LESSON 1 Concept of Disaster

WEEK
1

KNOWLEDGE
ENRICHMENT
A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
 Analyze disaster from the different perspectives (physical, psychological,
socio-cultural, economic, political, and biological).
 Show and educate people about disaster in different forms: and
 Reflect on the effects of disasters on one's life

B. INTRODUCTION
Can you prevent disasters from happening? In this epoch, the level of disasters
has been increasing. It is because of human activities such as illegal logging,
burning, improper disposal of waste, urban settlements, and rapid increase of
vulnerable population. In this lesson, you will learn the meaning of disaster,
effects, and different perspectives such as physical, psychological, socio-cultural,
political, economic, and biological and how to prevent or reduce the rate of those
calamities.

C. LESSON PROPER

What is a Disaster?
It is "a sudden, calamitous occurrence
that causes great harm, injury,
destruction, and devastation to life and
property”. It disrupts the usual life
course, causing physical and emotional
distress such as intense helplessness and
hopelessness.

According to the Food and Agriculture Figure1.1 Different disasters

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Organization (FAO, 2008), disaster is “a serious disruption of the functioning of
a community or a society involving
widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts,
which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its
resources”.

Disasters are often a result of the combination of the exposure to a hazard, the
conditions of vulnerability that are present, and insufficient capacity or measures
to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.

But how does disaster occur? To fully understand what a disaster is? Let us
study the process by knowing hazards where it is one of the causes why disaster
occurs.
When does a natural event become a hazard?
Natural (or physical) events are only termed hazards when they have the
potential to harm people or cause property damage, social and economic
disruption.

In the meantime, we will not discuss the details about hazards and its types but
will discuss it a lot in lesson 3, “Concept of Hazard”.

When Does a Hazard Become a Disaster?

A hazard becomes a disaster when it happens where many people are living or
have their livelihoods and causes damage to them and their property.

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Figure 1.2 The Relationship between Hazard, Disaster and Vulnerability. The interaction between a physical
event and human activity is a recipe for disaster. This figure shows two conditions: without exposure and with
exposure to disaster. On the first part there is NO disaster happened because human activity and physical
processes DO NOT interact. Meanwhile, on the second condition shows that if the recipe in disaster is all
present and there’s interactions happened it is called disaster risk.

Examples of No Exposure

Example 1: Volcanic eruption on a remote,

unpopulated island will be considered a
hazard since the natural event does not affect
human lives and properties.

Example 2: Supposing that you are in the desert

and an earthquake occurs. Now earthquake is a
hazard. Since it has happened in an open area
wherein in a desert, it does not damage you.
No threat to your life. So it does not become
disaster. It remains as a hazard.

Examples of With Exposure that shows

disaster
Example 1: A tornado is a natural hazard
while it is at sea near a populated area. When
the tornado reaches land and destroys
buildings and affects people, it becomes a
disaster.

Example No 2: Now, supposing that

earthquake happened in a city. There buildings
collapse, people die or are injured, normal life
is disrupted. This is a disaster situation.

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Since we know the process of why a hazard becomes a disaster, let us study the
categories of disaster. Disasters can be divided into two (2) large categories, the
natural and man-made.

A. Natural – a natural phenomenon is caused by

natural forces, such as earthquakes, typhoons,
volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, fires, tornados,
and extreme temperatures. They can be
classified as rapid-onset disasters and
progressive onsets, such as droughts that lead to
famine. These events, usually sudden, can have
Figure1.3 the different natural hazards that can
tremendous effects. affect the human lives and properties which
may result of disaster

B. Man-made – Disasters caused by man are

major direct causes of intentional or non-intentional human actions.

Man-made subdivided into three (3) categories:

1. Technological/ industrial disasters-

Unregulated industrialization and inadequate
safety standards increase the risk for industrial
disasters.
Examples: leaks of hazardous materials;
Figure 1.4 shows vehicle collisions that cause of accidental explosions; bridge or road collapses,
disaster or vehicle collisions

2. Terrorism/ Violence –the threat of terrorism has also

increased due to the spread of technologies involving
nuclear, biological, and chemical agents used to
develop weapons of mass destruction.
Examples: bombs or explosions; release of chemical
materials; release of biological, radioactive agents, and
multiple or massive shootings. Figure 1.5 explosion in a city

3. Complex humanitarian emergencies- complex

emergencies usually describe the humanitarian
crisis resulting from an international or civil war.
Many people are displaced from their homes due
to the lack of personal safety in such a situation.
The disruption of basic infrastructure, including

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Figure 1.6 shows conflict/ war
fund distribution, water electricity, and sanitation, or communities are left
stranded and isolated in their own homes to access assistance. Examples:
Conflicts or Wars; Genocide
The damage caused by disaster cannot be measured. It also differs from
geographical location, climate, earth’s specific characteristics, and level of
vulnerability. These determining factors generally affect the affected area's
psychological, socio-economic, political, and ethical state.

What is Disaster Risk?

Risk has various connotations within different disciplines. In general, risk is

defined as “the combination of the probability of an event, and it’s negative
consequences” (UNISDR 2009). The term risk is thus multidisciplinary and is
used in a variety of contexts. It is usually associated with the degree to which
humans cannot cope (lack of capacity) with a situation.

According to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR),

disaster risk is defined as “the potential loss of life, injury, or destroyed or
damaged assets which could occur to a system, society or a community in a
specific period, determined probabilistically as a function of hazard, exposure,
and capacity”. In the technical sense, it is defined through the combination of
three terms: hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.

Estimating Disaster Risk

When more people encroach on
hazardous areas, and urban centers
continue to grow along the path of
hazard events, the magnitude of
disasters is expected to increase. Figure
1.7 shows how disasters develop in this
way. Thus, we say that the risk of losing
lives or causing injury to people and of
losing or damaging property due to a
hazard increases as the levels of
exposure and vulnerability increase. It
refers to the expected value of deaths,
injuries, and property losses that a
hazard would cause. Disaster risk is
Figure 1. 7 Disaster risk is a function of hazard,
vulnerability and exposure.
experienced as a function of hazard,
exposure, and vulnerability (Disaster Risk=

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function [Hazard, Exposure, Vulnerability]). It seeks not only to express the
chance of a disaster happening but also to quantify the impact. In this model, the
term vulnerability assumes a more specific meaning.

What is Risk Assessment?

Risk assessment is a process to determine the

nature and extent of such risk, by analyzing
hazards and evaluating existing conditions of
vulnerability that together could potentially
harm exposed people, property, services,
livelihoods, and the environment on which
they depend. A comprehensive risk assessment
not only evaluates the magnitude and likelihood
of potential losses but also provides a complete
understanding of the causes and impact of those
losses. Risk assessment, therefore, is an integral
part of the decision and policy-making
processes and requires close collaboration
among various parts of society.

As the risk model implies, the magnitude of the disaster depends on 1) the
severity of the natural event, 2) the quantity of exposure of the elements at risk,
which includes lives and properties, and 3) vulnerability level or quality of

exposure. The model can thus be expressed as:

According to the given formula above, if there is
no hazard, the risk is null (the same as if
population or vulnerability is null). Other
variables in estimating disaster risk. For its
simplicity, the UNDP uses the model and is
adapted by many, including the Philippines, to
assess risk.
Figure 1.8 Minimizing Disaster Risk
6 Reduction through Reduction of Exposure and
Vulnerability
The occurrence of natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
cannot be prevented, but reducing exposure and vulnerability can minimize their
impact.

The level of vulnerability and exposure can be reduced by keeping people and
property away as far as possible away from hazards. Relocating people to reduce
vulnerability and exposure, however, is not a simple matter of imposing it to be
followed blindly by those who are affected. Whenever possible, relocation must
come hand in hand with other mitigation and preparedness measures.

People are resistive to relocation, and it is quite a challenge uprooting and

moving them to other places. This would mean giving up their homes, land, and
even jobs. The most vulnerable are the poor, who are forced to live in unsafe
areas near volcanoes, flood-prone sites, and steep hillsides.

Impacts of disaster on different perspectives

A disaster is a serious disruption, occurring over a relatively short time, of the

functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material,
economic or environmental loss and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the
affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

Disaster is analyzed from a different perspective as follows:

A. PHYSICAL PERSPECTIVE
Calamities are phenomena that cause great physical damage to community
infrastructure, its people, and their properties, e.g., houses and environmental
sources of living. These cited effects of a disaster can be easily measured and the
most common.

B. PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Psychological research has shown that disasters can cause serious mental
health consequences for victims. These consequences take the form of Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and various other disorders and symptoms
that have been less investigated. Other psychological effects of a disaster are
the following:

 Emotional effects: shock, terror, irritability, blame, anger, guilt, grief or

sadness, numbing, helplessness, and loss of pleasure.

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  Cognitive effects: impaired concentration and decision-making ability,
memory impairment, disbelief, confusion, nightmares, decreased self-
esteem and self-efficacy, self-blame, and intrusive thoughts (e.g., tunnel
vision, dreamlike or ‘spacey’ felling).
 Physical effects: fatigue, exhaustion, insomnia, cardiovascular strain,
startle response, hyperarousal, increased physical pain, headaches,
decreased appetite, decreased libido, vulnerability to illness.
 Interpersonal effects: Increased relational conflict, social withdrawal,
impaired work performance, decreased satisfaction, distract,
externalization of blame, externalization of vulnerability, feeling
abandoned.

C. SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Filipinos are generally known as “matiisin”, resourceful, helpful, optimistic, and

prayerful. These characteristics are manifested in the country’s recent fight
against COVID19. Due to the National Health Emergency, Enhanced
Community Quarantine (ECQ) prevailed in the whole country. Many people
temporarily lost their jobs, some were stranded in different regions, repatriated
OFWs were held in different quarantine facilities in Metro Manila, and all were
restricted from going out of their homes for months. As a result, most Filipino
families would rely on government’s help for them to get by. However, limited
resources and aids from the government make people find possible ways to
survive amid the pandemic.

These traits help a lot of Filipinos to survive the challenge of COVID19 in the
country. To people who are used to natural calamities like typhoons, flash floods,
and volcanic eruptions, most citizens would find contentment with what they
have. The culture of “malalampasan din natin to” belief and “bahala na and Diyos”
syndrome give hope to most Filipino during a disaster. Such perspective helps a
lot, especially those who belong to the marginalized sector, to be hopeful and
continue fighting against any challenge at hand. Their belief was that help from
someone or God would arrive at a time they most needed. It also helps most
people survive a lot of oddities in life.

Socio-Cultural Effect of Disasters

 Change in individual roles
 Disruption of social relationships and personal connections

D. ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE
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Disasters affect the economic condition of a community because they reduce
local and international trade. It can also partially or totally paralyze a country’s
transportation system, just like what happened in the COVID19 pandemic.
Implementation of a partial and total shut down of local business operations
results in many people losing means of living.

Economic Effects of Disasters

 loss of life
 unemployment
 loss of property
 loss of household articles
 loss of crops
 loss of public infrastructure

E. POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE
Natural disasters are commonly thought to be less politically argumentative than
armed conflicts, yet a closer look shows that both the effects of a natural disaster
and the resulting distribution of humanitarian aid are profoundly linked to
politics.

Political Effects of a Disaster

 People who have trust in political institution will assess the government’s
risk assessments as credible and accept their hazard policies (Johnson
1999)
 A low level of trust in public institutions, therefore, means that
citizensmay ignore the recommendations and disregard the information
provided by these institutions (McCaffey 2004).
 If individuals are confident that they will receive sufficient aid from the
government when a disaster occurs, they might not be motivated to take
measures on their own (King and Kang 2000).

F. BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

The disturbing effects caused by a prevalent kind of disease or virus in an

epidemic or pandemic level is known as biological disaster.
 Epidemic Level: Biological disaster affects large numbers of people
within a given community or area. Ex: Dengue.
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  Pandemic Level: Biological disaster affects a much large region,
sometimes spanning entire continents or the globe

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
GENERAL INSTRUCTION: All answers for the Activities, Assessment, and
Character Enhancement are to be written in the CSTC green booklet and NOT on
the module itself 

ACTIVITY (15 points)

Instruction: Read the scenario below and answer the following questions.

Disaster Strikes the Philippines

On November 7th, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines with gusts
of up to 235 mph. While the Philippines is no stranger to the power of tropical
storms, it was not prepared for the devastating effects of Typhoon Yolanda,
which was one of the strongest storms ever recorded. The fact that the
Philippines is comprised of over 7,000 islands leaves the country particularly
vulnerable to strong winds and storm surges. In the Philippines, many
inhabitants live in areas with poor infrastructure and housing, which made
Typhoon Yolanda especially dangerous. In the wake of Yolanda’s destruction,
thousands lost their lives, 4.1 million people were left displaced from their
homes, and 6 million workers were left without means to support their
livelihood.
Typhoon Yolanda caused severe damage to some of the Philippines' most
significant sources of income, destroying coconut farms all over the islands,
leaving over a million coconut farmers without a means to support themselves as
they’ve had to wait years for their farms to recover. The typhoon also greatly
affected local fisheries, one of the Philippines' most important sectors, employing
1.6 million people.
Many families lost everything during Typhoon Yolanda, and with that,
some people experienced anxiety and trauma. The lack of transitional and
permanent housing options prolonged the displacement for many families, who
are still trying to recover.

Guide questions:
1. What are the different perspectives (physical, psychological, socio-cultural,
economic, and political) of the disaster present in the given scenario? (5 points)

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2. Once a disaster hits a province, is it possible that the perspective could be all
present? (5 points)
3. What precautionary measures will you apply to lessen the impact of disasters
on different perspectives? (5 points)

ASSESSMENT (10 points)

Instruction: Read the questions carefully. Write only the letter of the correct
answer.
1. Which among these are the elements of disaster risk?
a. Hazard and Exposure
b. Exposure and Vulnerability
c. Hazard, Exposure and Vulnerability
d. Disaster, Exposure, and Vulnerability
2. Which of the following can help and may save lives during disaster?
a. Calling emergency hotlines
b. Keeping calm and doing nothing
c. Applying first aid and being panic while calling for help
d. Keep calm, stay focus, apply first aid, and call emergency hotlines
3. During a disaster, who among the population groups are more vulnerable?
a. Men c. Teenagers
b. Old People d. Women
4. A strong typhoon hit an uninhabited area in the mountainous Sierra Madre
region. What are you going to name the damaging event?
a. Disaster c. Hazard
b. Exposure d. Vulnerability
5. Which of the following is NOT an example of disaster?
a. During flash floods in Bacoor, many people are injured, lose their
animals and property.
b. Strong winds in the Luzon area do not injure or destroy any properties
of the residents.
c. All citizens in in Brgy. Rizal was positive in Covid-19 affecting their
health and their source of income.
d. Landslides in Nueva Vizcaya have caused many fatalities, lost
livelihoods, destroyed infrastructures damaged natural resources, and
displaced several communities.
6. Xyra watched the news on the television announcing the possible coming of
the biggest and strongest earthquake in her country. Her parents decided to
evacuate immediately in the overly crowded designated evacuation area,
making them vulnerable to Covid-19. What perspective of the disaster was
shown in the given situation?

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 a. Biological c. Physical
b. Economic d. Psychological
7. Claire, a 19-year-old resident of Tacloban City, just got laid off from her job
as a sales clerk in a medium-sized hardware store. She and her siblings could
barely survive each day with their limited resources. Then Typhoon Yolanda
struck; it killed her two (2) younger sisters. The storm surge destroyed their
home. In her barangay alone, 2, 000 residents were killed, including her
childhood friends and former playmates. What perspective was shown in the
given situation?
a. Biological
b. Economic
c. Physical
d. Psychological
8. Evaluate the following statements
 A ‘hazard’ is something that has the potential to cause harm.
 All natural events are hazards because they all have the potential to cause
harm.
Which is TRUE about the statements?
a. Both statements are correct.
b. Both statements are incorrect.
c. The first statement is correct, the second statement is incorrect.
d. The first statement is incorrect, the second statement is correct.
9. Evaluate the following statements
 The tsunami waves about to hit a beach area with people, animals, trees,
and houses are considered a disaster.
 After the tsunami hits the populated area, it is no longer just a disaster
but a hazard with victims and destruction or damage all over the place.
Which is TRUE about the statements?
a. Both statements are correct.
b. Both statements are incorrect.
c. The first statement is correct, the second statement is incorrect.
d. The first statement is incorrect, the second statement is correct.

10. Which of the following are TRUE about the two categories of disaster?
i. Man made disasters are usually the result of things going wrong in our
complex technological society. In contrast, a natural disaster is a major
adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth.
II. Man made disaster is a sequence of related or unrelated events that cause
destruction, upheaval, property loss, and life loss. In contrast, natural

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 disasters are incredibly hazardous events that are caused by human
beings.
III. A natural disaster is a sequence of related or unrelated events that cause
destruction, upheaval, property loss, and life loss. In contrast, man made
disasters are extreme hazardous events that are caused by human beings.
IV. Natural disaster include blackouts, hazardous material spills, air
pollution, house fires, radiation leaks, food or water contamination, and
industrial chemical releases while man made disaster includes floods,
hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and
other geologic processes.
a. A. I and II c. II and III
b. B. I and III d. II, III and IV

CHARACTER
ENHANCEMENT
REFLECTION #1 (10 points)
Instruction: Read the statement/ question carefully. Answer the given question
below. Make your answer at least 3-5 sentences.

 Recall any hazard (typhoon, earthquake, landslide, flood, etc.) that you
and your family have experienced and describe how it affects you and the
damages it caused in your family and community?

LESSON 2 Concept of Vulnerability

WEEK 2

KNOWLEDGE
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ENRICHMENT

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
 Recognize vulnerabilities of different elements exposed to specific
hazards.
 Explain why certain sectors of society are more vulnerable to disaster
than others.
 Differentiate among hazards, exposure, and vulnerabilities and explain
the relationship of the three to disaster risk
 Seek to depend on why people are more vulnerable in a given context.

B. INTRODUCTION
Are everyone are vulnerable to hazards? In the midst of the pandemic, each
individual was vulnerable to the coupled of disaster (Covid-19, earthquake, and
typhoons) that we experienced, some of the Filipino citizens were stressed and
experienced an anxiety attack, we've been hearing in the news and social media
that some committed suicide or engaged in criminal acts in this trying times that
helps us to become strong and to take courage from different challenges that we
may be experiencing. The challenges we are facing are a way of paving our roads
to success. In this lesson, you will learn the meaning of vulnerability, the sector
of society that is more vulnerable to disasters, and different elements exposed to
specific hazards.
C. LESSON PROPER

What is vulnerability?
In our first Module, we studied how the disaster occurred, and the term
vulnerability was high lightened in our topic since it is one of the recipes in
disaster. And now, let us focus on vulnerability.

Vulnerability is a state of being at risk.

According to Republic Act 10121, also
known as ‘Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Act of
2010’, vulnerability is defined as the
characteristics and circumstances of a
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Figure 2.1 Because of the presence of human
community, system, or resource that make it susceptible to the damaging
effects of a hazard.
With all the identified hazards at home, There is a possibility that some family
members might be susceptible or prone to the accident due to the presence of the
hazard. Vulnerability is present in the community or society even before a
disaster happens. It precedes a disaster, contributes to its severity, impedes
disaster response, and may continue to exist long after a disaster has struck.

If the vulnerability is present even before a disaster happens, who will suffer the
most? Let us study the three sectors the most vulnerable, less vulnerable, and not
vulnerable.

Who are the so-called Most Vulnerable Sectors?

 They are the community members

whose low and insufficient
capacities to withstand and
overcome disasters damaging and
adverse effects.
 They are composed of farmers,
urban poor, laborers, indigenous
people, persons with disabilities
(PWDs), women, and children.
 In addition, they are the so-called Figure 2.2 Family who don’t have permanent address and
abused sector and at the lowest they are considering the most vulnerable sector in disaster

levels of society.

Who are the so-called Less Vulnerable Sectors?

 They are the community members

whose capacities start from their
own ability to acquire material
resources, skills, and training; and
position in society.

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  Their capacities are higher than those in the vulnerable sector to
overcome the adverse effects of disasters.
 They are composed of professionals, small entrepreneurs, and others
similar to those who belong to the
higher levels of society. Figure 2.3 Celebrities and other professional persons
gives help the affected Filipino citizens who suffered
 Their role in disaster management from the different disasters through giving foods, clothes
activities is to extend assistance and happiness.

and support to vulnerable sectors.

Who are the so-called Not Vulnerable Sectors?

 They are sectors in society having

a high position in the community.
 Most of the time, they are the
targets of vulnerable and less
vulnerable sectors in advocacy
work relating disaster issues to the
structure and policies
implemented by the government
that are the root causes of the
community's vulnerability. Figure 2.4 President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President
Leni Robredo having high position in our country and
considering as one of the not vulnerable sector

VULNERABILITY OF EACH EXPOSED

Vulnerabilities of different elements are determined due to its exposure to
particular hazard.

Elements Description
exposed to
vulnerability
Physical It includes population density levels, the place of a settlement,
vulnerability the site design, and materials used for infrastructure and
housing. When hazardous events occur, commonly physical
elements are severely damaged.

Examples
1. Wooden homes are less likely to collapse in an earthquake

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 but are more vulnerable to fire.
2. The decreased population density, like what happened in
Baguio during the 1990 earthquake in North Luzon when
many people were injured and died.
Social It refers to the inability of people, organizations, and societies
vulnerability to withstand adverse impacts to hazards due to characteristics
inherent in social interactions, institutions, and systems of
cultural values. It includes aspects related to literacy and
education levels, the existence of peace and security, access to
basic human rights, systems of good governance, social equity,
positive traditional values, customs and ideological beliefs, and
overall collective organizational systems. (UNISDR).

Example:
1. When flooding occurs, some citizens, such as children, the
elderly, and differently-able, may be unable to protect
themselves or evacuate if necessary.
Economic The level of economic vulnerability is based on the economic
vulnerability status of individuals, communities, and nations. The poorer the
country, the more vulnerable to disasters because they lack the
funds or budgets to build sturdy structures and put other
engineering measures to protect them from being affected by
disasters.
Examples:
1. Poorer families may live in squatter settlements because they
cannot afford to live in safer (more expensive) areas.
2. We can say that the Philippines is more vulnerable to an
event such as an earthquake than Japan. Though both countries
are exposed to earthquake hazards because both are located in
the Pacific ring of fire, but due to differences in economic
status, Japan is more resilient because of its ability to afford
changes in architectural and engineering designs of buildings
and infrastructures that make them less vulnerable to
earthquake.
Environmental Environmental vulnerability is caused by natural resources
vulnerability depletion and destruction. Organisms like humans, animals,
and plants are all dependent on the environment for survival.

Example:
Human activities like deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, and

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 kaingin affect the natural abilities of the environment to protect
itself from any natural hazard due to the absence of trees,
which may cause landslides and flash floods.
Sometimes the effects are irreversible.

Did you know that 8 of 10 World’s Most Disaster-prone Cities are in

the Philippines?

According to the research conducted by risk analysis firm Verisk

Maplecroft, eight (8) of the ten (10) most disaster-prone cities in the world are in
the Philippines.

Over 1,300 cities were analyzed in its 5th annual National Hazards Risk Atlas
(NHRA), “selected for their importance as significant economic and population
centers in the coming decade”. Of the 100 cities with the greatest exposure to
natural hazards, 21 are located in the Philippines, 16 in China, 11 in Japan and 8
in Bangladesh.

At most risk, the Philippine cities included in the list, with their corresponding
rankings, are:

 Tuguegarao in Cagayan (2nd)

 Lucena in Quezon Province (3rd)
 Metro Manila (4th)
 The city of San Fernando in Pampanga (5th)
 Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija (6th)
 Batangas (7th)
 San Carlos – (no province specified in the report) (9th)
 Naga in Camarines Sur (10th)

Other cities outside the Philippines in the top 10 are Port Vila in Vanuatu, ranked
1st, and Taipei in Taiwan, 8th.

The Philippines has high vulnerability due to the following reasons:

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  It lies in the Pacific typhoon belt, and we
are visited by an average of 20 typhoons
every year.
 The rugged nature of the landscape
makes it vulnerable to landslides,
mudflows, and other disasters.
 It is an archipelagic country with many
small islands where some areas are
below sea level.
 It has the longest shoreline in the world
at 32,400 km, making it vulnerable to
storm surges.
 It is still a primarily agricultural and
fishing economy.
 With poor institutional and social
capacity to manage, respond, and
recover from natural hazard events.
 With a high level of poverty
 Aside from typhoons, it is also at risk of
Figure 2.5 Philippines considered as one of the most
volcanic eruptions, quakes, and floods. disaster-prone in the world

DEFINING HAZARD, VULNERABILITY AND RISK

Figure 2.6 Elements at Risk

Hazard is a harmful condition,
substance, human behavior, or condition that can cause loss of life, injury or
other health effects, harm to property, loss of livelihood and services, social and
economic disruption, or damage to the environment. Any imminent risk is a
threat.

Exposure is the presence of elements at risk or chance of being harmed from a

natural or man-made hazard event. Elements include the individuals,

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households or communities, properties, buildings and structures, agricultural
commodities, livelihoods, public facilities, infrastructures, and environmental
assets present in an area subject to potential damage or even losses. The more a
community is exposed to hazard factors, the higher is the disaster risk or higher
chance of disaster occurrence.

Vulnerability means the characteristics and circumstances of a community,

system, or asset, that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard and
the inability of a community to prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond to
hazardous events.

Risk implies the probability of possible adverse effects. It resulted from the
interaction of social and environmental systems, from the combination of
physical danger and exposed item vulnerabilities.

Disaster is a serious disruption to the functioning of a community or society

which causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses
that exceed the capacity of the community or society concerned to cope with the
use of their resources. It results from the mix of hazards, risk conditions, and
inadequate capability or measures.

Exposure and vulnerability, on the other hand, are distinct. A specific

community can be exposed, but it does not mean that it is vulnerable. In Japan,
buildings and structures are exposed to earthquakes, but they are not vulnerable
since their architectural and engineering designs are earthquake-proof or
resistant. However, to become vulnerable, it must be exposed to hazard first.

Disaster mitigation measures eliminate or reduce the impacts and risks of

hazards through proactive measures taken before an emergency or disaster takes
place. Mitigation is the action of reducing something's severity, seriousness, or
painfulness.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
GENERAL INSTRUCTION: All answers for the Activities, Assessment and
Character Enhancement are to be written in the CSTC green booklet and NOT on
the module itself 

ACTIVITY (20 points)

20
Instruction: Using the Venn diagram below, write the similarities and
differences of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.

Exposure
RUBRICS
Hazard
Application of the 15
Similarities discussion
Creativity 5
TOTAL 20

Vulnerability

ASSESSMENT (2 points each)

Instruction: Classify the following situations and statements whether it is
Physical, Social, Economic, or Environmental vulnerability.
1. Destruction of coral reefs that serves as barriers against storm surge.
2. UP Visayas buildings were destroyed during the super typhoon Yolanda in
2008, leaving the structure damaged.
3. The most affected of the Covid 19 pandemic are those who belong to low-
income and informal workers.
4. Lester was born blind, and his family left him. Their town was devastated
by Typhoon Glenda, and high floods surrounded his place. He can’t
evacuate due to his condition.
5. Alexa’s hometown was one of the affected areas when Mount Taal erupted.
Ashfall can see everywhere in their places, and with that, she cannot go
outside to work and find food because she does not have enough money to
buy a face mask and goggles to protect her life. That is why Alexa chose to
stay at their home even though they do not have food.
6. Samantha is a nature lover. She leads their barrio by planting trees like
bakawan on the seaside and mahogany in the famous bitukang manok called
zigzag. Samantha and her community protect the cleanliness and beauty of
our nature, but some illegal loggers still cut trees that’s why floods cannot
prevent its impacts.

21
7. Diane and her family prefer to remain at the foot of the volcano because they
do not have allotted money for renting a house, despite being mindful of the
risk it presents.
8. Rochelle is a resident of Quezon City, where her house is surrounded by
high buildings which are too vulnerable to disaster. One day, their areas
experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of five (5) that destroyed
Rochelle's house.
9. During the typhoon, the communications line was cut off when cell sites
shut down or disrupted of transport system due to the inability of small
vehicles to pass through the flooded areas or unpassable roads and bridges.
10. A nightclub fire killed 162 people, primarily students were celebrating the
end of the school year in suburban Quezon City in the capital in 1996. Many
victims could not escape because the emergency exit was blocked by a new
building next door.

CHARACTER
ENHANCEMENT

REFLECTION #2 (5 points)

Instruction: In your CSTC green booklet, write your insights about the given
question below. Make your answer at least 3-5 sentences.

 Why are poor people more vulnerable to certain natural hazards?

Concept of Hazard and Its

LESSON 3 Types
WEEK 3

22
KNOWLEDGE
ENRICHMENT

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
 Define and cite examples of the types of hazards
 Observe proper precaution signs and symbols in hazard areas; and
 Relate various types of hazards with a specific area for one’s
preparedness.

B. INTRODUCTION
Did you know that hazards can be found everywhere? Just like at home, school,
or even at the workplace. For example, have you been tripped by an electric cord
running across the aisle? or have you slipped because of the spill on the floor?
The tendency is to delay making changes to remove hazards. Learning to deal
with bigger hazards starts with the smaller ones in our immediate surroundings.
Thus, this lesson introduces various concepts underlying hazards and
determines types of hazards and its example. The varied information given in
this module will help you understand the major effects of hazards and how to
prevent and avoid that from happening.
C. LESSON PROPER
What is a hazard?
A hazard is a situation or an occurrence with the
capacity to damage lives, properties, and the
environment.

The United Nations International Strategy for

Disaster Reduction or UNISDR (2004) defines
hazard as a potentially damaging physical Figure 3.1 Different hazard that is present in one
event, phenomenon, or human activity that room
may cause the loss of life injury, property
damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.
Hazards can include latent conditions that may represent future threats and can
have different origins; natural (geologic, hydrologic, atmospheric, and biologic)
or induced by human processes (man-made hazard). For you to fully understand
our lesson, let us study the different types of hazards.

23
 Types of Hazard
A. Geologic Hazard
It comes from the Greek word “geo” which
means Earth. It studies the natural event that
happen on land and underneath.
A geologic hazard is an extreme natural event
in the earth's crust that threatens life and
property.
The University of Washington and its partners
are working together, using their broad base of
expertise, to improve on current and accepted
approaches to predicting and mitigating
geologic hazards, including earthquakes,
Figure 3.2 Examples of geologic hazard
volcanoes, and landslides.

B. Hydrologic Hazard

Hydrology comes from Greek "hýdōr" meaning

"water" and "lógos" meaning "study". It is the
scientific study of water movement, distribution,
and management on Earth and other planets,
including the water cycle, water resources, and
environmental watershed sustainability. The
hydrologic hazards are characterized by a severe
excess or lack of water, including floods and wave
action.
Figure 3.3 Tidal wave one of the example
under hydrologic hazard

C.
Atmospheric Hazard
What is Atmospheric? The adjective
atmospheric comes from the atmosphere,
which stems from the Greek root words
“atmos” which means "steam or vapor," and
spharia, "sphere or globe." The earth's
atmosphere is the air and gas surrounding Figure 3.4 Typhoons, thunderstorm and blizzards are
examples of atmospheric hazard
our planet. Since it is associated with air or
atmosphere, its natural hazards are; typhoons, thunderstorms, and blizzards.

24
 D. Biologic Hazard
Biologic hazards from the Greek word
“bios” meaning life. It studies biological
agents that can cause harm to the human
body. These biological agents can be
viruses, parasites, bacteria, food, fungi,
and foreign toxins.
A biological hazard is one originating
from an organism that is foreign to the
organism being affected.

Figure 3.5 Example scenario that shows biological hazard

Many biological hazards are

associated with food, including certain viruses, parasites, fungi, bacteria, and
plant and seafood toxins.
The hazards from these bacteria can be avoided
through risk mitigation steps such as proper
handling, storing, and cooking of food.
E. Man-made Hazards
Man-Made Hazards are events that are caused by
humans and occur in or close to human settlements.
The events leading to a man-made hazard may
result from deliberate or negligent human actions,
but their impact can be equally devastating. Figure 3.6 Octopus wiring that causes fire

The table below shows the types of hazards and

examples from the old reference; however, it is still reliable since Hewitt and
Burton studied it in 1971.
Geologic Hydrologic Atmospheric Biologic Man-made

Earthquakes
 Vibration
 Group rupture
 Liquefaction Floods-river Typhoons or Epidemic Transport
 Earthquake- and coastal hurricanes in humans accidents
Induced
 Landslides
 Tsunami
Volcanic eruption
 Lava flow

25
  Volcanic gas
 Pyroclastic flow
 Tephra fall Wave action Thunderstorm Epidemic Industrial
 Volcanic debris in Plants explosions
 Avalanche and fires

Rainfall-induced Drought Excessive Epidemic Accidental

rainfall in animals release of
radiological,
material,
biologic
material, and
oil.

Rapid sediment Rapid Tornadoes Locusts Nuclear

movement glacier accidents
advance
Table 1.1 Types of Hazard and Examples for Each

Meanwhile, According to the book of “Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction”

authored by Maria Perpetua Arcilla- Serapio “hazard” defined as the situation
that poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment. Most hazards
are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm; however, once a
hazard becomes “active” it can create an emergency. A hazardous situation that
has come to pass is called an incident. Hazard and possibility interact together to
create risk.

The Three Modes of Hazards

1. Dormant - The situation presents a potential hazard, but no people, property,
or environment is currently affected. For instance, a hillside may be unstable,
with the potential for a landslide, but nothing below or on the hillside could be
affected.
2. Armed - People, property, or environment are in potential harm’s way.
3. Active - A harmful incident involving the hazard has actually occurred. Often
this referred to not as an “active hazard” but as an accident, emergency, incident,
or disaster.

Common Types of Hazards Signs and Symbols

These signs and symbols with corresponding meanings below help people be
extra cautious, aware, and observant in their surroundings.
26
Each picture is designed to become recognizable to anyone as a signal word like
“danger” or “warning”.

Sign / Symbol Meaning

1. Chemical Hazard- Chemicals can affect the skin by contact or
the body either through the digestive system or lungs of air is
contaminated with chemicals, vapor, mist, and dust. There can
be an acute (immediate) effect or a chronic (medium to long
term) effect from the accumulation of chemicals or substances in
or on the body.
2. Noise hazards- Excessive noise can disrupt concentration,
interfere with communication, and result in loss of hearing.
High impact noises are particularly damaging. Noise can also
mask out signals, affecting communication or danger warnings.

3. Radiation Hazards – Equipment such as radioactive gauging

devices or the radioactive trace element used in analytical
chemistry produce ionizing radiation. Non- ionizing radiation
covers infrared radiation (heat – producing processes,
ultraviolet laser radiation (welding, sunlight), and microwaves
(high-frequency welders, freeze-drying).

4. Electrical Hazards- These include the risk of injury from all

forms of electrical energy.

5. Lighting hazards- Inadequate lighting levels are a potential

safety hazard. A common problem is the reaction time needed
for the eyes to adjust from a brightly lit to a darker
environment, such as a forklift driver coming indoors from
bright sunlight. Temporary lighting is often inadequate.

27
 6. Vibration hazards- This includes whole-body vibration – for
example, truck drivers, people standing on vibrating platforms,
and mobile equipment operators–and more localized vibration
effects from such equipment as hand tools, chainsaws, and
pneumatic hammers.

7. Temperature hazards – Extremes of cold or heat can cause

tiredness, vulnerability to infections, or reduced capacity to
work.

8. Biological hazards - include insects, bacteria, fungi, plants,

worms, animals, and viruses.
Examples: Poultry workers exposed to bird feathers and droppings to
which they are allergic can contract a medical condition.
Hepatitis and the AIDS virus are other biological hazards.

9. Ergonomic hazards – Ergonomics ( the “fit” between people

and their work ) covers the risk of injury from manual handling
procedures, incorrectly designed desks or workstations, audio
and visual alarms, and color-coding control mechanisms.

10. Physical Hazards – These include a wide range of injury

risks – as diverse as being caught in or by machinery, buried in
trenches, or hurt by collapsing machinery. This category also
includes the hazards from working in confined spaces, being hit
by flying objects, being caught in explosions, falling from
heights, and tripping on obstacles.
11. Other Hazards – Include stress, fatigue, the effects of shift
work, and even assaults from other people.

IMPACTS OF VARIOUS HAZARDS ON DIFFERENT EXPOSED ELEMENTS

28
According to the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD), the impacts of various hazards vary in severity and change about how long
they last. In many ways, wealth and development assistance in the way people recover
from hazards. A more economically developed country can prepare for and predict
hazards more effectively, and they have more resources to support a faster recovery.
However, there is also a need for resilience. In many developing countries, people who
experienced hardship can often recover more quickly from hazards.

A. Physical
 Death of People
 Destruction and loss of vital infrastructure like
transport system, roads, bridges, power, lines and
communication lines.
 Wide spread loss of housing

B. Psychological impact
 Grief and psychological trauma
 Marital conflicts
 Depression due to loss of loved ones and
properties
 Chronic anxiety among children severely affected

C. Socio – Cultural Impact

 Displacement of population
 Loss of Cultural Identity
 Forced adoption of new sets of culture
 Ethnic conflicts

D. Economic Impact
 Loss of job due to displacement
 Loss of harvest and livestock
 Loss of farms, fish cages, and other sources of
living
 Loss of money and other valuables like jewelry,
furniture, and appliances

29
E. Environmental Impact
 Loss of forest due to forest fires
 Loss of freshwater due to salinization (intrusion of
salt water to freshwater sources)
 Disturbance of biodiversity
 Loss of natural rivers and other tributaries

F. Biological Impact
 Epidemic to people, flora, and fauna
 Chronic and permanent illness due to nuclear
radiation
 Mental disorders developed from consumption of
contaminated foods
 The proliferation of different viral and bacterial
diseases

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
APPLICATION (100 points)

Instruction: Choose only ONE (1) activity you prefer to do at home.

OPTION NO.1
POSTER MAKING

 Draw a scenario that depicts “One type of Hazards and its Effects to
living organisms”.
1
 You may use illustration or your CSTC green booklet.
8

The student’s performance will be evaluated using the rubrics given:

 CONTENT ACCURACY 40
 CREATIVITY 30
 ORIGINALITY 20
 PROMPTNESS 10
TOTAL: 100%
OPTION NO.2

30
 WEATHER FORECASTER

 Imagine yourself as a news anchor (like Kuya Kim) who is

tasked to report an update about the incoming typhoon. Record yourself
delivering news to educate people about the intensity or level, its possible
effect, and what they need to do to prevent casualties.
 Your news report must be at least 2 minutes.
 Wear any comfortable attire that is appropriate to the theme.
 Submit your video output to the teacher/ facilitator through messenger
or Gmail.

The student’s performance will be evaluated using the rubrics given:

 SCRIPT QUALITY 40
 CREATIVITY 30
 PROPER ATTIRE 10
 OVERALL VIDEO PRESENTATION 10
 PROMPTNESS 10
TOTAL: 100%
ASSESSMENT (10 points)
Instruction: Read the questions carefully. Write only the letter of the correct
answer.
1. What hazard will exist if humans continue to cut down trees?
A. Epidemic in plants C. Excessive rainfall
B. Transport accidents D. Earthquake induced-landslide

2. Which common type of hazard refers to the excessive loud sound that may
interrupts communication?
A. Ergonomic Hazards C. Noise Hazards
B. Lighting Hazards D. Vibration Hazards

3. Which of the following type of hazard according to Hewitt and Burton(1971)

constantly threaten Philippines due to its location?
A. Geologic and Biologic
B. Hydrologic and Biologic
C. Geologic and Atmospheric
D. Hydrologic and Atmospheric

31
4. Which of the following situation DOES NOT describe a hazard?
A. Unsafe source of food
B. Fix cabinet on the wall
C. House erected in low-lying areas
D. Big cracks on the foundation of the house

5. Which of the following meanings DOES NOT describe the

health hazard picture shown on the right side?
A. Respiratory sensitizer–may cause respiratory irritation
B. Reproductive toxicity–may damage fertility or the unborn
child
C. Self-Reactive—heating may cause fire or explosion
without the need for air.
D. Aspiration toxicity–may be fatal if swallowed and it enters the airways.
6. Octopus-wiring and electrical connections might lead to a fire. It is common in
small houses with many family members, making each family member
susceptible to danger. Which is the hazard in the given situation?
A. living in a small house
B. potential occurrence of fire
C. octopus-wiring and electrical connections
D. large number of family members in a small house
7. Susan is a resident of Polillo Island in Quezon Province. On November 01,
2020, Typhoon Rolly made its landfall on their town. After the typhoon
devastated the province of Quezon, Susan experienced anxiety and trauma
because of the unfortunate death of her auntie and the destruction of properties.
To what type of hazard impact does Susan’s experienced belong?
A. Biological and Physical
B. Physical and Psychological
C. Economic and Psychological
D. Socio-cultural and Environmental
8. The Amazon rainforest was thought to have 2.5 million species of insects. It
used to be referred to as the “Lungs of the Planet” because it produces more than
20% of the world’s oxygen. On September 18, 2019, it burned at a rate not seen in
almost a decade. What type of hazard impact did this incident bring?
A. Biological C. Environmental
B. Economic D. Physical
9. Evaluate the following statements.
32
 I. Biological hazards are of organic origin or conveyed by biological vectors,
including pathogenic microorganisms, toxins, and bioactive substances.
II. It examples are bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as vicious wildlife
and insects, poisonous plants, and mosquitoes carrying disease-causing
agents.
Which is TRUE about the statements?
A. Both statements are correct.
B. Both statements are incorrect.
C. The first statement is correct, the second statement is incorrect.
D. The first statement is incorrect, the second statement is correct.
10. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Hazard?
I. Hazard cannot cause harm or damage to humans, property, or the
environment.
II. Hazard is an agent which has the potential to cause harm to vulnerable
target.
III. Hazard is a situation or an occurrence without the capacity to bring
damages to lives, properties, and the environment.
IV. Hazard is defined as the source of danger and may cause injury or harm. It
is also the uncertain course of events in a country.
A. I and III C. III and IV
B. II and III D. I, III, and IV

CHARACTER
ENHANCEMENT
REFLECTION #3 (10 points)

Instruction: List down at least two (2) hazards present in your community, city,
or province and explain their effect on the lives of the residents. Write your
answer in your CSTC green booklet.
Hazards How does it affect the lives of the residents?
Examples: 1. People who reside in coastal areas will greatly affect
1. Tsunami their lives and properties.
2. Leak gas stove 2. It will damage the house and life of a family. One of
the reasons why fire hazards occur.
1.
2.

33
 Earthquake Hazard
LESSON 4
WEEK 4

KNOWLEDGE
ENRICHMENT
A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
 Recognize the natural signs of an impending tsunami;
 Interpret different earthquake hazard maps;
 Apply precautionary and safety measures before, during, and after an
earthquake.
 Reflect and respond to a given context.

B. INTRODUCTION
From the previous earthquake which devasted different areas in the Philippines
can we say that we equipped and prepared to face another life threatening event?
We’ve been hearing the “big one” is coming. The biggest and strongest
earthquake that will surprise the whole Metro Manila and certain place of
CALABARZON. We must to follow and obey the hazard drills our government
provides to be prepared and learn not to panic in case of emergency. In this
lesson you will learn the various earthquake hazards, different measures and
safety tips before, during, and after the earthquake to reduce the impact of the
damage.

C. LESSON PROPER

In your previous lesson about hazard, you have learned the various hazards and
its impact on the different exposed element. Now, it is essential for you to learn
what are the impending threats and hazards that go along with an occurrence of
an earthquake. Ultimately, this will help you develop sense of preparedness by
equipping you with necessary knowledge on the different earthquake hazards.

34
What are Earthquake Hazards?

Earthquake Hazards refer to earthquake agents that can cause harm to

vulnerable targets, which can either be humans, animals, or even your
environment.

Various Potential Earthquake Hazards

Geologists explain that an earthquake is a type of hazard that depends on the

strength of seismic activity, along with such factors as local topographic and
built features, subsurface geology, and groundwater. A large earthquake will
always be followed by a sequence of aftershocks that usually aggravates its effect
on human and material elements like buildings and infrastructure.

The figure below is a graphic organizer containing the five (5) hazards. You will
be able to glimpse the series of events after earthquakes hit a place where each
hazard will be explained as the module pages progress.

EARTHQUAKE
HAZARDS

35
A. Ground shaking

Ground shaking or vibration refers to what we

feel when energy built up by applying stress to
the lithosphere is released by faulting during an
earthquake. It is the destructive up-down, and
sideways motion felt during an earthquake.
Strong ground shaking can cause an object to
fall, break windows, among others. Strong
ground shaking can also result in minor
damages to buildings and, worse, cause the
collapse of a structure. Figure 4.1 Ground shaking

Measures to Mitigate Effects of Ground

shaking

 Recognize the degree of probable ground shaking in the area

 Improve construction methods to accommodate shaking without collapse
 Potential damage from future ground shaking can only be mitigated by
tailoring structural designs and land use to the geologic setting.

B. Ground Rapture

Surface /ground rupture occurs when movement on

a fault breaks through to the surface. Rupture may
occur suddenly during an earthquake or slowly in the
form of fault creep. Fault rupture almost always
follows preexisting faults, which are zones of
weakness.
Figure 4.2 Ground rupture

Measures to Minimize Ground Ruptures

 Motion along the main trace involves horizontal or vertical displacement
or a combination of both.
 Floors, walls may not only break horizontally or vertically but undergo
twisting and tilting
 Rupturing can cause a lot of damage to roads, tunnels, dams, and
pipelines.
36
How to Minimize Ground Ruptures to Man-made structures?
 Sound engineering and construction practices may be adopted to prevent
destruction.
 The best way is to avoid active fault traces and deformation zones while
planning a construction.

C. Liquefaction
Earthquake motion can turn loosely packed, water-
saturated soil to liquid— "liquefaction.” Liquefied
soil becomes less compact and ultimately loses the
ability to support roads, buried pipes, and, of
course, houses. It is caused by vibration or
saturation with water which causes the soil to
decrease in density. This poses a danger, for it
leads to unstable structures of buildings due to
ground subsidence.
Figure 4.3 Liquefaction

How to mitigate the effects of liquefaction?

 The most common way of preventing the
occurrence of liquefaction is foundation
soil improvement methods. One type of
improvement is to replace the susceptible
soil with the appropriate amount of gravel.
 Stone columns are one of the best methods
of reducing the liquefaction potential.
Because they are performed by vibration,
they increase the compactness of the
foundation soil on one side, and because of
their water permeability, they also allow
faster water drainage. Also, chemical soil
stabilization methods use cement, but they
are not used as much because they are not
as profitable.

37
D. Tsunami
A tsunami is a huge sea wave triggered by a violent
displacement of the ocean floor. Underwater
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides can
cause a tsunami. As it approached a shallow
coastline, its speed decreased, but the height of the
tsunami increased drastically, bringing so much
damage to nearby communities. Tsunamis can also
overwhelm sewage systems, destroy structures and
Figure 4.4 Tsunami
kill people.

What are the natural signs of an impending tsunami?

Although earthquakes are yet to be predicted, tsunamis may give off several
natural signs when they are about to come. One can anticipate the following
signs below:
1. Feel an earthquake. Severe ground shaking
from local earthquakes may cause tsunamis.
However, an earthquake may not be felt if the
event is far away.
2. See ocean water disappear from beach, bay,
river. Water may recede from the coast, exposing
the ocean floor, reefs, and fish before returning as
a fast-moving wall of water (tsunami). This is
called “drawback.” The drawback can exceed
hundreds of meters exposing normally
submerged areas.
3. Hear an unusual roaring sound. Abnormal
ocean activity, a wall of water, and an
approaching tsunami can create a loud "roaring"
sound similar to a train or jet aircraft.
If you experience any of these signs, do not wait for official evacuation orders.
immediately leave low-lying coastal areas and move to higher ground.

Measures to Prepare for and Mitigate the Effects of Tsunami

38
  Apart from providing warning systems and evacuation plans (including
routes and evacuation centers), LGU and government agencies need to
constantly remind the people through information and education
campaigns about the dangers involved to adopt personal preparedness
measures before and during a tsunami.
 Constructing seawalls can provide protection not only from tsunamis but
also from storm surges. Seawalls serve to intercept the onrushing waves
so that upon reaching the shore, the energy has largely diminished. Walls
along the shore, on the other hand, can prevent waves from flowing right
straight into populated areas.
 Planting trees like mangrove along the sea can lessen the impact of a
tsunami.

E. Landslides
Earthquakes can trigger landslides, especially in
areas with water-saturated soils, a common
characteristic of Cascadia. Landslides may
result in falling rocks and debris that collide
with people, buildings, and vehicles. They also
can block roads and disrupt utility lines.
Figure 4.5 Landslide
The term landslide describes the down-slope
movements of soil and rock under the influence of gravity. While many
landslides do occur through the process of rock or soil sliding on a distinct
surface, this is not necessarily the case, and thus the term can be something of a
misnomer. There is a wide variety of types of movement, including falling,
sliding, and flowing.

39
 Measures to Mitigate Effects of Landslides
 Hazard Mapping: locate areas prone to slope
failures help in planning developmental
activities
 Engineering Structure: slope stabilization –
geogrids, nailing, anchors
 Afforestation and Reforestation of the Areas
 Draining a Landslide: Draining water is a
common mitigation technique to help stabilize
slides, although this one still moves.
 Gabion Wall: Gabions, blocks of rocks
wrapped in steel mesh, are commonly used to
fortify vulnerable slopes.
 Creation of Awareness Among Local People

Since we know the various earthquake hazards composed of five (5) ground
shaking, rupture, liquefaction, tsunamis, and landslide, now let us tackle if what
is earthquake magnitude and intensity?

Magnitude Intensity

40
It is measured at the epicenter – the
Earthquake intensity measures the
point on the Earth’s surface directly
level of ground shaking that correlates
above the hypocenter. Earthquake
more directly with hazard impact than
magnitude is measured on one of thedoes magnitude. It is estimated on the
scales based on the work of CharlesModified Mercalli (MM) scale, which
Richter. These scales describe the total
allocates a numerical value to
energy released by the earthquakes in
observations of the quake and the
seismic waves that radiate outwardsextent of physical damage. The scale
from the fault plane. ranges from MM=I (not felt at all) to
MM = XII( Widespread destruction).
The amount of loss and destruction At first glance, the MM scale appears
caused by an earthquake depends to be less ‘scientific ‘than the
upon many factors, including: magnitude scales because it relies upon
 Duration quantitative description rather than
 Distance from the fault empirical measurements.
 Local conditions
 Population density
 Building quality

Annual Frequency of occurrence of earthquakes of different magnitudes based

on observation since 1900.
Descriptor Magnitude Annual Hazard Potential
Average
Great 8 and Higher 1 Total destruction, high loss of life
Major 7-7.9 18 Serious building damage, major loss of
life
Strong 6-6.9 120 Large losses, especially in the urban area
Moderate 5-5.9 800 Significant losses in populated areas
Light 4-4.9 6,200 Usually felt, some structural damage
Minor 3-3.9 49,000 Typically felt but usually little damage
Very Minor Less than 3 9,000 per No felt but recorded
day

EARTHQUAKE SAFETY TIPS

What to do before, during, and after an earthquake?

41
BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE

 Be familiar with the dangerous spots inside offices/

rooms.
 Be careful with things that may harm people during
an earthquake. It is better to fix the faulty electrical
wiring, leaky gas connection, and fasten shelves as
soon as possible.
 Identify safe places indoors and outdoors.
 Educate everyone about emergency contacts.
 Prepare a stock of emergency supplies. A stock of
food, water, medicines, flashlights, and batteries can
help you survive the tremor.
 Make an evacuation and reunion plan. Everyone may
be separated during an earthquake, so it is advisable
to have a reuniting plan like meeting in a specific
place after the disaster.

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 DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

 During quakes, duck or drop to the ground.

 Take cover. You may hide under a sturdy table or
piece of furniture for protection from falling
debris.
 Hold that position and stay wherever you are
until the shaking stops, and you cannot feel any
more ground movement.
 Do not immediately proceed to the door; some
doors will swing, which can even cause injury.

 If outdoors, move away from buildings and

streetlights.
 Immediately proceed to the open area.
 Stay there once in the open and not go near
buildings and tall infrastructures to avoid falling
debris.
 If in a moving vehicle, stop as quickly as safety
permits.
 Avoid stopping near buildings, overpasses,
bridges, or ramps that the earthquake may have
damaged.

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 AFTER EARTHQUAKE

 Expect aftershocks. These secondary shockwaves

are usually less violent than the main quake but
can be strong enough to do additional damage.
 Check for injuries and apply necessary first aid
 Check gas, water, electrical lines, and appliances
for damage.
 Check to see that sewage lines are intact before you
use the toilet. Plug bathtub and sink drains to
prevent sewage backup.
 Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, gasoline, and
other flammable liquids.
 Check for building damage and potential safety
hazards like cracks around chimneys or
foundations.
 Be prepared for aftershocks, which can further
damage weakened structures.
 Listen to the radio for public safety instructions.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

GENERAL INSTRUCTION: All answers for the Activities, Assessment and

Character Enhancement are to be written in the CSTC green booklet and NOT on
the module itself 

ACTIVITY (2 points each)

Instruction: Read the statement carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is correct
and if it is incorrect, write the word/s that makes the statement wrong and
correct it.
Example: A disaster is a situation or an occurrence with the capacity to bring
damages to lives, properties, and the environment.
Answer: Disaster – Hazard

1. Tsunamis can be detected using our human senses.

2. Tornados often come ashore as a wall of water and quickly flood inland.

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3. Planting trees like mangroves along the sea can lessen the impact of landslides.
4. Landslide is the destructive up-down, and sideways motion felt during an
earthquake.
5. Shaking of the ground in coastal regions shoreline is an example of a tsunami
warning sign.
6. If a small tsunami is coming, people should get out of the water and wait until
they hear it is safe to return.
7. Solidified soil becomes less compact and ultimately loses the ability to support
roads, buried pipes, and, of course, houses.
8. Tsunami may be preceded by a rapid fall in sea level as the ocean recedes,
exposing reefs, rocks, and fishes on the sea bottom.
9. Ground shaking, a loud, clear roar, or the water is receding unusually far,
exposing the seafloor, are all nature’s warnings that a tsunami may become.
10. Be careful with things that may harm people before an earthquake. It is better
to fix the faulty electrical wiring, leaky gas connection, and fasten shelves as soon
as possible.

ASSESSMENT
Instruction: “PHOTO CHALLENGE” (50 points)
Take a picture of yourself that demonstrates the preventive measures before,
during, and after the earthquake. Please refer to your subject teacher for the
submission.

You will be graded by the following criteria:

CRITERIA EXCELLENT VERY GOOD SATISFACTORY POOR
GOOD
IMAGE 20 18 17 16 15
QUALITY
RELEVANCE 15 13 12 11 10
TO THE

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THEME/ TOPIC
CREATIVITY 10 8 7 6 5
PROMPTNESS 5 4 3 2 1
TOTAL: 50 43 39 35 31

CHARACTER
ENHANCEMENT

REFLECTION #4 (10 points)

Instruction: Read the situation/ question below and answer the given questions.
Write your answer in your CSTC green booklet in 3-5 sentences.

Situation: Jolan is a freshman student in TLP. One day, their town experienced
an earthquake of magnitude 7. Some of the properties and lives were affected
due to the aftermath of the earthquake. As a preventive measure, Jolan and his
fellow students stay in the classroom to prepare for the possible aftershock/s.
After the said event, Jolan saw a 2cm crack on the wall of their classroom.

Questions:

 Supposing that you are in the situation of Jolan, what will you do if you saw a
2cm crack in your classroom that was caused of an earthquake? Express your
insights. (5 points)
 If an earthquake occurs in the future, will your classroom become vulnerable once
the natural phenomenon hits your area? (5 points)

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