Disaster Governance: Powered by Prayers, Memes, and Ayuda Raffles
Why disaster laws keep failing, rescuers keep dying, and we keep laughing through the pain of loss.
Alas, we have come to July, Disaster Resilience Awareness Month. Timely, the rain pours, the government suspends class and work, and memes come flooding in. This is the time of the year when “we tell ourselves that the Filipino spirit is waterproof.”
Never mind the knee-deep water in classrooms. Never mind the stranded commuters posting for help on the expressway. Never mind the minimum wage earners braving the storm like superheroes, if only to get his or her fair wage for the day. We smile through storms. We have resilience.
But somewhere beyond the memes and the soaked relief goods, we need to ask: are we celebrating our strength as a nation, or have we grown so accustomed to calamities that we've lost hope for improved disaster response?
The Law Says We Should Be Ready, So Why Aren’t We?
While the whole of Luzon was drenched by three typhoons, I delivered an online lecture for the Visayas group on Human Rights Based Approach. As I often remind my students and colleagues, our laws reflect a vision of resilience rooted in duty, rights, and equity – not charity.
Let’s not pretend we’re without legal muscle. Several laws institutionalize disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, especially for the vulnerable groups.
RA 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010)
This landmark law shifted the country’s disaster approach from reactive (disaster response) to proactive (risk reduction and preparedness).
In a nutshell, RA 10121 institutionalizes the Four Pillars of DRRM and organizes disaster work into four thematic areas:
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
- Structural: flood control, early warning systems, hazard mapping
- Non-structural: land use planning, reforestation, climate resilience
Disaster Preparedness
- Community drills, education campaigns, early warning systems, pre-disaster logistics
Disaster Response
- Evacuation, rescue, relief operations, emergency health and shelter services
Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery *
- Post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA), rebuilding infrastructure, psychosocial support
Key players in DRRM are:
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as the lead policy-making and coordination body. It is composed of key agencies like the DILG, DSWD, DOH, DepEd, and AFP to name a few. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) functions as secretariat and operational arm.
Local DRRM Councils (LDRRMCs) mirror the NDRMMC as lead policy-making and coordination body in barangay, municipal, city and provincial levels, while Local DRRM Offices serve as operational arms of local councils.
Under Section 21 of RA 10121, each LGU must allocate not less than 5% of of the estimated revenue from regular sources to the Local DRRM Fund for to support disaster risk management activities such as, but not limited to, pre-disaster preparedness programs including training, purchasing life-saving rescue equipment, supplies and medicines, for post-disaster activities, and for the payment of premiums on calamity insurance. Of the amount appropriated for LDRRMF, thirty percent (30%) shall be allocated as Quick Response Fund (QRF) or stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs in order that situation and living conditions of people In communities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be normalized as quickly as possible.
RA 10821 (Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act)
This law aims to ensure comprehensive protection for children before, during, and after disasters and emergencies, specifically by mandating the:
Establishment of child‑friendly safe spaces and evacuation centers that prioritize privacy, sanitary facilities, and maternal‑infant care
Provision of transitional shelters for orphaned or unaccompanied children, pregnant and lactating mothers with gender-specific and child-sensitive facilities
Immediate delivery of basic needs—food, water, medicine, hygiene kits—prioritizing children under 5, pregnant women, and PWDs
Enforcement of safety measures coordinated by PNP, AFP, DSWD, DILG, DepEd, and CSOs specifically targeting child exploitation, trafficking, abuse, and neglect
Provision of health and psychosocial services provided in coordination with DOH, LGUs, and NGOs
Rapid resumption of education, including early learning services, in coordination with DepEd and other agencies
Family tracing and reunification protocols for orphaned/separated children
Systems to restore lost civil registry documents and register children born during emergencies
Mandatory training for responders on child protection and psychosocial care
Age‑, gender‑, and ability‑disaggregated data collection in DRRM systems to understand and respond better to the needs of children affected by disasters and calamities
Listo si KAP
The DILG launched "Listo si KAP" (Komunidad at Punong Barangays), a disaster preparedness and response framework for barangays, aligning with President Marcos Jr.'s call for safer communities. Building on "Operation L!sto," this initiative provides protocols for pre-disaster vigilance, imminent hazard actions, and post-disaster needs assessments. Memorandum Circular No. 2025-035 designates the Barangay Development Council as the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) Council, approving plans and recommending emergency measures like preemptive evacuation. The Barangay DRRM Committee (BDRRMC) acts as the LDRRM Office, crafting and executing disaster risk management programs. BDRRMC responsibilities include drills, equipment readiness, and infrastructure audits during preparedness; activating operations centers, managing evacuation, and coordinating search and rescue during response; and post-disaster damage assessment, rehabilitation, and sustainable recovery solutions. Listo si KAP reinforces the DILG's commitment to empowering barangays for disaster resilience.
LGU Resilience Readiness Monitoring Framework (LRRMF)
The Local Resilience Readiness Measurement Framework (LRRMF) under DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-043 covers:
Disruption (Hazard and Exposure): This describes the intensity of natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes, typhoons, landslides, floods) and exposed assets that challenge an LGU's protective capabilities. Disruptions are classified as potential (estimated hazard intensities) and actual (recorded effects of recent disasters). This component profiles the LGU's hazards and exposed elements, assessing risk management effectiveness.
Contextual Vulnerability: These are pre-existing LGU factors (economic, social, environmental, institutional conditions) that influence initial resilience and susceptibility to hazards, either aiding or hindering risk reduction efforts.
Risk Governance (Capacity): This refers to the systems, institutions, policies, and leadership within an LGU that guide disaster risk reduction, climate change, and development efforts. It encompasses technical and functional capabilities in areas like organizational functionality, risk information, safe environments, emergency response, and resilient critical services.
Allocation and Utilization of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF)
Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1 provides guidance to Local Government Units (LGUs) on the allocation and utilization of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF). Its primary objectives are to ensure efficient and effective use of these funds and to promote transparency and accountability in their management.
Despite the presence of detailed laws and institutional structures, disaster risk reduction in the Philippines remains largely ineffective because those in power often treat it as a procedural requirement rather than a moral responsibility. As Panao argues, the system suffers from a lack of political accountability and sustained leadership, leading to a cycle of reactive aid and post-disaster blame rather than proactive, risk-informed governance.
Recently, the Commission on Audit (COA) regularly flags LGUs for unspent or mismanaged DRRM funds, with some barely using their Quick Response Fund and mitigation budget. In Batangas Province alone, auditors flagged ₱23 million unutilized disaster funds (45.85% non-utilization rate) as of 2023, while many municipalities still have unliquidated balances improperly parked instead of being invested in resilience.
According to a 2024 Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) study, Filipino persons with disabilities (PWDs) experience significantly higher barriers in disaster preparedness and recovery—due to inaccessible infrastructure, lack of inclusive communication, and weak local enforcement of RA 10754. The study noted that many Local Government Units (LGUs) lack PWD directories, hindering pre-disaster planning; evacuation centers often lack accessible features; PWDs report exclusion from disaster drills and information; and only 20% are aware of their rights under RA 10754.
Last Monday, extreme flooding along critical stretches of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)—notably in Balintawak and Valenzuela—left thousands of motorists stranded for hours after rain-swollen creeks and malfunctioning pumps overwhelmed infrastructure. In response, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) issued a show-cause order to NLEX Corporation, demanding an explanation for the failure despite warnings issued in May, months before the rainy season kicked in.
“Resilience isn’t about laughing through it—it’s about not having to survive this way again.”
Typhoons have long been part of our lives, woven into the rhythms of our rainy seasons and family emergency plans. Over time, we’ve learned to meet these storms with equal parts preparation and humor. But sometimes, that humor seeps into places where urgency should lead. On official social media pages, even class suspension announcements come with jokes and trending memes—well-meaning perhaps, but occasionally blurring the line between public service and entertainment. In one town in Central Luzon, an e-ayuda distribution was turned into a digital raffle, where residents submitted photos of themselves in flooded homes to qualify. It speaks to how deeply we rely on creative coping—and how, maybe, we’re still figuring out how to match empathy with efficiency in times of crisis.
Typhoons are part of life here—we brace, we survive, and often, we laugh. But lately, the gravity of disaster has been reduced to jokes and memes. Class suspensions come with punchlines. In one town, e-ayuda became a raffle where people had to pose in floodwaters.
But there’s nothing funny about long-term loss. These may seem lighthearted on the surface—but behind every soaked selfie is a family facing loss: damaged homes, weeks of lost income, children missing school, and a recovery process that can stretch for years. Resilience isn’t about laughing through it—it’s about not having to survive this way again.
In Case You Missed It: Even Our Rescuers Aren’t Safe
Let’s rewind to 2022, the onslaught of Typhoon Karding left five season rescuers dead during a mission in San Miguel, Bulacan. They launched a boat to save others, but a concrete wall collapsed on them. Not because they were reckless. But because infrastructure failed, and protocols weren’t enough to protect them.
“Disasters don’t just kill victims. They also claim those trying to help—when systems treat resilience like a virtue instead of a duty.”
Then just days ago, in Meycauayan City, a barangay health worker was electrocuted in a flooded area near the Barangay Health Station. She was on her way to check the safety of medical supplies. A wire had come loose above a tent she passed through.Just days ago, tragedy struck Meycauayan City when a barangay health worker, en route to check on the safety of vital medical supplies, was electrocuted in a flooded area near the Barangay Health Station. A loose wire, dangling ominously above a tent she passed through took her life.
That’s the thing: disasters don’t just kill victims. They also claim those trying to help—when systems treat resilience like a virtue instead of a duty.
Small Steps, Big Leaps
If we want fewer dead rescuers, fewer TikToks of people on rooftops, fewer public apologies—we might consider the following:
✅ Protect the Protectors
Give rescuers and health workers real hazard training, not just jackets and hashtags.
Assess their stations.
Audit their gear.
And for once, ask them what they need before a storm—not after the eulogy.
✅ Map Relationships, Not Just Names
Disasters don’t care about your census forms. They care if no one knows that Lola Pilar lives alone two streets down and hasn’t been able to walk since January.
You know what else we track? Not just names, but who lives alone. Who’s on maintenance meds. Who needs someone to remind them that yes, the typhoon’s real, and no, it’s not just “ulan lang 'yan.”
✅ Practice Quiet Readiness
Skip the motorcade.
Start with radios that work.
Barangay-level (you can go granular as Puroks or Sitios) simulations in alleyways, not auditoriums.
Train community leaders with no rank but real trust: vendors, jeepney barkers.
Flood maps that are in the local language.
And policies that don’t get activated only when it’s too late.
Emergency kits in sari-sari stores and each households.
✅ Track Dignity, Not Just Damage
Ask survivors if they were treated like human beings, or like statistics with feet. Did families stay together? Were the elderly given mats or left on the floor? Did evacuees feel safe—or forgotten?
✅ Stop Treating Accountability Like an Afterthought
If an expressway floods, someone signed off on the drainage. If people die in shelters, someone designed those buildings. If funds were allocated, show the receipts—and the outcomes.
Redefining Resilience
So here we are. Another July. As I write, lightning flashed and painted the night sky. Thunders roared. Rain lashed, wind howled. I know it's going to be a long night, decisions have to be made. Relief efforts need to mobilize.
As I scan social media, resiliency remains to be a buzzword.
Nostalgia hits. It was 2005. A typhoon had just passed, and I joined a high school writing competition. The prompt was simple: What can we learn from the typhoon? I wrote about resilience—how we rise, rebuild, and help one another through the storm. That piece won me the top prize and qualified me for the National Schools Press Conference. At sixteen, I believed that was what resilience meant.
Now, nearly two decades later, I still believe in resilience—but not in the way I once did. Resilience must go beyond enduring floods and laughing through crisis. It must mean refusing to normalize preventable suffering. It must mean accountability, preparedness, and a system that works before the next storm hits—not just after.
Real disaster governance doesn’t just come from the government. It comes from everyone: the head of a family voluntarily evacuating from high-risk areas; a student who brings emergency kits; a mother who keeps herself update with weather reports; the school teacher who checks on his or her students and their families; tricycle driver who knows who lives on the lowest street; and nurse who deserves to return home after a shift—alive, and dry.
This Disaster Resilience Month, let’s stop romanticizing recovery. Let’s start demanding readiness. And maybe, just maybe—fewer funerals for those who tried to save us. If you ever post #ResilientFilipino again, make sure it’s not because the system failed—but because we made it work.
“Resilience must go beyond enduring floods and laughing through crisis. It must mean refusing to normalize preventable suffering. It must mean accountability, preparedness, and a system that works before the next storm hits—not just after.”
