Janelle Ross R.
Hilario BSPT 1-A
The Philippine Government: A Pillar for Climate Preparedness, Protection, and Change
It is undeniable that we live in a country where resilience and bayanihan are deeply
ingrained in our values. However, how much longer can we rely on courage and community
spirit when the government's protection for the country and preparedness for climate-
related disasters remains inadequate? As stated by the World Risk Index, cited by the UN
Philippines (2025), for 16 consecutive years, the Philippines has been suffering for being
“the world's most disaster-prone nation,” demonstrating the critical need for integrated
development and humanitarian action. Furthermore, human activities such as deforestation
and urbanization intensify climate-related disasters, making government action even more
urgent. The Philippine Clearing House Mechanism (2019) affirms that one of the main
causes is urban construction. Forests are cleared to make way for new urban settlements,
commercial establishments, roads, and other developments, which greatly impact forest
life. These activities result in deforestation and the destruction of habitats for local wildlife.
In this regard, the Philippine government must enforce solutions that protect the country’s
treasures, strengthen disaster preparedness, and implement comprehensive climate
adaptation measures to protect lives and ensure the nation’s long-term resilience.
According to Gustavo Gonzales of UN Philippines (2024), the Philippines is prone to
super typhoons as the seas in Southeast Asia warm due to climate change. Moreover, there
are also around 20 active volcanoes across the country, and according to experts, an
earthquake can happen at any time. Therefore, this serious threat of super typhoons,
volcanoes, and earthquakes, intensified by climate change, compels us to prepare for the
“big one”, a natural event of huge potential destructive force.
Climate change is also one of the biggest factors why natural disasters occur.
Gaudenis Plaza (2023) claimed that deforestation is one of the causes. He emphasizes that
rapid urbanization and illegal logging activities have led to the loss of invaluable habitats. In
an article by Gregg Yan that Plaza cited, the Philippines is losing around 52,000 trees daily.
Logging and land conversion are erasing 47,000 hectares of forest yearly. Thus, rising
temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency and intensity
of extreme weather events are already being felt by Filipinos. In addition, more frequent
and severe typhoons and storms have led to increased landslides, floods, and other natural
disasters, causing extensive damage to ecosystems and human settlements. Plaza
highlighted that mitigating and adapting to climate change in the Philippines necessitates
concerted efforts.
The World Bank Group (2023) reported that around one million Filipinos across the
country are impoverished by natural disasters every year. They identified that the poor are
the most affected by natural disasters since they are less able to cope with and recover from
the impacts of climate-related disasters. They have fewer assets and limited access to
resources and other financial support. As these events happen more frequently, the poor
lose their homes and assets, trapping them in a vicious cycle of poverty. In addition, the
poor tend to live in low-lying risk-prone areas such as floodplains, riverbanks, steep slopes,
and coastal areas that expose them to multiple hazards. Many of them reside in disaster-
prone provinces on the eastern edge of the country. Many of the poor are also working in
the agriculture and fishery sectors, which are highly vulnerable to climate change and
natural disasters. In urban areas, many of the poor live in informal settlements that are
located in disaster-prone locations and are characterized by inadequate basic public
services, substandard and unsafe housing, blighted living conditions, and congestion.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is the
agency in the Philippines tasked with preparing for and responding to natural disasters.
They help fight through strategies to mitigate the impact of disasters and increase the
resiliency of the national and local governments (LGUs) in the face of disasters (Climate
Adaptation Platform, 2024). However, as the World Bank Group (2023) reported,
fragmentation, lack of coordination, and insufficient capacity in implementing Disaster Risk
Management (DRM) programs are among the major challenges faced by government
agencies, especially during large-scale disasters. As a result, response, risk reduction, and
recovery projects often lack integration and cohesiveness. In dealing with multiple and
successive large-scale disasters, delays often result among the institutions involved in
response and recovery activities.
Even so, Climate Adaptation Platform (2024) acknowledges an outsider’s perspective
that, given the number of government departments and agencies involved, we can safely
assume that the Philippines has been implementing best practices in disaster management.
As the World Bank Group (2023) stated, the Philippines has reformed the way it deals with
disasters. With a significant focus on preparedness and resilience, key milestones include
the enactment of the Climate Change Act in 2009 and the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management (DRRM) Act in 2010. Furthermore, strengthening its alignment with Ambisyon
Natin 2040 and the country’s commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction and Paris Agreement on Climate Change. However, some reports of the World
Bank Group (2023) show a contradiction that these government reforms are not adequate
and have led to unsuccessful implementation due to fragmentation, lack of coordination,
and insufficient capacity in implementing DRM.
Nevertheless, I propose the focused project titled “PACE (Pagbabago: Protection,
Adaptation, Climate Measures, and Efficiency) 2025,” a project that aims to address
inadequate climate-related preparedness currently implemented by the government. PACE:
a process of change, especially in seeking protection, climate adaptation measures that
must be efficiently enforced by the government. PACE 2025 seeks to propose solutions that
prioritize the protection of the country’s natural treasures, such as the enforcement of
reforestation, strengthening disaster preparedness, and promoting comprehensive climate
adaptation measures, such as building standard dikes and embankments that break the
vicious cycle of suffering and poverty. Ultimately, it calls and encourages the government to
implement efficient and adequate solutions for Filipinos.
Still, given such a solution, the government must remember that the Filipino
resilience and bayanihan will always shine, but they should never be used as an excuse for
government inaction. The Philippine government should focus on long-term solutions, not
band-aid solutions that greatly affect people. It is time to say no to substandard, but yes to
standard. It is time for action and long-lasting solutions that will truly protect, care, and love
every Filipino.
References:
Deforestation Philippine clearing house mechanism. (2019, February 6). Philippine
Clearing House Mechanism. [Link]
Platform, C. A. (2024, October 22). Disaster management and response in the
Philippines. Climate Adaptation Platform. [Link]
management-and-response-in-the-philippines/
Plaza, G. (2023, December 9). FINDING THE ROAD BACK. Medium. Retrieved
September 20, 2025, from [Link]
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The World Bank Group (2023). Disaster Risk Management in the Philippines Country
Development and Development Report.
[Link]
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The WorldRiskReport 2024 - Focus: Multiple Crises - World. (2024, September 9).
ReliefWeb. [Link]
Weathering the storm: Building resilience in the Philippines. (2025). United Nations
DCO. [Link]
Waiting for the ‘big one’ – natural hazards in the Philippines: A UN Resident
Coordinator blog. (2024). [Link]
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