2. What is disaster preparedness?
● “The knowledge and capacities developed
by governments, professional response and
recovery organizations, communities and
individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to,
and recover from, the impacts of likely,
imminent, or current hazard events or
conditions.”
3. What is disaster prevention and mitigation?
● Prevention
activities that avert the occurrence of adverse effects of
hazards and related disasters.
● Mitigation
the lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of
hazards and related disasters. Examples of mitigation
measures include engineering techniques and hazard-
resistant construction as well as improved environmental
policies and public awareness.
4. Prevention and Mitigation Mechanism:
● Structural Mechanism
include construction of dams/embankments and
construction of hazard-resistant structures.
● Non-Structural Mechanism
are land use regulations and policies, community
risk assessment, development and
implementation of early warning systems, etc.
5. How do we ensure that prevention and
mitigation mechanisms, and preparedness
measures are child-centered?
● Include children among the target audience of DRR information
campaign.
● Conduct regular inspection of schools, daycare centers, public
playgrounds and other facilities for children to ensure their safety
and resilience.
● Formulate policies that safeguard children’s rights and ensure their
participation in DRR.
● Involve children in emergency drills.
● Ensure that early warning systems are known to children and easily
understood by them.
7. Figure 1. shows how information from
the surveillance agencies is processed
and transmitted to the NDRRMC
through advisories, situational reports,
and official disaster reports. The
processed information from the
NDRRMC Operations Center (OpCen)
also contains appropriate responses to
be undertaken by the local DRRMCs.
8. • The NDRRMC OpCen processes warnings, alerts, advisories, and
bulletins coming from surveillance agencies such as the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) for geological hazards; and Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for
hydro- meteorological hazards. The OpCen then prepares a memo and submits
report to the NDRRMC Chairperson through the NDRRMC Executive Director.
• Simultaneously, it sends NDRRMC Advisory to the local DRRMCs
through the Regional DRRMCs/OCD Regional Centers. The local DRRMCs
(provincial down to the barangay) assess the situation in their respective areas
and report back to the OpCen through their respective RDRRMCs/OCDRCs.
• The OpCen then consolidates the reports from member agencies and
regional centers and subsequently prepares memo for the NDRRMC Chairperson,
signed by NDRRMC Executive Director. In a large-scale disaster situation, the
NDRRMC Chairperson submits a consolidated report to the President.
• The NDRRMC OpCen disseminates information, monitors conditions,
and coordinates with agencies, DRRMCs, and other stakeholders using telefax
machines, SMS, 2-way radio, e-mail, website, and internet social networking sites
(Facebook and Twitter).
