The Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC), a non-government organization based in the Philippines, cited the records of the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), which showed that 2,360 people were killed due to natural disasters in 2012. Coming in second was China with 771 deaths.

CDRC is a partner of CRED, a World Health Organization collaborating center based in Brussels, Belgium, which maintains the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT: The International Disaster Database).

CRED also reported that in terms of the number of people affected by natural disasters, the Philippines came in second to China. There were 43 million people affected in China; and 12 million in the Philippines.

CDRC’s Deputy Executive Director, Carlos Padolina, said that the Philippines’ ranking was due to Typhoon Pablo (Bopha), the largest disaster that occurred in 2012. Pablo killed over 1,000 people in Southern Philippines.

Meanwhile, citing its own data, Padolina revealed that a total of 471 natural and human-induced disasters occurred in the Philippines in 2012. Compared to the 2011 data, 2012 posed a 9% increase in the number of disaster events recorded by CDRC.

CDRC monitors both natural and human-induced disasters that occur in the Philippines.

“Majority of these disasters were caused by flood with 143 incidents and 7.8 million people affected. The high number of flooding incidents can be attributed to the Southwest Monsoon which inundated much of Luzon in August of 2012,” Padolina said. “However, the major cause of mortality rate last year was Tropical Cyclone,” he added.

Padolina also pointed out the increasing trend in the number of affected people in the last five years. He said the strong typhoons that the Philippines experienced in recent years have contributed a lot to this trend.

Download CDRC’s complete Philippine Disaster Report 2012 here.

Download the MP3 on PodOmatic

Una sa lahat, ang Biodivesity   o ang pagkakaiba-iba ng bawat bagay na may buhay sa mundo ay isang importante at seryosong usapin. Ang mundo natin ay puno ng iba’t – ibang mga hayop, halaman, tao at marami pang mga bagay na nilikha ng Diyos. Napakaganda ng ating mundo , ngunit kung hindi iingatan at aalagaan, mananatili pa ba itong maganda at malinis tulad ng ating kinagisnan? Ang mga tao ngayon ay tila walang pakialam sa kapaligiran. Puro sila tapon dito, tapon doon. Hindi man lang nila iniisip kung saan mapupunta ang mga basurang kanilang tinapon. Hindi na nila iniisip kung ano ang maaaring idulot nito sa kalikasan. Meron ding mga illegal loggers. Kinakalbo nila ang ating kagubatan sa patuloy nilang pagputol ng mga puno na hindi naman nila pinapalitan ng panibago. Meron ding mga mangingisdang gumagamit ng illegal na paraan ng paghuli ng isda, gaya ng dynamite fishing, electrical fishing at cyanide fishing.

Dahil sa kanilang kagustuhang makahuli ng marami-raming isda, hindi na nila iniisip ang mga epekto ng kanilang gagawin sa mga tahanan ng isda, sa mga isda at sa iba pang lamang-dagat.

Iilan lang ito sa mga sanhi ng pagkasira ng ating kalikasan. Marami pang mga bagay ang nagiging dahilan ng pagkasira ng ating kalikasan, at pagkaubos ng mga likas na yaman. Kailangan mamulat na sa realidad at katotohanan ang mga mamamayan, kung ang mga nabanggit na masasamang gawi ay ipinagpatuloy pa, ano na ang kinabukasang naghihintay para sa atin? Ano na ang mangyayari sa mundo? Dahil sa pagiging makasarili ng iba, marami ang naaapektuhan, mga inosenteng tao at hayop ang mga nadadamay. Sila ang nagbabayad ng kasalanang gawa ng mga taong walang pakialam.

Hindi pa huli ang lahat para magbago, wala namang may gustong masira ang kalikasan hindi ba? Kaya’t kailangan nating magtulong-tulong. Iwasto natin ang ating mga pagkakamali. Iwasan na ang mga masasamang gawi. Tayo ay magkaisa sa pagsagip, pagalaga at pagpapanatiling malinis at maayos sa ating kalikasan. Panahon na para matuto tayong magtulungan at tigilan na ang pagiging makasarili. Sama-sama nating ibalik sa dating kagandahan, kalinisan at kaayusan ang ating mundo.

———

Written by: Desiree Arreola, 15 years old

Winner, ABKD 2012 On-the Spot Essay Writing Contest

Contest Sponsored by: Foundation for the Philippine Environment and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

Pablo, the 16th storm to enter the Philippines in 2012, made landfall on the eastern coast of Mindanao on December 4th. It brought rain and strong winds that toppled trees and power lines, destroyed houses and roads, and caused floods and mudslides that forced more than 300,000 to seek refuge in evacuation centers.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that the total number of population still staying inside evacuation centers is 3,011 families or 13,940 persons. These families are still in need of food assistance.

Meanwhile, many of the affected families have returned to their communities. They are now busy rebuilding their homes, and doing the clearing operations to prepare their farm lands for replanting.

They are in need of shelter materials like nails, wood and iron sheets to repair their houses. Chainsaws and other heavy equipment are also needed to clear farm lands of fallen trees.

The community people are also trying to put up temporary structures for their destroyed schools. They have also organized a community kitchen to help feed the workers and volunteers doing repairs and clearing operations.

CDRC and its Regional Centers (MISFI, BREAD and PB), through the support of its donors, are also providing assistance through cash-for-work or food-for-work.

Funds and materials are also being gathered for the seeds dispersal campaign dubbed as “Seeds for Life”.

The death toll from Pablo, as of last count, was at 1,067, mostly due to flash floods and mudslides. At least 834 people remain missing.

Most of the casualties were from the town of New Bataan in Compostela Valley, and the towns of Cateel, Baganga and Boston in Davao Oriental. These areas were severely affected by flash floods, mudslides, and strong winds.

The NDRRMC said that the total number of population affected in 34 provinces of Regions IV-B, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, CARAGA and ARMM was 711,682 families or 6,243,998 persons. This figure covered 3,064 barangays, 318 municipalities, and 40 cities.

Affected structures were electrical poles that fell, causing block-out in the Municipalities of Abuyog and Mac Arthur, Leyte. Several houses were partly destroyed when tree branches flew towards said houses. Some small shacks made in nipa and bamboos were totally destroyed.

Rice fields towards the foot of the mountain were submerged by water. Most newly planted rice saplings were razed to the ground. Banana trees were forced to bow. Coconut leaves fell, and some mango trees uprooted.

In MacArthur, according to their MDRRMC Executive officer, Fortunato Serafina, damages of ricecrops amounts to P199,400; vegetable plants-P18,000; residential buildings P89,000(mostly nipa roofings); coconut P4,500; and banana P2500 or a total of P313,500. As of this writing there have been no reports government infrastructures damaged.  In Abuyog, no information from the municipal government has been released.

Quinta is the 17th and last typhoon to hit the country in 2012. The typhoon is considered as one of the strongest to hit Iloilo, Aklan and Capiz. A state of calamity has been declared in these provinces.  As of the latest report from the RDRRMC and OCD, 52,157 families with 251,152 persons were affected by Quinta from 544 barangays in 40 towns and four component cities in Western Visayas.

A total of 1,610 houses were totally damaged with 3,543 partially destroyed. Also, 15 persons lost their lives due to drowning and electrocution, with three still missing.

As of December 31, 2012, 5 p.m., a total of 10,689 families or 55,550 persons were still in 97 evacuation centers.

“The mountains can no longer hold the water generated by rains because they lack trees cover or canopy,” said Undersecretary Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator.

Officials said heavy rain on mountains surrounding Kalibo, the capital of Aklan on Panay Island, caused a river running through the city to overflow and triggered a flash flood late December 26, 2012. The flooding was aggravated by the high tide, preventing the river from emptying into the sea, and canals were blocked by heavy silt brought down from nearby hills.

In Iloilo Province, as far as flood water is concerned, the relatively tame typhoon “Quinta” brought more devastation to many towns in Iloilo compared to the terrible Typhoon Frank.  While the Tigum and Aganan Rivers did not overflow its banks, waters from Suague River which originates from the mountains of Janiuay and Jalaur River in Calinog, have practically engulfed towns along its way towards the sea especially after combining as one river in Mina.  Downstream, the combined rivers devastated the towns of Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Duenas, Dumangas and Zarraga where flood water levels were believed to be higher than Typhoon Frank’s.

Iloilo PDRRMC report said affected municipalities include Alimodian, San Miguel, Zarraga, Janiuay, Lambunao, Mina, Calinog, Cabatuan,Pototan, Bingawan, Duenas, Ajuy, Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Passi City, Dingle, Dumangas, San Enrique, Balasan, San Rafael, Concepcion, Barotac Viejo. As of December 31, the rain has already abated but there are still rising flood waters in low lying towns of Dumangas, Zarraga and parts of Leganes and Pototan.

In ROXAS CITY, Capiz, the devastation caused by Quinta was unprecedented with floodwater level even higher than that of typhoon Frank and the extent of damage on crops, livestock, properties and even lives is undeniably considerable and unimaginable.

Reports from the PDRRMC Action Office as of 6 p.m. of December 28 show that 151 barangays in Capiz involving 14,577 families or 54,962 persons were affected by floods due to said typhoon.

Of the total affected barangays, 26 are in Mambusao, 22 in Panitan, 15 each in Panay and Dao, 14 in Pontevedra, 17 in Sigma, eight in Maayon, 11 in Tapaz, nine in Cuartero, seven in Dumalag, four in Dumarao, and three in Roxas City.

Initial report from the PDRRMC also noted 16,003.37-hectare damage on rice plantation with an estimated cost of more than P16.53 million and 386-hectare and 29-hectare damage on corn and vegetable production.  The damage on fisheries so far was posted at P500, 000 covering four hectares (JSC/JBG-PIA6, Capiz).

Agriculture is also heavily damaged. The DA has estimated losses in rice crops at P45 million, while for corn it is about P3.6 million.  DA-6 Executive Director Larry Nacionales said they are preparing appropriate interventions. He said about 30 percent of rice lands were damaged in the towns of Pototan, Dingle, Dumangas, Mina, Barotac Nuevo and Zarraga in the province of Iloilo, while in Capiz, it includes the towns of Sigma, Cuartero, Sao, Mambusao, Dumalag and Panit-an.

DA reported that 13 municipalities in Western Visayas suffered losses in corn.

DA records showed these were in the municipalities along river banks in the towns of Numancia, Libacao, Banga and Kalibo in Aklan, and in Mambusao Capiz. The damage in vegetables was estimated at P17 million.

Livestock farmers affected by Quinta, estimated to suffer losses of over a million, while the total damages in agriculture were pegged at P67.53 million. (DA6/JCM/ESS/PIA-Iloilo)

Families in need of relief assistance

Mostly affected are communities along rivers and streams and low lying farmers communities that are depressed.  The flood aggravated the general state of poverty in these communities claiming mostly their shanty shelters.

CDRC’s Regional Center, the Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR), appealed for relief assistance and medical mission in specific affected areas. During consultations with Pamanggas farmers organizations and urban poor and women organizations in Capiz, Iloilo and Aklan province, they have requested assistance for around 2,000 families (800-aklan; 900-Iloilo; 300-Capiz). Most of them are dependent on odd and seasonal jobs, and have been economically dislocated because of the flashfloods.

Their basic problem is scarcity of food due to lack of resources.  Even their crops have been heavily damaged, further aggravated by their destroyed houses.

The additional problem of flood related diseases such as common colds, diarrhea, upper respiratory diseases and skin diseases, are already apparent in these communities.  Thus a need to complement the relief mission with a medical consultation is also necessary.

For donations, you can deposit to the following accounts:

Peso Account:

Account Name: Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Bank: Metrobank, Examiner Branch, Quezon City, Philippines

Account No. 636-3-63600741-3

Dollar Account:

Account Name: Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Bank: Metrobank, Examiner Branch, Quezon City, Philippines

Account No. 636-2-63600158-3

Swift Code: MBTCPHMM