Christy Balita
Research expert covering the Philippines
Natural disasters in the Philippines - statistics & facts
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The Philippines sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire, where its horseshoe shape engulfs an area of 40 thousand kilometers. Its basin in the Pacific Ocean is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Flooding due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and low-pressure area also affects the region, resulting in damage to many livelihoods. In 2022, damages caused by natural disasters amounted to about 30 billion Philippine pesos, mainly due to storms that occurred during the year.
Aside from typhoons, the country is also susceptible to earthquakes, ranging in magnitude from two to seven. In 2021, over 12,600 earthquake events were registered in the Philippines, the strongest of which hit the regions of Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental, both having a magnitude of 7.1. Another high-intensity earthquake struck the island of Luzon in 2019 with a magnitude of 6.1, leaving several people dead or injured. The Philippines is home to nine active volcanoes, nearly half of which are located on the island of Luzon.
The true cost of natural calamities
The impacts of natural disasters are devastating to any economy. Multiple hazards brought by natural events impact public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and power utilities, hospitals and schools, government buildings, and agriculture. In 2022 alone, the Philippines was hit by 18 tropical cyclone events, most of which were tropical depressions. The most catastrophic typhoon in recent history was Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan in 2013, causing over 95 billion Philippine pesos in financial damages. In addition, about 7,000 people were reported dead, and nearly 30,000 went missing.Aside from typhoons, the country is also susceptible to earthquakes, ranging in magnitude from two to seven. In 2021, over 12,600 earthquake events were registered in the Philippines, the strongest of which hit the regions of Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental, both having a magnitude of 7.1. Another high-intensity earthquake struck the island of Luzon in 2019 with a magnitude of 6.1, leaving several people dead or injured. The Philippines is home to nine active volcanoes, nearly half of which are located on the island of Luzon.
How is the Philippines gearing up for such calamities?
In the Philippines, local government units are agencies responsible for rehabilitating society and rebuilding infrastructure in the aftermath of natural disasters. In 2022, government expenditures on climate change reached its highest allocation since 2015, reaching about 445 billion Philippine pesos. However, across the different types of disaster risk reduction expenditure, spending on disaster mitigation was significantly higher than prevention. The Philippine government must continue implementing more stringent physical risk-reduction measures and adopt enhanced engineering technologies to minimize the risk and losses. It is thus imperative to allocate a higher budget for disaster preparedness, incentivize the private sector to make climate-friendly business decisions, and encourage its people to be more aware of the threat of climate change. With climate change posing more threats, more disasters will likely happen in the coming years.Christy Balita
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Mar 26, 2024
Christy Balita
Research expert covering the Philippines
