The aftermath of severe Tropical Storm Kristine is another task of pointing fingers and placing blame. What happened? Why was there a collective leadership freeze in Cabinet? Kristine was not the first strong storm this year. Why would a command conference of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) be broadcast live without any situation report being prepared, discussed and scenario presented, nor any decision, order or directive issued? The why and how remained unresolved without anyone being able to say anything. It was a real scare, people watching the live broadcast were in a dilemma because the government had basically said, “We’ll have to wait…”

What is scandalous is that we are dealing with human lives and waiting for the end is putting Filipinos in danger. The frost was shocking. And it was not just the President but also the Cabinet. It’s like saying you’re all alone. The frost was scandalous, it bordered on total negligence.

Who is responsible for rising water levels in various geographic areas? Is it because of defective infrastructure that the drainage systems, if any, did not work? Was it because of denudation and the fact that water was rushing to the lowlands because the mountains had been degraded to the point where they could no longer hold water? Why was there no prepositioning of equipment and food? There was no preparation at all; even the rubber boats had disappeared. For what? And the series of whys continues because that is responsibility. It’s not about blaming who, it’s about ensuring that this never happens again.

And we know full well that we have a national level NDRRMC and a mirror of regional and local units. We have a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP), which meets the requirements of Republic Act 10121 of 2010. The NDRRMP covers four thematic areas: disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery. And the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework (NDRRMF) is “the country’s primary disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) guide”. The framework envisions a country of “safer, adaptive and disaster-resilient Filipino communities towards sustainable development.”

RA 10121 changed the policy environment and the way the country deals with disasters from mere response to preparedness. RA 10121 proposes a comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-institutional and community-based approach to disaster risk management through the formulation of the NDRRMF.

Bicol used to be the typhoon belt decades ago, but with Kristine, it became another nightmare because the floodwaters were rising so fast. Everyone’s surprise was the province of Batangas. Yesterday, a total of 110 people died; more than half a million people have fled their homes, while at least 42 people remain missing. A total of 986,974 families, or 4,207,387 individuals, distributed in 16 regions, 69 provinces, 657 cities or municipalities and 5,867 villages. The NDRRMC also reported that a total of 8,432 houses and 98 infrastructures were damaged due to the effects of Kristine at an estimated cost of P203.83 million.

Risk management is a crucial process that involves the identification, assessment and prioritization of risks, followed by coordinated efforts to minimize, monitor and control the likelihood or impact of unfortunate events. Some key risk management strategies include avoiding or eliminating activities that could result in risk; reduction, for example when risks cannot be avoided, organizations can implement measures to reduce their impact; Acceptance occurs when organizations can choose to accept risk when the costs of mitigation are greater than the potential loss and transfer, which involves transferring the risk to another party, often through a insurance or subcontracting.

Prepositioning is crucial. It refers to the strategic storage of materials and supplies in predetermined locations before a disaster strikes. This approach is essential because it allows for more rapid mobilization of resources, thereby reducing the logistical burdens typically associated with disaster response. By having supplies readily available, organizations can respond more quickly to the needs of affected populations. Typhoon Kristine could have been managed well since risk management is a roundabout approach; we learn from every disaster that comes our way.

Prepositioning strategies are not new and can already be facilitated by technology. The question is: what happened? Risk and needs assessment is standard, including site selection, inventory management and collaboration with local authorities, including training and exercises. The challenges, however, are numerous, from the uncertainty of disasters to limited resources and coordination problems.

Technology can significantly improve prepositioning in a variety of ways: Data analytics and forecasting can predict potential crises or emergencies by analyzing historical data and current trends. This allows organizations to pre-position resources in areas likely to be affected, improving response times and resource allocation; supply chain management facilitates better operations through real-time inventory tracking and management systems; communication and coordination enable better collaboration between the different stakeholders involved in prepositioning efforts; the use of geographic information systems (GIS) helps map areas that require prepositioning of resources. By visualizing data geographically, organizations can make informed decisions about where to locate supplies based on population density, accessibility and risk factors. And this is where DoST can likely play a vital role, namely in automation and robotics that can help with the physical prepositioning of supplies, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Drones, for example, can deliver essential supplies to remote locations quickly and efficiently.

What frames this administration is too much destruction and misappropriation of taxpayer dollars, as demonstrated in the General Appropriations Act of 2024. A major problem is too intense a focus on ayuda because of the use of limited financial resources allocated to certain areas due to polling figures and politics and the conversion of the Department of Social Welfare and Development as responsible for the implementation of ayuda, leaving side its main functions. And today’s politics focuses all the attention on Duterte. If development is to be taken seriously, we must end the politics of destruction and focus on service delivery and getting the bureaucracy to do what it is supposed to do. Because when leaders stand still, the bureaucracy is perplexed. Although bureaucracy can provide a framework for effective risk management, it is crucial for organizations to ensure that their bureaucratic processes are not merely superficial. The executive branch must strive to strike a balance between structure and flexibility, fostering a culture that truly engages in risk management practices.

Filipinos are tired of seeing this cycle repeat itself over and over again, to the detriment of their own lives and properties. Should we wait for the next powerful typhoon and cry out in rejection again? Should we hold elected and appointed officials accountable for gross negligence? For corrupt practices? For focusing too much on political destruction? “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever could change.”