The Philippines is known among disaster-prone countries — located at the Pacific Ring of Fire and typhoon belt, making it vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, and floods.
In this article, DZRH News Online will look over some of the calamities the country went through in 2022 as well as the government’s response to aid the victims and recover damages.
Fire cases spiked 12.9% from Jan to March
The Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) recorded that the number of fire incidents from January to March increased by 12.9% this year compared to the same period from the previous year — 2,103 fire incidents as of March 1 compared to 1,863 last year.
Based on their data, the top three causes of fire in the first half of 2022 were electrical ignition caused by arcing, loose connection, and open flame from cooking.
Ergo, the government has been actively responding to aid the victims of fire incidents.
BFP then enhanced Oplan Ligtas Payaman, a program for Fire Prevention Month, in which firefighters conducted house-to-house visits to educate people regarding fire safety.
Senator Bong Go conducted rescue operations for families from Pasig, Taguig, and Quezon City as their houses were affected by the fire. He gave out financial assistance, grocery packs, meals, and masks to 75 families or 265 individuals.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) also assessed the needs of the fire victims and provided them with housing assistance.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in turn, evaluated potential recipients of its livelihood grants.
Magnitude 7.0 jolted Abra
Several earthquakes were felt in different parts of the Philippines which mostly happened in the second half of 2022.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Abra last July 27 killing eleven individuals while 615 others were injured.
This was considered a major earthquake — affecting 500,000 individuals in 15 provinces, damaging 29 municipal roads in Cordillera Administrative Region, breaking 3 bridges in Abra, damaging 8,000 schools and 173 buildings, and 58 reported landslides.
A total of 800 aftershocks ranging from 1.5 to 5.4. were also reported at that time.
The national roads have P104 million worth of damage, and PHP 292 million worth of damage on national bridges in Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 1 - Ilocos Sur, and Region 2 - Cagayan Valley.
To aid the victims, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo gave cash assistance and food packs to victims affected by the magnitude earthquake. He also called for donations of tents and bottled water as residents slept at parks and sidewalks.
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) also provided financial aid for the families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who were severely affected by the earthquake in North Luzon — with an initial fund of P20 million.
Alongside, Philippine authorities airlifted supplies to districts that have been cut off since a powerful earthquake struck the main island of Luzon.
Furthermore, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) offered an emergency loan to members and pensioners affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked Northern Luzon.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also responded by ordering a review of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to create a uniform and coordinated approach in times of calamity — particularly mentioning repositioning the following: satellite posts, generators, and water in case alert levels will rise.
STS Paeng whipped Mindanao
As 2022 entered the rainy season, the worst storm, which caused floods and damages in the country also occurred.
In October, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was placed under a state of calamity due to landslides and massive floods caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng — affecting 97,206 families with 155 reported deaths.
The Department of Agriculture (DOA) reported a total of Php 3.6 billion in damage caused by Paeng to agricultural lands in some areas across the country.
Regions affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng include Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, Caraga Region, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Due to the surge, Project NOAH, also known as the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, has already mapped most of the flood-prone areas in the Philippines, including those in Mindanao.
The national government has provided PHP 4.1 million worth of assistance to the families affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. pushes for a long-term plan and solution that will focus on flooding and landslide problems following the onslaught of the recent typhoon.
