The List of Disaster Prone Areas in The Philippines and Disaster Types

As a country that is located in The Ring of Fire and tropical climate, the disaster prone areas in the Philippines have quite serious issues. Almost every year, there are many disasters that happen in this country that the government should be adaptive and prepare mitigation for the people who live in the affected areas.

Climate change and some human activities worsen the case where many people suffer because of the aftermath. Though the threats are quite similar, different areas have different types of disaster that the communities should understand how to face this challenge. Here is the list of disaster prone areas in this country.

The List of Disaster Prone Areas in The Philippines

1. Davao Region

Davao is an important area where people choose to live. The disaster that used to happen in the past is an earthquake. The disaster occurred with 6.5 SR one day in 2019, and the damage was severe. Some buildings and houses collapsed so that people should stop their activities for a while for recovery. 

Since it may happen again in the future, the government categorized Davao as one of the disaster prone areas in the Philippines. They made some changes, such as raising awareness for the communities and making codes for the buildings. They also prevent some risks through reduction programs.

2. Metro Manila

Metro Manila's location is near the sea, so there are many cases of floods and earthquakes in this city. The earthquake itself can bring severe floods. Meanwhile the normal floods come from the typhoons that keep happening in this city almost every year.

The government has worked to improve the quality of life in Manila through many types of programs. They raise awareness for the people in this city in mitigation and adaptation. So far, Metro Manila is the best when it comes to awareness and mitigation because city people are easier to inform.

The government also responds through earthquake drills. Therefore, it is easier for them to issue warning messages through an early warning system. There are some pumping stations in Metro Manila that will work efficiently to minimize floods and the risks following the earthquake. 

3. Mindoro

Mindoro is the city that the government categorized as one of the disaster prone areas in the Philippines. Back then in 1994, the earthquake that occured in this area was big. It caused multiple big waves like a tsunami. This is the reason why the government has big concern for Mindoro.

They install a tsunami warning system to inform people who live at the coastline when a big earthquake can cause a tsunami. The communities in Mindoro also separately have better awareness and education since the threat of tsunami may come anytime. The government created hazard mapping as well.

4. Bicol Region

The Bicol region has different issues, such as typhoons and volcanic eruptions. This area is disaster prone because the destruction caused by the disasters is always severe. Many people should be displaced once the eruption occurs. Typhoons in the Bicol region are also massive and destroy the whole city.

Since the eruption in this region is a bit frequent, the government established a permanent evacuation zone. This is the place for temporary displacement post disaster. Thus, they also improve the quality of infrastructure so the buildings will not collapse after the typhoons attack the region.

5. Eastern Visayas

Storms and typhoons occur a lot in the Eastern Visayas. This region used to have the strongest typhoons in the world that occured in 2013 named Yolanda. The destruction because of the typhoon was massive and people suffered a lot because they had to move and lose their homes.

Because of those cases, the Philippines’ government improved their warning systems in the Eastern Visayas. They also prepare mitigation plans by coordinating with international aid. Some spots in the Eastern Visayas should be free from buildings that people should leave the area since it is no longer safe to live in.

Since the severity of disaster prone areas in the Philippines is always serious, the government should be reliable by providing EWS. It is better to use an SMS broadcaster device as a tool to spread warning messages. With this device, people can have better awareness about disasters.