The Philippines is geographically located in an area prone to natural disasters. It ranked fourth among countries hit by the most number of disasters in 2015, according to a report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The Philippines is the third most vulnerable country globally in terms of risks from tropical cyclones. Given its location, archipelagic formation in the tropical Pacific, and population distribution, the Philippines is greatly susceptible to the impacts of climate change (Climate Change Commission, 2011). Typhoons or tropical cyclones are constant threats to the country. As a result of its location along...

The most important institution in orchestrating HADR in the Philippines is the inter-agency NDRRMC, which has been in placed even before Super Typhoon Haiyan. As stipulated in the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act 10121), among the tasks of the NDRRMC are the development of coordination mechanisms and the identification of activities to achieve coherence in the implementation of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) policies. NDRRMC is composed of different departments (ministries) involved in HADR, AFP, representatives from local government units, four representatives from civil society organisations, and a representative from the private sector,...

Learning from Haiyan and adhering to the 2005 Hyogo Framework of Action¹² and the Republic Act 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk and Management Act of 2010), the Philippine government changed its focus from merely reactive disaster response to more proactive disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

One significant reform initiated by the Philippine government after Super Typhoon Haiyan was the National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP). The NDRRMC approved a much-needed general disaster response plan for the government in June 2014, seven months after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated many communities in the central Philippines. The NDRP is a strategic action plan of the...

This NTS Report documents the lessons learned by major stakeholders in HADR in the Philippines from Super Typhoon Haiyan. One important lesson learned is the importance of enhancing coordination among HADR stakeholders. Proper coordination and collaboration among the HADR stakeholders before, during and after the disaster is the key in achieving unity of effort, thereby ensuring a more effective and systematic HADR operations. The adoption of NDRP has provided the structural framework that the government needed to strengthen the synergy and coordination among all those agencies involved in HADR including the AFP and enhance the participation of other stakeholders such...