Philippines is the world's most disaster-prone country: Now what?

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Sep 28, 2025 12:05 am

The Philippines has once again earned the unfortunate distinction of topping the World Risk Index 2025, reaffirming what Filipinos already know by experience: our country is highly vulnerable to disasters. With its archipelagic geography, exposure to an average of 20 typhoons a year, and increasing climate volatility, the Philippines faces a complex and compounding set of natural hazards—storms, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Recent back-to-back calamities have underscored this reality. Typhoons “Nando,” “Opong,” and tropical depression “Mirasol” – compounded by the southwest monsoon – left at least 18 dead, stranded more than 7,000 passengers, and displaced over 50,000 individuals. Entire regions were paralyzed—Cagayan, Central Luzon, Bicol, Visayas, and parts of Mindanao—by floods, landslides, and storm surges.

The World Risk Report 2025 identifies several key factors behind the Philippines' top ranking. The country’s geographic fragmentation—over 7,000 islands—is coupled with densely populated coastal areas, limited infrastructure, and inadequate disaster mitigation systems. Flood-prone provinces like Cagayan, Pampanga, Agusan del Norte, Pangasinan, and Maguindanao face repeated inundation due to their low-lying terrain and aging drainage systems. Even Metro Manila, the nation's capital, ranks among the most vulnerable urban areas because of poor urban planning and unchecked development.

Still, Filipinos are known for their resilience—“weathering the storm” is both a literal and symbolic truth. But resilience alone is not enough. The pressing question is: What are we doing to reduce the risk before the next disaster strikes?

The government and private sectors have established many initiatives to reduce, and mitigate, the severe effects of natural disaster. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), established by Republic Act 10121 in 2010, replacing the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), has institutionalized a national approach to disaster risk reduction and management. Working under the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), it implements government-wide efforts in disaster preparedness, risk reduction, response, rehabilitation, and recovery.

Recently, the government has begun implementing the 2024 National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP), which outlines a more integrated approach to risk reduction, preparedness, and early recovery. The OCD now works in close coordination with local government units and national agencies to conduct preemptive evacuations—as seen in recent responses to storms.

Further, the passage of Republic Act 12287, or the State of Imminent Disaster Act, allows the President and local officials to declare a disaster before it actually happens—triggering early resource mobilization and mitigation protocols.

In science and technology, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has been investing in more Doppler radars, seismic stations, and tsunami monitoring systems. New tools like the Hazard Hunter app and AI-assisted forecasting are helping local governments plan evacuations and monitor weather more accurately. These innovations are transforming the country’s efforts from being reactive to proactive—enabling what experts call “anticipatory action.”

However, technological solutions mean little unless paired with long-term structural reforms. Flood control projects – which have been under investigation for its substandard state or for being ghost projects – must be audited and fast-tracked, not mired in corruption. Urban development must be climate-resilient, not profit-driven. Public education must prioritize weather literacy, so ordinary Filipinos can make informed choices about their safety and livelihoods.

The public and private sectors must continue to work together. From designing climate-resilient infrastructure to reinforcing supply chains for emergency response, disaster resilience must be embedded in economic planning.

We must not view natural disaster as normal and work harder to prevent it.

The Philippines may top the World Risk Index today, but with science, preparation, and political will, it doesn’t have to stay there.