Building resilience where it matters

The recent news that the Philippines once again topped the World Risk Index as the world's most disaster-prone country comes as no surprise to those of us working closely with vulnerable communities.

- JAIME ARISTOTLE B. ALIP, PHD

Yet even familiarity does not dull the shock of seeing it confirmed: disaster risk is not abstract, but a daily reality for millions of Filipinos already struggling with poverty and exclusion.

As a decades-long advocate of poverty eradication, I see in that ranking not just a statistic but a warning. It exposes how structural neglect and resource gaps combine with extreme climate events turning storms into catastrophes for the poor. It underscores the need to shift from reactive relief (ayuda) to anticipatory, inclusive systems built from the ground up.

Landscape of risk

Apart from an average of 20 typhoons that visit the country each year, Filipinos face floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and storm surges. But geography alone does not explain our high risk. What drives it is vulnerability: the conditions in which people live, their capacity to absorb shocks, and their ability to adapt.

The World Risk Index 2025 cites fragmented geography, crowded coastlines, and limited adaptive capacity. Beyond physical hazards, disasters exacerbate inequality: the poorest are the most vulnerable, and those with few resources lose homes, livelihoods, and recovery support often permanently. It is a stark reminder that adaptation can no longer be delayed: we need strong flood control and early warning systems as much as we need to address weak health services and social inequality.

How microfinance responds