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Showing posts from January, 2019

When DRRM and political interests collide

The havoc brought about by the recent calamities brings into question the efforts toward disaster risk reduction management. While the government boasts of having enacted the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act (Republic Act No. 10121), it failed to minimize casualties and injuries that the latest typhoon-turned low pressure area, Usman, resulted to the death of 85 persons, 20 missing and 40 others injured in Eastern Visayas, Bicol and MIMAROPA in the last few days of December 2018. A similar disaster occurred barely two months ago when Typhoon Ompong ravaged Luzon and Visayas causing 8 2 casualties, 138 injured and two missing . The Philippines consistently ranks third in the World Risk Index. In 2018, the country scored 25.14 next to Tonga's 29.42 and Vanuato's 50.28. Though the figure is slightly lower to its previous year score of 27.69, it is still classified as "Very High". The Philippines likewise scored 49.94 and 50.33 in the Risk Index'

Food sufficiency in the Philippines: An impossible dream

Food sufficiency in the Philippines still remain an impossible dream as clearly shown by the actions and policies of the government. When inflation hit 9.7% this September 2018, the immediate response was to flood the market with imported products. That was logical as a “vulcaseal” solution but a bad idea for long term direction. We may be able to address food security temporarily but never food security. Unfortunately, the importation policy will be here to stay. As Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol clearly stated : "Our food security program requires a ten- to 20 year-forward planning and we're looking at Papua New Guinea as our food security insurance… So if our 3.9 million hectares could feed 95 percent of Filipinos right now, you can just imagine what four million hectares in Papua New Guinea would be able to contribute to our food security program.” First, the vision is only food security not sustainability. Second, food security will be realized not

The Philippine COVID-19 Response

One of the governments with the most interesting way of handling the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic is the Philippines. While the world was already showing concern over the virus, the Philippines is still permitting flights from places like China noted to be the Ground Zero of the virus. When the number of cases started to multiply, it was only then that the government acted. By March 2020, travel bans were imposed and this was eventually followed by the lockdown couched as "community quarantine". So, what makes the Phillipine Covid response interesting? What are the characteristics of the Duterte Administration's efforts in responding to the current pandemic? 1. Covid-response delegated to local government units (LGUs). Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is an advocate of decentralization and local government empowerment. For this reason, he placed the burden of the Covid-19 pandemic is to the shoulders of LGUs -- from the control of borders to containing

Innovative responses to food security threats under Covid-19

One of the problems highlighted, if not created, by the Coronavirus disease (COVID) -19 pandemic is food insecurity or the lack of access to a sufficient, affordable and nutritious food. The pandemic disrupted the economy and caused unemployment which in turn affected the purchasing power of the people. Further, the community quarantines also affected the transportation systems that the delivery of food supplies from the farms to the consumers were cut or, if not, diverted to areas where local governments are not strict. COVID-19 has no vaccine yet and as such, it is expected that the virus will still be around for some time and that community quarantines and lockdowns might be implemented from time to time. As such, there are some sectors in the country as well as local government units that tried to adapt to the situation and innovate ways to ensure that food reaches the table. Below are some of these innovations. 1. Distribution of food relief packs. This had been the common resp