The Disaster Preparedness Programs and Responses of Bislig City on typhoon "Pablo"

Abstract

This study aimed to formulate a sustainable framework illustrating the disaster preparedness and responses of the city of Bislig in Mindanao along with neighboring areas Compostela Valley and Boston, Davao Oriental. It also identified and discussed the disaster preparedness programs and responses implemented by 1.) the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) of Bislig, 2.) the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Compostela Valley province and 3.) the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) of the municipality of Boston, Davao Oriental, before typhoon "Pablo". This study also identified and discussed the ecological concepts, principles and theories embedded in the disaster preparedness programs and responses of the three institutions mentioned previously. Based on the results, this study then provided science-based recommendations for an ecologically-sound disaster risk reduction and environmental risk management strategy in the said places.

In carrying out the study, a descriptive survey method was used. This methodology subscribes to a qualitative research approach which involved collecting secondary data from the CDRRMC in Bislig, PDRRMC in Compostela Valley province and the MDRRMC in Boston, Davao Oriental.

The results revealed the following ecological concepts, principles and theories embedded in the disaster preparedness programs and responses of the CDRRMC in the city of Bislig, PDRRMC in Compostela Valley province and the MDRRMC in Boston, Davao Oriental were: ecological concept that Risk is an inherent aspect of decision-making; Adaptive Management; and ecological principle that Disturbances shape the characteristics of populations, communities, and ecosystems. The ecological theories embedded in the disaster preparedness programs and responses of the above entities were: The complexity theory and the resilience theory.

Furthermore, this study uncovered that by adapting localized disaster management in the city, the latter experienced minimal casualties during typhoon Pablo, despite of the same gale warnings raised and typhoon categories determined by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Association (PAG-ASA) to the other provinces in Mindanao. Another reason that the city of Bislig had less casualties during typhoon Pablo occurrence compared to the Compostela Valley province where 612 deaths were recorded and 29 deaths recorded in Boston, Davao Oriental was most of the constituents or residents in the city were lumads or native people who have been in the place since time immemorial, and these lumads were well-known for being nature lovers, preservationists and are willing to devote their whole lives to protect their native place. Thus, these lumads as observed were policy-abiding constituents because they don’t want massive destruction on their place, and in order to avert from the devastation of typhoon Pablo, most of the community members in Bislig were evacuated two days before typhoon Pablo hit the city especially in the landslide, storm surges, flood, and tsunami-prone areas. As compared in Compostela Valley province and in Boston, Davao Oriental where most of the people were conglomeration of different cultures from various tribes in Mindanao and Visayas regions due to massive existence of mining companies or many of the local people on the said places was noted as migrants to seek job opportunities and livelihoods out of the mining establishments.

On February 10, 2013 issue of Philippine Daily Inquirer entitled “How Debris buried New Bataan (sic Compostela Valley) Village, most of the fatalities from Compostela Valley province and Boston, Davao Oriental constituents were attributed to the disobedience of their community members to the pre-emptive evacuation conducted by the PDRRMC and MDRRMC of the said places. This only signified that the CDRRMC in Bislig had implemented 100% of its disaster preparedness plans and programs before and during typhoon Pablo. Aside from free transportation offered by the city government of Bislig through the CDRRMC in the evacuation activities, the ferried evacuees were also provided with free three-day meals in the evacuation centers with water and sleeping kits (native banig, tabo, and blanket). In case of more than three days duration of the evacuees in the evacuation centers, the local barangay council where the evacuation center is located will be the one to shoulder the meals of the affected residents of the calamity.

Keywords: localized disaster management, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), ecological concepts and principles, typhoon “Pablo”, City of Bislig.