Situated along the Western Pacific tropical storm region and the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. An average of 20 cyclones affect the country each year, triggering floods, landslides, and storm surges that frequently result in the loss of houses and other infrastructure, lives, and livelihoods. Located between two major fault lines and with more than 20 active volcanoes, the Philippines also experiences high levels of seismic and volcanic activity.

USAID supports robust capacity building and disaster risk reduction programs that coordinate with the Philippine government, local communities, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations to help vulnerable populations prepare for and respond to disasters, while addressing the long-term needs of at-risk communities. USAID also funds rapid emergency responses to natural disasters that address the humanitarian needs of people affected by sudden-onset events, such as Super Typhoon Rai (locally known as Odette). USAID support is critical in helping the Philippines to further develop its preparedness and capacity to deliver timely and effective assistance, as climate change exacerbates natural hazards facing the country.

Area-Wide Business Continuity Management for Key Industries and Lifeline Utilities

With support from USAID, the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) develops sector-specific continuity capabilities in the CALABARZON Region through an area-wide business continuity management program for key industries, critical sectors, and lifeline utilities. This ensures that documented procedures and mechanisms are institutionalized within the key industries and critical sectors of selected local government units to identify risks and vulnerabilities, analyze impacts of disruptions to critical services, and establish continuity strategies and recovery measures for the immediate resumption of vital processes. The project also aims to improve coordinated efforts with other local government units, government agencies, private entities, and other stakeholders during and immediately after large-scale incidents or disaster events through established and documented procedures for continuity of operations, incident management, and emergency preparedness and response.

Bicol Resilience in Coastal Communities (BRICC)

BRICC increases resilience to disasters and climate shocks in vulnerable, small island coastal communities in Albay and Catanduanes provinces by leveraging best practices, lessons learned, and existing government relationships from previous disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and emergency response programming. The project improves government and community capacity to plan, prepare for, and respond to multiple hazards and climate related events in the Bicol region. BRICC also provides training, builds critical technical capacities, and supports improved community engagement and mobilization for enhanced household level resilience and preparedness for two provincial governments, five municipalities, and 20 barangays. The project also helps vulnerable community members improve the resilience of their homes by training and certifying unskilled builders on construction practices that improve a home’s safety in the face of flooding, earthquakes, wind, and other relevant hazards. BRICC is introducing financial and savings concepts to communities and assisting internal lending entities to facilitate savings among vulnerable individuals to develop improved financial resilience and link households with affordable microinsurance providers.

Capacity-building Support to the Government of Philippines for Improved Emergency Preparedness and Response

With USAID support, IOM is working with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD), and other government agencies and stakeholders to provide enhanced shelter and camp coordination, camp management planning and response, data and information management, and coordination that meets nationally and internationally recognized standards. This project supports the transition of post-disaster shelter response and recovery programs responsibilities from DSWD to DHSUD, while strengthening each of their abilities to comply with their mandates through tailored training and tools. Additionally, the project works to enhance beneficiary registration and aid distribution systems and provide overall support for the transition of data and information management mandates from DSWD to DHSUD, strengthening decision-making processes by DHSUD, shelter agencies, and responders. Other activities include training for the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary members on humanitarian standards and principles in disaster response and capacity building support to first responders during disaster response. In this regard, IOM supports the Philippine government’s response efforts through coordinated technical and tangible support to DHSUD and DSWD to strengthen the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement in the Philippines

With USAID support, the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) is supporting the institutionalization of the PhilAWARE system within national Philippine emergency operations of the Office of Civil Defense. The system enhances early-warning capacity to improve decision making to support national and sub-national disaster management coordination and achieve better disaster outcomes for the country, resulting in less loss of life and property, as well as fewer impacts to livelihoods. The project helps implement, institutionalize, and sustain the PhilAWARE system, building capacity for early warning decision support in the Philippines. PDC is training PhilAWARE staff, trainers, and beneficiaries, as well as sub-national disaster management agency staff, on use of the system to support disaster risk reduction and management.

Enhancing Child Protection Preparedness through Stronger Collaboration of Local Government Units and Civil Society Organizations in the Localization of Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children

The project works with local governments to protect children affected by armed conflict and natural disasters from abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence through appropriate preventive and responsive child protection interventions. It ensures that targeted local government units have child protection preparedness and mitigation actions in place under the Philippine government’s Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children, especially components that help access to and the quality of national and local child protection systems. The project prioritizes the establishment of child and women friendly transitional shelters, and a referral mechanism for orphaned, unaccompanied and separated children; stronger measures to ensure the safety and security of affected children; establishment of child-friendly spaces in evacuation centers and transitional sites; and promotion of children’s rights. The project also works closely with civil society organizations based in the target provinces for child protection.

iPrepared: Inclusive Disaster Preparedness for Local Resilience in Areas at High Risk of Natural and Human Induced Hazards in BARMM

The provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur are prone to typhoons, flooding, earthquakes, and drought. The project strengthens disaster risk reduction and resilience in vulnerable communities in Maguindanao and Lanao Del Sur provinces. iPrepared increases local government and community capacities through participatory approaches and training that integrate resilient livelihoods and mainstream actions in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The project also supports the establishment of community savings groups, prioritizing the most vulnerable and at-risk households, women, people with disabilities, and older persons.

Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines (PREP)

PREP works with Philippine government partners to prioritize local government units that are most impacted and vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly in BARMM and along the Philippine eastern seaboard, from Cagayan Valley in Luzon to Northern Mindanao. The project trains partners to strengthen existing or draft new local climate change action and disaster risk reduction and management plans. PREP also trains the trainers to strengthen the knowledge and skills of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) staff at all levels, selected provincial and local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and academia. Participants are then extended to universities through their local centers and local non-governmental organizations. Training content and curricula focus on Emergency Operations Centre design, management, and standard operating procedure revision and creation; Incident Command System training; early warning systems; articulating emergency preparedness and response and climate adaptation plans; and other priorities identified by communities.

Resilient Island Local Government Units Actions for Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change (Resilient IsLA)

Resilient IsLA increases the resilience and disaster preparedness of coastal communities in Limasawa and Siargao Islands through a multi-sector approach. The project improves local government units’ and island barangay communities’ capacities in climate-informed preparedness actions; early warning systems and rapid response mechanisms, processes, systems, and planning; and shock-responsive social protection to reduce impacts of natural hazards and climate risks. The project also improves community-level water supply facilities and promotes improved water management practices and planning to increase access to safe water and create more resilient water systems to cope with disasters and climate shocks.

Scaling Across Integrated Risk Management at Local and National Levels

USAID is supporting the Center for Disaster Preparedness Foundation to enhance the resilience and capacity of vulnerable communities in the flood-prone Agno River basin by analyzing and addressing risks, vulnerabilities, needs, and capacities. The project is reducing the risks and vulnerabilities associated with disasters while building the capacity of city and provincial officials to implement safety procedures. Program activities include advocating for public investment in risk reduction planning, establishing early warning systems, and working with local authorities to improve disaster readiness.

Strengthening the Government of the Philippines disaster preparedness and response capacities in Logistics and Emergency Telecommunication

This project strengthens the capacity of national government disaster response agencies to prepare for and respond to disaster events, specifically in the fields of logistics and emergency telecommunications. With USAID support, the World Food Programme conducts mapping and training, and establishes partnerships to strengthen national and regional emergency logistics response capacity, with a focus on the country’s BARMM region. The project also strengthens the capacity of the Department of Information and Communication Technology to lead the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster and provide direct logistics and emergency telecom support during emergencies.

Supporting Household and LGU Awareness and Knowledge for Earthquake Preparedness II (SHAKE II)

Building on the success of SHAKE I, this project continues to work with local governments and communities in five cities and municipalities in and around Metro-Manila to improve government and community capacity to plan and prepare for earthquake events. Through this program, CRS engages stakeholders at each level of government—including the municipal, city, and community/barangay levels—to provide both training and accompaniment, building critical technical capacities and functions, and improving community engagement and mobilization for enhanced earthquake resilience and preparedness. SHAKE II assists local government units and barangays that have incomplete or insufficient preparedness plans to develop and implement measures required to both comply with government standards and deliver the required preparations for community earthquake preparedness. The project also works with the government to engage and educate communities on household preparedness measures to enhance resilience. Additionally, SHAKE II supports disaster-resilient livelihoods by helping individuals find employment in disaster risk reduction related fields, training community members on skills such as safe construction practices and providing grants to support small businesses. SHAKE II also facilitates savings among vulnerable community members by supporting savings and internal lending communities and linking them with affordable microinsurance providers, which enable households to better prepare for disasters.

Emergency Response to Mayon Volcano Unrest

The project is responding to water, sanitation, hygiene and shelter needs of 17,000 displaced persons in the most vulnerable, affected communities in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office and provincial government of Albay. With support from USAID, IOM is providing 510 households (2,550 individuals) with modular tents, basic hygiene kits, water voucher and kits, and water trucking services. The project also supports the repair or improvement of 10 critical water and sanitation infrastructures at evacuation centers or open collective sites that particularly require site enhancement.

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Humanitarian Assistance - Philippines
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