Disaster governance beyond calamity response

In just two weeks, the Philippines has endured a relentless series of disasters: Super Typhoon Nando and Severe Tropical Storm Opong devastated parts of the country on Sept. 21 and Sept. 26, respectively; a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu and surrounding islands on the night of Sept. 30; a minor phreatomagmatic eruption of Taal Volcano followed in the early hours of Oct. 1; and yet another typhoon threatens to enter the country this weekend.

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The rapid succession of these disasters has triggered a full-scale government response. All 41 agencies under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) have been mobilized. And yet, the 2025 World Risk Index ranking the Philippines as the most disaster-prone country globally does not merely reflect our geography-it exposes governance system failures.

The Cebu earthquake alone has left at least 72 people dead and more than 140 injured, with fatalities expected to rise as search-and-rescue operations continue in hard-hit areas like Bogo City. Power outages have worsened conditions, with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placing the Visayas grid on yellow alert due to 27 power plants tripping and 11 transmission lines down. Roads to affected areas remain partially blocked by landslides and cracked portions of cement, slowing the delivery of aid.

While the government's response machinery is in motion-from rescue deployments to food distribution and medical support-the repeated damage we suffer with each disaster underscores a bigger issue. Our response invariably falls short of what the dire situations require.