Disaster Readiness and

Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Basic Concept of Disaster and
Disaster Risk
14. Which of the following is a product of the massive damages to life and
property caused by a hazard due to the vulnerability within a community?
a. destruction
b. disaster
c. disaster risk
d. vulnerability

15. Disaster risk can be determined by the presence of the following

elements of Disaster EXCEPT _______________.
a. phenomenon
b. coping capacity
c. vulnerability to a hazard
d. hazard (natural or man-made)

Lesson
What is Disaster and
1 Disaster Risk?

In this module, the learners will hold an understanding about disaster

and develop a firm grasp of a very crucial factor that has direct bearing on
disaster and disaster risk.

What’s In

Philippines: A Country Prone to Natural Disasters

The Philippines has experienced from an inexhaustible number of

deadly earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and other natural disasters. This is
due to its location along the Ring of Fire, a large Pacific Ocean region where
many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

10
Activity 1: “Count Me In”

Direction: Write five (5) disastrous events in the Philippines in the last five
years that you could still recall. Write your answer on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. _____________________________________

2. _____________________________________

3. _____________________________________

4. _____________________________________

5. _____________________________________

What’s New

Activity 1.1 Understanding Disaster

11
Instructions: Analyze the given images and answer the given questions
below:
1. In two to three sentences, describe the given images.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. List down the disasters that you can identify from the images.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

What is It

IT’S A DISASTER

Disaster is "a sudden, calamitous occurrence that causes great harm,

injury, destruction, and devastation to life and property”. It disrupts the usual
course of life, causing both physical and emotional distress such as an intense
feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. A preceding definition of disaster
stresses that two elements are affected – life (whether human or animal) and
property. The effects vary – it maybe a minor damage (like broken windows
and doors), major damage (like torn rooftops, collapsed walls), total
destruction (like completely destroyed houses and structures rendering them
useless and inhabitable) and the worst scenario, it can lead to death. (Asian
Disaster Preparedness Center, ADPC, 2012)

According to the Food and Agriculture 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 own resources”.

12
 Any adverse episode or phenomenon can exploit a vulnerability in the
affected population or community to create damage and this awareness will
form the basis for an adequate intervention.

Meanwhile, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster

Reduction defines disaster as 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 own 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.

Its impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative
effects on human physical, mental, and social wellbeing, together with
damage to properties, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and
economic disruptions, and environmental degradation.

Mahar, Patrick, et.al, “Disasters and their Effects on the Population: Key Concepts,” Accessed (01
June 2020), https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/disasters_dpac_PEDsModule1.pdf

Image 1. Different kinds of Natural Disasters

13
Classification of Disasters:

Disasters can be divided into 2 large categories:

A. Natural Disasters – a natural phenomenon is caused by natural forces,

such as earthquakes, typhoon, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, fires,
tornados, and extreme temperatures. They can be classified as rapid onset
disasters and those with progressive onset, such as droughts that lead to
famine. These events, usually sudden, can have tremendous effects.
B. Man-made - Disasters caused by man are those in which major direct
causes are identifiable intentional or non-intentional human actions.

Subdivided into three categories:

1. Technological/industrial disasters - Unregulated industrialization and
inadequate safety standards increase the risk for industrial disasters.

EXAMPLE: leaks of hazardous materials; accidental explosions; bridge or

road collapses, or vehicle collisions; Power cuts

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.

EXAMPLE : bombs or explosions; release of chemical materials; release of

biological agents; release of radioactive agents; multiple or massive
shootings; mutinies

3. Complex humanitarian emergencies - the term complex emergency is

usually used to describe the humanitarian emergency resulting from an
international or civil war. In such situations, large numbers of people are
displaced from their homes due to the lack of personal safety and the
disruption of basic infrastructure including food distribution, water,
electricity, and sanitation, or communities are left stranded and isolated
in their own homes unable to access assistance.

EXAMPLE: conflicts or wars and Genocide the deliberate killing of a large

group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation

“Disasters and their Effects on the Population: Key Concepts,”, Accessed on 02 June
2020, pages 7-10, https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/disasters_
dpac_PEDsModule1. pdf .

14
 The damage caused by disaster cannot be measured. It also differs with
the kind of geographical location, climate, earth’s specific characteristics, and
level of vulnerability. These determining factors affect generally the
psychological, socio – economic, political, and ethnical state of the affected
area.

Risk and Disaster Risk

Risk has various connotations within different disciplines. In general,

risk is defined as “the combination of the probability of an event and its
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 (e.g. natural hazard).

The term disaster risk refers to the potential (not actual and realized)
disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets, and services which
could occur in a community or society over some specified future time period.

Disaster risk is the product of the possible damage caused by a hazard

due to the vulnerability within a community. It should be noted that the effect
of a hazard (of a particular magnitude) would affect communities differently
(Von Kotze, 1999:35).

It can also be determined by the presence of three variables: hazards

(natural or anthropogenic); vulnerability to a hazard; and coping capacity
linked to the reduction, mitigation, and resilience to the vulnerability of a
community.

15
Disaster Readiness and
Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 – Module 2:
Risk Factors Underlying
Disasters
 Lesson
Differentiating Risk Factors
1 Underlying Disaster

In this module, the learner will understand that disaster can bring about
many devastating effects. Upon identifying the risk factors underlying disaster, this
will provide ideas to mitigate the effects of disasters that can lead to death,
destruction of infrastructures, loss of livelihoods, and even non-physical events like
emotional and psychological aspects.

What’s In

At Risk…

Disaster can affect everyone. It does not discriminate between and among
social classes, gender, creed, race, and nationality. But certain risk factors put those
affected in a position where they will have graver or longer-lasting post-disaster
stress reactions. These aggravating factors contribute to evident differences in the
stress reactions of certain individuals with certain characteristics.

Activity 1.1:
Direction: Read the scenario below. Based on your understanding of disaster from
the previous module, enumerate or list down the risks that are reflected from the
text.

Gina, an 18-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 2 younger sisters. Their
home was destroyed by the storm
surge. In her barangay alone, 2000
residents were killed, including her
childhood friends and former Composite Art Background:
playmates. Medico International (2013) Taifun-Nothilfe Philippinen
2013. Photograph. https://www.flickr.com/photos/
35576425@N08/11190702586 Licensed underCC BY-SA
2.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?
ref=ccsearch&atype=rich

5
 Identified Risks:

1. __________________________________ 4. __________________________________
2. __________________________________ 5. __________________________________
3. __________________________________

What’s New

Activity 1.2 Identifying Risk Factors

Direction: Read the news article about an earthquake. After you have read the
article, answer the guide questions.

6.4-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern Philippines

MANILA • A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook the southern Philippines
yesterday, sending frightened residents fleeing from buildings, officials and
eyewitnesses said.

The quake struck off the coast of the southern town of Manay at 3.16 pm at a depth
of 14km, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said in
a statement.

While there were no immediate reports of serious destruction, the institute said it
expects the earthquake to have caused some damage.

A lot of people ran from their homes because a lot of items were falling inside," The
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) is a service institute
of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that is principally mandated to
mitigate disasters that may arise from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami and
other related geotectonic phenomena. PHIVOLCS science researcher John Deximo
said.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where
many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

At least two people were killed and scores injured when a 6.5-magnitude quake
struck the central Philippines in July last year.

The most recent major quake to hit the Philippines was in 2013, when a 7.1-
magnitude quake left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches in
the central islands.

France-Presse, Agence, “6.4-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern Philippines”THE STRAIT TIMES

ASIA, 09 September 2018, SGT https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/64-magnitude-
earthquake-shakes-southern-philippines

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Guide Questions:
1. What risk/s can you identify from the news article?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think are the factors that affect the disaster risks from the preceding
article?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

What is It

RISK FACTORS

Disaster risk as defined in the first module, has three important elements
such as:
1. Exposure - the “elements at risk from a natural or man-made hazard event
(Quebral, 2016).
2. 2. Hazard-a potentially dangerous physical occurrence, phenomenon or
human activity that may result in loss of life or injury, property damage, social and
economic disruption, or environmental degradation.
3. Vulnerability - the condition determined by physical, social, economic and
environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a community
to the impact of hazard (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United nation, FAO
2008).
Reduction of the level of vulnerability and exposure is possible by keeping
people and property as distant as possible from hazards. We can not avoid natural
events from occurring, but we can concentrate on addressing the reduction of risk
and exposure by determining the factors causing disasters.
Risk Factors are processes or conditions, often development-related, that
influence the level of disaster risk by increasing levels of exposure and vulnerability
or reducing capacity.
The following are also taken into consideration when risk factors underlying
disaster are involved:
⚫ Severity of exposure - which measures those who experience disaster first-
hand which has the highest risk of developing future mental problems,
followed by those in contact with the victims such as rescue workers and

3
 health care practitioners and the lowest risk are those most distant like those
who have awareness of the disaster only through news.
⚫ Gender and Family - the female gender suffers more adverse effects. This
worsens when children are present at home. Marital relationships are placed
under strain.
⚫ Age - adults in the age range of 40-60 are more stressed after disasters but
in general, children exhibit more stress after disasters than adults do.
Magbool, Irfan, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, ADPC, 31 December 2012,
https://www.adpc.net/igo/contents/adpcpage.asp?pid=1266&dep=RIG

⚫ Economic status of country - evidence indicates that severe mental

problems resulting from disasters are more prevalent in developing countries
like the Philippines. Furthermore, it has been observed that natural disasters
tend to have more adverse effects in developing countries than do man-
caused disasters in developed countries.
Magbool, Irfan, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, ADPC, 31 December 2012,
https://www.adpc.net/igo/contents/adpcpage.asp?pid=1266&dep=RIG

Factors which underlie disasters:

1. Climate Change - can increase disaster risk in a variety of ways – by altering the
frequency and intensity of hazards events, affecting vulnerability to hazards, and
changing exposure patterns. For most people, the expression “climate change” means
the alteration of the world’s climate that we humans are causing such as burning of
fossil fuels, deforestation and other practices that increase the carbon footprint and
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is in line with the official
definition by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) that climate change is the change that can be attributed “directly or
indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and
which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time
periods”
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, “Climate Change and Disaster Risk
Reduction”, September 2008
https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/dra/vcp/documents/7607_Climate-Change-DRR.pdf

2. Environmental Degradation - changes to the environment can influence the

frequency and intensity of hazards, as well as our exposure and vulnerability to these
hazards. For instance, deforestation of slopes often leads to an increase in landslide
hazard and removal of mangroves can increase the damage caused by storm surges
(UNISDR, 2009b). It is both a driver and consequence of disasters, reducing the
capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological needs. Over consumption
of natural resources results in environmental degradation, reducing the effectiveness
of essential ecosystem services, such as the mitigation of floods and landslides. This

4
leads to increased risk from disasters, and in turn, natural hazards can further
degrade the environment.

Prevention Web. Editor, “Environmental Degradation”, Prevention Web. The Knowledge

Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 12 November 2015
https://www.preventionweb.net/risk/environmental-degradation

3. Globalized Economic Development - It results in an increased polarization

between the rich and poor on a global scale. Currently increasing the exposure of
assets in hazard prone areas, globalized economic development provides an
opportunity to build resilience if effectively managed. By participating in risk-
sensitive development strategies such as investing in protective infrastructure,
environmental management, and upgrading informal settlements, risk can be
reduced. Dominance and increase of wealth in certain regions and cities are expected
to have increased hazard exposure (Gencer, 2013).

Prevention Web. Editor, “Globalized Economic Development”, Prevention Web. The

Knowledge Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 12 November 2015
https://www.preventionweb.net/risk/globalized-economic-development

4. Poverty and Inequality - Impoverished people are more likely to live in hazard-
exposed areas and are less able to invest in risk-reducing measures. The lack of
access to insurance and social protection means that people in poverty are often
forced to use their already limited assets to buffer disaster losses, which drives them
into further poverty. Poverty is therefore both a cause and consequence of disaster
risk (Wisner et al., 2004), particularly extensive risk, with drought being the hazard
most closely associated with poverty (Shepard et al., 2013). The impact of disasters
on the poor can, in addition to loss of life, injury and damage, cause a total loss of
livelihoods, displacement, poor health, food insecurity, among other consequences.
Vulnerability is not simply about poverty, but extensive research over the past 30
years has revealed that it is generally the poor who tend to suffer worst from disasters
(DFID, 2004; Twigg, 2004; Wisner et al., 2004; UNISDR, 2009b).
Prevention Web. Editor, “Poverty and inequality”, Prevention Web.
The Knowledge Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 12 November
2015 https://www.preventionweb.net/risk/poverty-inequality

5. Poorly planned and Managed Urban Development - A new wave of urbanization

is unfolding in hazard-exposed countries and with it, new opportunities for resilient
investment emerge. People, poverty, and disaster risk are increasingly concentrated
in cities. The growing rate of urbanization and the increase in population density (in
cities) can lead to creation of risk, especially when urbanization is rapid, poorly
planned and occurring in a context of widespread poverty. Growing concentrations

5
of people and economic activities in many cities are seen to overlap with areas of
high-risk exposure.
Prevention Web editor, “Poorly planned and managed urban development “, Prevention Web. The
Knowledge Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 12 November 2015
https://www.preventionweb.net/risk/poorly-planned-managed-urban-development

6. Weak Governance - weak governance zones are investment environments in

which public sector actors are unable or unwilling to assume their roles and
responsibilities in protecting rights, providing basic services and public services.
Disaster risk is disproportionately concentrated in lower-income countries with weak
governance (UNISDR, 2015a). Disaster risk governance refers to the specific
arrangements that societies put in place to manage their disaster risk (UNISDR,
2011a; UNDP, 2013a) within a broader context of risk governance (Renn, 2008 in
UNISDR, 2015a). This reflects how risk is valued against a backdrop of broader social
and economic concerns (Holley et al., 2011).
Prevention Web. Editor, “ ”Prevention Web. The Knowledge Platform for Disaster Risk
Reduction. Nov. 12, 2015 https://www.preventionweb.net/risk/weak-governance

Certain factors are related to a survivor’s background and recovery is

hampered if survivors: were not functioning well before the disaster; have no
experience dealing with disasters; must deal with other stressors after the disaster;
have low self-esteem; feel uncared for by others; think they exercise little control over
what happens to them; and unable to manage stress.
More factors contributory to worse outcomes: death of someone close; injury
to self or family member; life threat; panic, horror, or similar feelings; separation
from family; massive loss of property; and displacement.

6
Disaster Readiness and
Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 – Module 3:
Disasters and Its Effects
 Lesson Effects of Disasters on one’s
1 Life

A natural disaster can bring about many devastating effects. Among

these are deaths, destruction of infrastructures, loss of livelihood and
services, and other physical and nonphysical effects. Since we are partly
responsible for the disasters happening around us, we must change some of
our ways, in order to prevent or minimize the effects of disasters in our lives.

What’s In

Direction: Think of five (5) disasters that you had experienced, watched, or
read in the past two years. Then, write how you feel while experiencing,
watching, or reading it.

Calamity/Disaster Your Feeling

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

10
 What is It

A disaster is a damaging event that occurs suddenly and involves loss

of life and property. It can be of two types, natural and man-made.

Natural disasters can destroy a whole community in an instant.

Examples of natural disasters are volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes,
and typhoons which are destructive to people's lives.

Man-made disasters on the other hand are caused by human beings.

Some of the man-made disasters are bomb explosions, terrorism, wars,
leakage of poisonous chemicals, pollutions, industrial accidents, and
epidemics. They are identified as man- made disasters because they happen
due to human actions and not by natural forces.

What is the difference between hazard and disaster?

A hazard is a dangerous situation or event that carries a threat to

humans. A disaster is an event that harms humans and disrupts the
operations of society. Hazards can only be considered disasters once it
affected humans. If a disaster happened in an unpopulated area, it is still a
hazard.

The Human Effect of Natural and Man-Made Disasters

1. Displaced Populations

One of the most immediate effects of natural disasters is population

displacement. When countries are ravaged by earthquakes or other
powerful forces of nature, many people need to abandon their homes and
seek shelter in other regions. A large influx of refugees can disrupt
accessibility of health care and education, as well as food supplies and
clean water.

2. Health Risks

Aside from the obvious immediate danger that natural disasters present,
the secondary effect can be just as damaging. Severe flooding can result in
stagnant water that allows breeding of waterborne bacteria and malaria-
carrying mosquitoes. Without emergency relief from international aid

13
 organizations and others, death tolls can rise even after the immediate
danger has passed.

3. Food Scarcity

The aftermath of natural disasters affects the food supplies. Thousands of

people around the world are hungry because of destroyed crops and loss
of agricultural supplies, whether it happens suddenly in a storm or
gradually in a drought. As a result, food prices rise reducing families’
purchasing power and increasing the risk of severe malnutrition or worse.
The impacts of hunger following an earthquake, typhoon or hurricane can
be tremendous, causing lifelong damage to children’s development.

4. Emotional Aftershocks

Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for young children.

Confronted with scenes of destruction and the deaths of friends and loved
ones, many children develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a
serious psychological condition resulting from extreme trauma. Left
untreated, children suffering from PTSD can be prone to lasting
psychological damage and emotional distress.
‘The Devastating Impact on Natural Disasters’, ChildFund, last modified May 30, 2020,
https://www.childfund.org/Content/NewsDetail/2147489272/

Great damage caused by a disaster can be reduced if everyone will take

responsibility in anticipating its effects. Here are some ways on how to plan
ahead of a disaster:

1. Check for hazards at home.

2. Identify safe place indoors and outdoors
3. Educate yourself and family members
4. Have Disaster kits/supplies on hand.
5. Develop an emergency communication plan.
6. Help your community get ready.
7. Practice the Disaster Preparedness Cycle

14
 plan

Evaluate
Organize and Equip

Exercise Plan

Train

What’s More

Direction: Consider yourself as a friend to the following people. Given their

situations and the fact that they are suffering from a previous disaster, state
the impact / effects of the disasters they are experiencing and what tips,
advice or words can you give them to help them recover? Put your answer on
a clean sheet of paper.
1. Dale Marc is a 16-year-old student. He lives in Taal, Batangas, together
with his family. Fishing is their primary source of income. They found
out that the Taal volcano had erupted in Taal Batangas. What are the
possible effects / effects of this condition on their family, and what
advice are you going to give him?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Anna is a primary school teacher in Cainta, Rizal. She used to be the
mother of two beautiful children. Their community was hit by a Super
Typhoon submerging and washed away their homes and properties. It
15
Disaster Readiness and
Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 – Module 4:
Disasters from Different
Perspectives
 Lesson
Disasters from Different
1 Perspectives

Disasters come in different forms and intensity. Nobody knows when it will
strike and how will it happen. Therefore, everybody must know how to determine
possible disasters and anticipate possible damages in order to prepare oneself from
the potential harms that it may cause to people and the community.

What’s In

Direction: Think about the scenario below. Write YES if it is a disaster; NO if not a
disaster. Write your answer on a separate sheet.

_____ 1. A landslide in a mountain resort.

_____ 2. A typhoon traversing a remote and uninhabited island.

_____ 3. A volcano erupting 15 km away from a city.

_____ 4. A mudslide towards a hill foot community.

_____ 5. A strong earthquake in the city proper of Calamba.

Notes to the Teacher

This Module is self-paced but you have to address areas where the
learner had difficulties in answering through face-to-face discussion or
other means of instruction to ensure that the learner has obtained the
competency/ies he/she needs to master.

4
 What’s New

Direction: Read the poem below then list down what you feel after interpreting the
poem.

Disasters
(JMF)

"Vulcano Etna 5" by jmreymond (left) and "tsunami" by cursist373 (center) are
licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Tragedies come in different forms

Tsunami, landslides, fires, and typhoons
Floods, earthquakes, droughts, and volcanic eruptions
Shipwreck, forest fire, epidemic, pandemic, and even explosions

Imminent hazards are associated with disasters

Threat in health, physical danger, and emotional concerns
Damage to properties, death, and other fears
That the victims see, hear and experience.

Countless times, we have watched disasters all around us;

We knew its effects; we understand the horror that it has;
We shed tears for others; we prayed for some; we might had helped a mass,
Trying moments like this, to be a man for others---really is a MUST!

Therefore, disasters must be foreseen and forecasted;

It must be anticipated for everyone to be prepared;
Its effect on human and society must be planned and considered;
To save lives and properties and preserve social order.

5
List down what you feel after interpreting the poem. Write your answers below.

1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________

What is It

The Different Perspectives of Disaster

1. Physical perspective
Calamities are phenomena that cause great physical damage in a
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.

Natural disasters generally affect the physical infrastructural facilities,

agricultural productivity and even lead to loss of life and cause damage to
property. Various factors influence the effects of a disaster on a country among
them are the magnitude of the disaster, the geography of the area affected, and
the recovery efforts directed towards reducing the immediate effects of a disaster.
“Effects of a natural Disasters on a Country Essay”, Ivy Panda Free Study Hub,
January 20, 2020, https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-a-natural-disaster-
on-a-country/

Effects of Physical Disasters

- Injuries
- Physical disabilities or illness
- Sanitation
- Damage in infrastructure

2. Psychological Perspective
Victims of disasters may suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and other serious mental health conditions, which are not being given much
attention to by the authorities or even by the victims, themselves. (This may be
sensitive statement)

Disasters are mostly unpredictable, which leave the victims in a state of

shock. They tend to deny the loss and try to escape from reality. Being in a denial

6
state makes the victims more vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and other different
maladaptive reactions. Death of a closed one also leaves the victim in a state of
insecurity because the sense of love, attachment and belongingness are deprived.
Makwana, Nikunj Disaster and its impact on mental health: A narrative
review, October 31, 2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6857396/

Psychological effects of a Disaster:

distress hopelessness
intrusion/avoidance emotional effects
hatred/revenge cognitive Effects
dependence/insecurities physical Effects
grief/withdrawn/isolation interpersonal effect
guilt feeling helplessness
lack of trust

3. 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. A lot of people temporarily lost
their jobs, some people stranded in different regions, repatriated OFWs were held
in different quarantine facilities in Metro Manila, and all people were restricted to
go 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 citizen would find contentment with what
they have at the moment. The culture of “malalampasan din natin ‘to..” belief and
“ bahala na and Diyos” syndrome give hope to most Filipino in the midst of 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 that a help from someone or from 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

4. Economic Perspective
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.

7
Implementation of a partial and total shut down of local business operations
result to a lot of 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

5. 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.

Just as vulnerability to disasters is mediated by the political system of a

country, disasters can have major consequences for political stability and political
legitimacy (Hörhager, July 2017. Since agencies of government have a significant
role to play in directing disaster preparedness, prevention and recovery. Social
systems establish vulnerability to natural disasters and governments are often
considered to be responsible for the disaster effects.

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)
- Low level of trust in public institutions therefore means that citizens
may 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).

6. 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.

(a) Epidemic Level: Biological disaster affects large numbers of people within
a given community or area. Ex: Dengue.

(b) Pandemic Level: Biological disaster affects a much large region, sometime
spanning entire continents or the globe

ex. Swine Flue

Important topics: Biological Disasters -Causes and Way

forward, IAS Planner Helping Civil Service Aspirants,

8
 http://www.iasplanner.com/civilservices/important-
topics/biological-disasters-causes-and-way-forward

Biological disasters can wipe out an entire population at a short span of time.

Example of it is the COVID19 pandemic which infected millions in less than a month
and left thousands of deaths in the same duration. Viral respiratory infections can
lead to anything from a mild cough that lasts a few weeks or months to full-blown
persistent wheezing or asthma (Martin, 2020). He added that when there is a severe
respiratory infection, recovery can be prolonged with a general increase in shortness
of breath— even after normal lung function returns. Since COVID19 is a respiratory
disease, the public is advised by health authorities to do health precaution to prevent
social contamination. Examples are: observing physical distancing, appropriate
washing of the hands, wearing of mask at all times once outside of one’s home, and
boosting one’s immune system.

COVID19 patients who have strong immune system can likely soon recover from the
disease. Also, those who follow the health precaution strictly have less chance of
being infected. As such, the effects of a biological disaster can be reduced.

Effects of Biological Disasters

➢ loss of lives
➢ public demobilization
➢ negative economic effect
➢ unemployment
➢ hunger

What’s More

Watch or Read!

Direction: Watch a video from the Youtube, entitled Philippines’ President Threatens
to shoot dead corona virus lockdown troublemaker using the following link/URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qERZgLv3MKg or read the article below if you
do not have internet access at home.

State of Public Health Emergency Declared in PH

by Azer Parrocha

President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a proclamation formally declaring a

state of public health emergency throughout the Philippines after the health
department reported the first known local transmission of the new coronavirus
disease (Covid-19).