OECD: Fix PH local disaster response

Amid the series of weather disturbances battering the country, identifying the gaps and challenges in the Philippines’ early warning systems has become crucial, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said.

- 

“The Philippines shows that a well-designed early warning system requires not only appropriate technical sophistication, but also robust legal and regulatory frameworks, finance, multi-stakeholder cooperation, and community engagement,” the OECD said in a development policy paper titled “Disaster early warning systems and private sector participation in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Focus on the Philippines,” published on Monday, Nov. 10.

The new OECD paper highlighted that strong institutional mandates are key to effective early warning systems, citing the Philippines as a regional benchmark through Republic Act (RA) No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act, and RA 10639 or the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act of 2014, which define agency roles and require use of technology for public warnings.

It noted that under this framework, RA 10121 decentralizes disaster management and provides funding for local offices, while RA 10639 requires telecommunications companies to deliver free, real-time, geo-targeted alerts to the public.

“These laws collectively establish a framework that is both legally robust and institutionally comprehensive, embedding disaster preparedness into national and local governance structures,” the OECD added.