Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Act

Declaration of State policy

The State shall uphold people’s constitutional rights to life and property by addressing root causes of disaster vulnerabilities.
The State shall strengthen institutional capacity for disaster risk reduction and management and build the resilience of local communities, including climate change impacts.
The State shall adhere to universal norms and global humanitarian risk-reduction efforts as a concrete expression of commitment to overcome human sufferings due to recurring disasters.
The State shall incorporate internationally accepted disaster risk management principles into national, regional, and local sustainable development and poverty reduction strategies, policies, plans, and budgets.
The State shall adopt a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, and proactive disaster risk reduction and management approach that lessens socioeconomic and environmental impacts of disasters including climate change.
The State shall promote involvement and participation of all sectors and all stakeholders at all levels, especially the local community.
The State shall develop and implement a comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) to institutionalize arrangements and measures for reducing disaster risks, including projected climate risks, and enhancing preparedness and response capabilities.
The State shall mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate change in policy formulation, socioeconomic development planning, budgeting, and governance across environment, agriculture, water, energy, health, education, poverty reduction, land-use and urban planning, and public infrastructure and housing.
The State shall institutionalize policies, structures, coordination mechanisms, and continuing budget appropriation for disaster risk reduction from national to local levels.
The State shall mainstream disaster risk reduction into the peace process and conflict resolution approaches to reduce loss of life and damage to property.
The State shall ensure disaster risk reduction and climate change measures are gender responsive, sensitive to indigenous knowledge systems, and respectful of human rights.
The State shall recognize local risk patterns and strengthen LGU capacity through decentralized powers, responsibilities, and resources at regional and local levels.
The State shall recognize and strengthen capacities of LGUs and communities for mitigating, preparing, responding, and recovering from disasters.
The State shall engage CSOs, the private sector, and volunteers in disaster risk reduction programs to complement resources and deliver effective services.
The State shall develop and strengthen capacities of vulnerable and marginalized groups to mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from disaster effects.
The State shall enhance implementation of a program educating and training humanitarian aid workers, communities, health professionals, government aid agencies, donors, and the media to actively support breastfeeding before and during disasters and/or emergencies.
The State shall provide maximum care, assistance, and services to individuals and families affected by disasters and facilitate resumption of normal social and economic activities, including through emergency rehabilitation projects.

Core definitions and key concepts

Adaptation means adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities.
Capacity means the combination of strengths and resources available within a community, society, or organization that can reduce risk or disaster effects, including infrastructure, institutions, coping abilities, and human knowledge, skills, and collective attributes.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are non-state actors whose aims are neither profit generation nor seeking governing power, including NGOs, professional associations, foundations, independent research institutes, CBOs, faith-based organizations, people’s organizations, social movements, and labor unions.
Climate Change means changes in climate identifiable by changes in mean and/or variability of properties that persist for an extended period typically decades or longer due to natural variability or human activity.
Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CBDRRM) means a process where at-risk communities are actively engaged in identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring, and evaluation of disaster risks to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance capacities, with people at the heart of decision-making and implementation.
Complex Emergency means a human-induced emergency where cause and assistance are complicated by intense political considerations.
Contingency Planning is a process analyzing specific potential events or emerging situations threatening society or the environment and establishing arrangements in advance for timely, effective, and appropriate responses.
Disaster is a serious disruption of community/society functioning involving widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses and impacts exceeding affected community/society coping ability; it results from hazards plus vulnerability conditions plus insufficient capacity or measures.
Disaster Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Prevention, and Disaster Response are defined in specific operational terms covering limiting impacts, anticipatory actions, outright avoidance, and emergency services/public assistance for life preservation and basic needs.
Disaster Risk, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management define future potential losses and systematic risk-reducing processes using administrative directives, organizations, and operational skills to lessen adverse impacts and disaster possibilities.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System and Geographic Information System are defined as specialized databases for disaster/risk impacts and geo-hazard/climate risk information.
Early Warning System is defined as capacities to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warnings, comprising knowledge of risks, monitoring/analysis/forecasting, communication/dissemination of alerts, and local capabilities; it is also described as an end-to-end warning system.
Emergency, Emergency Management, Exposure, Hazard, Land-Use Planning, Mitigation, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework (NDRRMF), and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) are defined to establish planning and operational concepts.
The NDRRMP is required to be formulated and implemented by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), set goals and objectives, identify hazards/vulnerabilities/risks at national level, set strategies and agency roles, and provide vertical and horizontal coordination; it must conform with the NDRRMF.
Post-Disaster Recovery requires restoration and improvement of facilities, livelihood, and living conditions “build back better.”
Preparedness is defined as pre-disaster actions based on sound risk analysis, including organizing, training, planning, equipping, stockpiling, hazard mapping, insuring assets, and public information/education.
Rehabilitation, Resilience, Response, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Risk Transfer, State of Calamity, Sustainable Development, Vulnerability, and Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups are defined to guide disaster operations and risk governance.

Scope and coverage of the Act

The Act provides for policies, plans, actions, and measures for all aspects of disaster risk reduction and management.
The Act covers disaster risk reduction and management including good governance, risk assessment and early warning, knowledge building and awareness raising, reducing underlying risk factors, and preparedness for effective response and early recovery.

National council structure and mandates

The present National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) is renamed as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The NDRRMC is headed by the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) as Chairperson, with multiple Vice Chairpersons: DILG for Disaster Preparedness, DSWD for Disaster Response, DOST for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and NEDA as Vice Chairperson for Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery.
The NDRRMC members include specified cabinet/department heads and senior officials, including DOH, DENR, DA, DepED, DOE, DOF, DTI, DOTC, DBM, DPWH, DFA, DOJ, DOLE, DOT, the Executive Secretary, OPAPP, CHED chairperson, AFP chief of staff, PNP chief, Press Secretary, PNRC secretary general, NAPC-VDC commissioner, NCFW chairperson, HUDCC chairperson, Climate Change Office executive director, GSIS president, SSS president, PhilHealth president, ULAP president, LPP president, LCP president, LMP president, LMB president, plus four (4) CSO representatives, one (1) private sector representative, and Administrator of the OCD.
The Act requires selection of CSO and private sector representatives from among their ranks under criteria and mechanisms set by the National Council.

NDRRMC powers, OCD role, and operations centers

The NDRRMC shall develop the NDRRMF as the principal guide using a comprehensive, all-hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based approach, and review it every five (5) years or when necessary.
The NDRRMC shall ensure the NDRRMP is consistent with the NDRRMF.
The NDRRMC shall advise the President on the status of preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, and rehabilitation operations by government, CSOs, private sector, and volunteers.
The NDRRMC shall recommend declaration of a state of calamity in areas extensively damaged and submit proposals to restore normalcy, including calamity fund allocation.
The NDRRMC shall ensure multi-stakeholder participation in developing and sharing the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Information System and GIS-based national risk map as policy, planning, and decision-making tools.
The NDRRMC shall establish a national early warning and emergency alert system that provides accurate and timely advice to emergency response organizations and the general public through diverse mass media including digital and analog broadcast, cable, satellite television and radio, wireless communications, and landline communications.
The NDRRMC shall develop risk transfer mechanisms that guarantee social and economic protection and increase resilience.
The NDRRMC shall monitor enforcement of laws, guidelines, codes, or technical standards required by the Act.
The NDRRMC shall manage and mobilize resources for disaster risk reduction and management including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.
The NDRRMC shall monitor and provide guidelines on Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) releases and their utilization, accounting, and auditing.
The NDRRMC shall develop assessment tools on hazards and risks brought by climate change in coordination with the Climate Change Commission.
The NDRRMC shall develop vertical and horizontal coordination mechanisms for coherent implementation across agencies and LGUs.
The NDRRMC shall formulate a national institutional capability building program based on biennial baseline assessment and studies.
The NDRRMC shall formulate, harmonize, and translate into policies a national agenda for research and technology development on disaster risk reduction and management.
The NDRRMC, in coordination with the Climate Change Commission, shall formulate and implement a framework for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management to guide all policies, programs, and projects.
The NDRRMC shall constitute a technical management group composed of representatives of departments/offices/organizations and have it coordinate and meet as often as necessary.
The NDRRMC shall task the OCD to conduct periodic assessment and performance monitoring of member-agencies and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) as defined in the NDRRMP.
The NDRRMC shall coordinate/oversee implementation of the country’s obligations under disaster management treaties and incorporate treaty obligations into disaster risk reduction and management frameworks, policies, plans, programs, and projects.

Chairperson authority and OCD governance

The NDRRMC Chairperson may call upon other government instrumentalities and non-government and civic organizations for assistance using their facilities and resources for protection and preservation of life and properties across the disaster management spectrum.
The NDRRMC Chairperson may call on the reserve force under Republic Act No. 7077 for relief and rescue during disasters or calamities.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has the primary mission of administering a comprehensive national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management program through continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches and measures to reduce vulnerabilities and risks to hazards and manage consequences of disasters.
The OCD Administrator serves as Executive Director of the National Council and performs duties and privileges of a department undersecretary.
The National Council shall utilize OCD services and facilities as the secretariat of the National Council.
The OCD shall have functions including advising the National Council, formulating and implementing the NDRRMP, ensuring LGU physical/social/economic/environmental plans are consistent with it, identifying hazards and risks, developing national standards, reviewing LDRRMPs, and ensuring LGUs adhere to national standards and programs.

OCD functions and volunteer/education duties

The OCD shall formulate standard operating procedures for deploying rapid assessment teams, information sharing, and coordination before and after disasters at all levels.
The OCD shall establish standard operating procedures for communications among provincial, city, municipal, and barangay disaster councils for warning/alerting and gathering information before, during, and after disasters.
The OCD shall establish Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Training Institutes to train public and private individuals and consolidate training materials and publications.
The OCD Training Institutes shall conduct research programs, document best practices, and conduct periodic awareness and education programs to accommodate new elective officials and LDRRMC members.
The OCD shall ensure regional and international disaster risk reduction programs/projects requiring support comply with national policies and align with international agreements.
The OCD shall create an enabling environment for substantial and sustainable participation of CSOs, private groups, volunteers, and communities and recognize their contributions.
The OCD shall conduct early recovery and post-disaster needs assessment institutionalizing gender analysis.
The OCD shall establish and operate on a twenty-four (24) hour basis the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (NDRRMOC).
The OCD shall prepare criteria and procedures for enlistment of accredited community disaster volunteers (ACDVs) and develop a volunteer manual of operations in consultation with stakeholders.
The OCD shall provide advice and technical assistance to increase LGU capacity, especially low-income and high-risk areas.
The OCD shall create necessary offices to perform its mandate and perform other necessary functions for effective implementation.

Regional and local councils; planning duties

Regional Disaster Coordinating Councils are renamed as Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) with responsibility to coordinate, integrate, supervise, evaluate activities of LDRRMCs, ensure disaster-sensitive regional development plans, and convene regional line agencies in emergencies.
RDRRMCs shall establish the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (RDRRMOC) whenever necessary.
The RDRRMC Chairperson is the designated OCD civil defense officer who serves as Regional Director of the OCD; vice chairpersons include Regional Directors of DSWD, DILG, DOST, and NEDA.
For the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Regional Governor serves as RDRRMC Chairperson.
Provincial, City, and Municipal Disaster Coordinating Councils are renamed as Provincial, City, and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils.
Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils shall cease to exist, and their powers and functions shall be assumed by existing Barangay Development Councils (BDCs) as the LDRRMCs in every barangay.
The LDRRMC includes, among others: local chief executives, local planning/development officer, head of LDRRMO, heads of local social welfare and development, health, agriculture, gender and development, engineering, veterinary, budget office, DepED division superintendent/schools division, AFP highest-ranking officer in the area, PNP chief, BFP fire marshal, ABC president, PNRC member, four (4) accredited GSO members, and one (1) private sector representative.
The LDRRMC must approve, monitor, and evaluate implementation of LDRRMPs and regularly review and test the plan consistent with national and local planning programs.
The LDRRMC must ensure integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into local development plans, programs, and budgets.
The LDRRMC may recommend forced or preemptive evacuation of local residents if necessary.
The LDRRMC shall convene the local council once every three (3) months or as necessary.

Local disaster office establishment and powers

Every province, city, and municipality must establish an LDRRMO; every barangay must have a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC).
The LDRRMO and BDRRMC are responsible for setting direction, developing, implementing, and coordinating disaster risk management programs within their territorial jurisdiction.
The LDRRMO is under the office of the governor, city mayor, or municipal mayor; the BDRRMC is under the punong barangay.
LDRRMOs shall be initially organized with a DRRMO assisted by three (3) staff responsible for (1) administration and training; (2) research and planning; and (3) operations and warning.
The provincial, city, and municipal DRRMOs and BDRRMCs must organize, train, and directly supervise local emergency response teams and ACDVs.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must: design and coordinate DRRM activities consistent with National Council standards; facilitate local risk assessments and contingency planning; consolidate local hazard/vulnerability/climate risk information and maintain a local risk map.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must operate multi-hazard early warning systems linked to disaster risk reduction to provide timely advice through diverse mass media and rural communication technologies.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must formulate and implement comprehensive integrated LDRRMPs in close coordination with local development councils and prepare and submit annual LDRRMO plans and budgets, including programming of LDRRMF, other dedicated DRRM resources, and regular funding sources/support.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must disseminate disaster information and raise public awareness, identify/cost-effectively implement risk reduction measures, maintain databases on human resources/equipment and critical infrastructure capacities, and strengthen partnerships with private sector, CSOs, and volunteer groups.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must continuously maintain competent personnel for civil defense and DRRM and ensure humanitarian aid workers receive basic skills to assist mothers to breastfeed.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must respond to emergencies and carry out recovery activities, including efficient delivery mechanisms for food, shelter, and medical supplies for women and children and support for internally-displaced mothers including a special place for breastfeeding help, feeding and care, and peer support.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must promote public awareness and compliance with the Act and relevant legislation; serve as secretariat and executive arm of the LDRRMC; coordinate other DRRM activities; establish linkages with other LGUs; recommend local ordinances consistent with the Act; implement approved DRRM plans and programs.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must establish Provincial/City/Municipal/Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Centers.
Local DRRMOs/BDRRMCs must prepare and submit reports on utilization of the LDRRMF and other dedicated resources to the local Commission on Audit (COA), copied to the regional director of the OCD and the Local Government Operations Officer of the DILG.
The punong barangay must facilitate and ensure participation of at least two (2) CSO representatives from existing and active community-based people’s organizations representing the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in the barangay.

Volunteer and reserve mobilization; protection

Government agencies, CSOs, private sector, and LGUs may mobilize individuals or organized volunteers to augment personnel and logistical requirements in delivering disaster risk reduction programs and activities.
Agencies, CSOs, private sector, and LGUs must take full responsibility for volunteers’ enhancement, welfare, and protection and must submit volunteer lists to the OCD through LDRRMOs for accreditation and inclusion in the ACDV database.
The OCD through LDRRMOs must maintain a national roster of ACDVs, National Service Reserve Corps, CSOs, and the private sector.
Accreditation is done at the municipal or city level.
Mobilization of volunteers must follow guidelines formulated by the NDRRMC consistent with the Act.
Any volunteer who incurs death or injury while engaged in activities under the Act is entitled to compensatory benefits and individual personnel accident insurance as defined under NDRRMC guidelines.

School curricula integration and public sector training

The DepED, CHED, and TESDA, in coordination with the OCD and other specified agencies, must integrate disaster risk reduction and management education in school curricula at secondary and tertiary levels, including NSTP, in both private and public settings and across formal and nonformal technical-vocational, indigenous learning, and out-of-school youth courses and programs.
The NDRRMC, RDRRMCs, LDRRMCs, LDRRMOs, BDRRMCs, and SK councils must encourage community participation, specifically youth participation, in disaster risk reduction activities such as organizing quick response groups in identified disaster-prone areas, and must include DRRM programs as part of SK programs and projects.
Training in emergency response and preparedness is mandatory for public sector employees to comply with the Act’s provisions.

Emergency coordination and state of calamity

LDRRMCs must lead preparation, response, and recovery based on the following emergency scale:
- the BDC if a barangay is affected;
- the city/municipal DRRMC if two (2) or more barangays are affected;
- the provincial DRRMC if two (2) or more cities/municipalities are affected;
- the regional DRRMC if two (2) or more provinces are affected;
- the NDRRMC if two (2) or more regions are affected.
The NDRRMC and intermediary LDRRMCs shall act as support to LGUs as first disaster responders.
Private sector and civil society groups shall work according to the coordination mechanism and policies set by the NDRRMC and concerned LDRRMCs.
The NDRRMC shall recommend to the President the declaration of clusters of barangays, municipalities, cities, provinces, and regions under a state of calamity, and the lifting thereof, based on criteria set by the NDRRMC.
The President’s declaration may warrant international humanitarian assistance as deemed necessary.
The declaration and lifting of a state of calamity may also be issued by the local sanggunian upon recommendation of the LDRRMC based on damage assessment and needs analysis.

Remedial measures and international assistance mechanisms

A declaration of state of calamity requires immediate remedial measures by member-agencies as defined in the Act, including:
- imposition of price ceiling on basic necessities and prime commodities by the President upon recommendation of the implementing agency under Republic Act No. 7581 (the “Price Act”) or the National Price Coordinating Council;
- monitoring, prevention, and control by the Local Price Coordination Council of overpricing/profiteering and hoarding of prime commodities, medicines, and petroleum products;
- programming/reprogramming of funds for repair and safety upgrading of public infrastructures and facilities; and
- granting of no-interest loans by government financing or lending institutions to the most affected population through cooperatives or people’s organizations.
The importation and donation of food, clothing, medicine, and equipment for relief and recovery and other disaster management supplies are authorized in accordance with Section 105 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended, and prevailing provisions of the General Appropriations Act covering national internal revenue taxes and import duties.
Importations and donations under this authorization are considered as importation and/or donation to the NDRRMC, subject to approval by the Office of the President.

Prohibited acts and criminal penalties

The Act prohibits acts that include: dereliction of duties leading to destruction, loss of lives, critical damage of facilities, or misuse of funds.
The Act prohibits preventing the entry and distribution of relief goods in disaster-stricken areas, including appropriate technology, tools, equipment, accessories, disaster teams/experts.
The Act prohibits buying for consumption or resale from disaster relief agencies any relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities intended for distribution to disaster-affected communities.
The Act prohibits buying for consumption or resale from recipient disaster-affected persons any relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities received by them.
The Act prohibits selling relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities intended for distribution to disaster victims.
The Act prohibits forcibly seizing relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities intended for or consigned to a specific group of victims or relief agency.
The Act prohibits diverting or misdelivery of relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities to persons other than the rightful recipient or consignee.
The Act prohibits accepting, possessing, using, or disposing relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities not intended for nor consigned to the person.
The Act prohibits misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment, or aid commodities by covering/replacing/defacing labels to make goods appear from another agency/person; repacking into containers with different markings; making false verbal claims; substituting or replacing relief goods with the same items or inferior/cheaper quality.
The Act prohibits illegal solicitations by persons or organizations representing others as defined in NDRRMC standards and guidelines.
The Act prohibits deliberate use of false or inflated data in support of requests for funding or relief goods/equipment for emergency assistance or livelihood projects.
The Act prohibits tampering with or stealing hazard monitoring and disaster preparedness equipment and paraphernalia.

Penalties

Any individual or juridical entity that commits prohibited acts is punishable upon conviction by:
- a fine of not less than PHP 50,000 or any amount not to exceed PHP 500,000, and
- imprisonment of not less than six (6) years and one (1) day or more than twelve (12) years, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Conviction includes perpetual disqualification from public office if the offender is a public officer.
Conviction includes confiscation or forfeiture in favor of the government of the objects and instrumentalities used in committing the prohibited acts.
If the offender is a corporation, partnership, association, or other juridical entity, the penalty is imposed on the responsible officer(s) without prejudice to cancellation or revocation of the entity’s license or accreditation by the relevant government licensing or accrediting body.
If the offender is an alien, deportation occurs without further proceedings after service of the sentence, in addition to penalties under the Act.
Prosecution is without prejudice to liability for violation of Republic Act No. 3185 (otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code) and other civil liabilities.

Disaster risk funds, budgeting, and reporting

The former Local Calamity Fund is renamed as the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).
Not less than five percent (5%) of the estimated revenue from regular sources must be set aside as the LDRRMF to support disaster risk management activities, including pre-disaster preparedness programs, training, purchase of life-saving rescue equipment/supplies/medicines, post-disaster activities, and calamity insurance premium payments.
The LDRRMC must monitor and evaluate LDRRMF use and disbursement based on the LDRRMP integrated into local development plans and annual work and financial plan.
With recommendation of the LDRRMO and approval of the sanggunian concerned, the LDRRMC may transfer the LDRRMF to support disaster risk reduction work of other LDRRMCs declared under a