/strengthening-community-resilience-through-disaster-risk-management-environmental-sciences-essay.php

https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/preparing-for-disaster-in-the-philippines/