MEDELLE R.

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ENGLISH 10 MID-YEAR
CONCEPT/POSITION (FIRST DRAFT)

Disability, not Inability

Prepare and Prevent. This stands as slogan of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC) as numerous Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs such
as Project NOAH, Project Agos, Project MOVE and #OplanPagyanig are continuously
launched. Such programs aim to highly mitigate disaster risks and casualties; but as natural
calamities become stronger and more frequent, the necessary upgrading of DRR programs has to
be made (Alvarez, 2015). So, the government was pushed to form better and well-thought DRR
plans and make appropriate amendments on the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010 (RA10121). One recent amendment on RA 10121 was the inclusion of
a youth representative in the nations disaster risk reduction policy body, which was claimed to
empower and actively involve the youth in DRR programs (Cepeda, 2015). This move was
seemingly done to fulfill Section 2.d of RA 10121 that mandates the State to adopt a disaster
risk reduction and management approach that is holisticand promote the involvement and
participation of all sectors and all stakeholders concerned, at all levels, especially the local
community. (NDRRMC, 2009). Still, the recent amendment does not make NDRRMCs
approach holistic for the minor sector of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) is not yet involved in
their current DRR programs. PWDs are either directly excluded from or are not able to fully
benefit from disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response programmes (Beck, 2015).

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According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, PWDs include those
who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction
with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis
with others. They are highly exposed to disaster risk but they are not involved in policy making
nor are they significantly included in policies (Serafica, 2014).
Thus, the NDRRMC should implement disability-inclusive DRR programs responsive to
the needs of PWDs in order to educate disabled persons on disaster precautions, actively involve
them in planning DRR strategies and increase their chance of surviving calamities.
PWDs make up 15% of the worlds population (WHO, 2012) while they comprise about
1.57% of the Filipino population (CPH, 2010). Sadly, this very vulnerable and small part of the
population seems to be ignorant on things regarding DRRM. DRR programs information barely
reach PWDs for it was indicated in a survey conducted by the United Nations International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) last 2013 that only 12.4% of Asian PWDs are aware
of DRR programs. Specifically in the Philippines, a huge communication barrier distresses
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) advocates since it prevents PWDs from
getting information on disaster preparedness. Cepeda (2015) even claimed that Information
materials about DRR that cater the needs of disabled persons are lacking.
With the lack of community based DRRM modules and trained personnel that would
educate them on DRRM, PWDs become ignorant on disaster preparedness. This ignorance
coupled with disability, makes them more vulnerable than other persons when typhoons and
earthquakes rampage the country. Consequently, PWDs become disaster-prone and tend to have
the most heart-rending experiences during calamities. The Bohol earthquake, for one, made a
deaf-blind man helplessly tremble since he did not know what to do during the shocking

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earthquake. He had no choice but to wait for rescue and hope that he is still alive when it comes
(Craig, 2015).
PWDs like the deaf-blind guy being ignorant and hardly aware on precautions and proper
actions during disasters is a perturbing problem that should be given solution. The International
Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and the International Disability Alliance (IDA)
(2013) even formed a petition asserting that Early warning systems need to ensure that warnings
reach all members of the community, including persons with disabilities regardless of mobility or
communication barriers. Indeed, PWDs possess the same rights like any person and should
receive the same DRR information. Since a communication barrier hinders PWDs from
understanding the typical DRR information, the NDRRMC should develop a warning system
that could be understood by PWDs. Maunes (2015) recommended the development of simple
visual warning signals (i.e., red, yellow, green flags) and inclusion of deaf interpreters in
televisions during weather forecasts.
These disability-inclusive DRR programs if implemented by the NDRRMC, would not
only address the ignorance of PWDs but also increase their chance of surviving calamities. With
the absence of disability-inclusive DRR programs, PWDs also became deficient in having
survival plans and skills. According to the same survey conducted by the UNISDR last 2013,
73.7 % of Asian PWDs do not have a personal disaster preparedness plan while the remaining
26.3% who are said to have plans chiefly depend on their family during calamity. 80% of the
respondents also admitted they cannot execute immediate evacuation while 6% said that it would
be impossible to evacuate if disaster strikes (Serafica, 2014). While some disabled persons could
successfully evacuate themselves, they do it with difficulty. During Super Typhoon Yolanda,
Handicap International-Philippines DRR advisor Cara Galla met a PWD who had to crawl out of

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his house while going to the evacuation center, bruising his body along the way (Cepeda, 2015).
Another PWD named Ben was fortunate enough to survive after his family abandoned him in
his cage during the havoc of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Serafica, 2015).These data and scenarios
are concrete evidences of the cruel reality faced by PWDs. Due to lack of survival skills and
disaster preparedness plans, PWDs are more likely to face hardship and death during disasters.
Even the United Nations declared that PWDs are four times more likely to die than any other
person during calamities (Craig, 2015). One PWD rights advocate even denounced that If you
are a PWD during a disaster in the Philippines, you're almost good as dead.
Thus, it is imperative for the NDRRMC to implement disability-inclusive DRR programs
that shall enable PWDs to acquire evacuation and survival skills. Special drills and training
sessions on calamity preparedness for PWDs should be conducted while mobility aids such as
wheelchairs and crutches that would facilitate faster movements when evacuating should be
provided (CI DRR CoP, 2013). Maunes (2015) also asserted that PWD-inclusive evacuation
centers should be built while Del Rio (2014) stressed the need for PWD tracking and status
monitoring during calamities. Implementation of these DRR guidelines are foreseen to facilitate
convenient PWD evacuation during calamities.
These disability-inclusive programs would not just be beneficial to the welfare of PWDs
but also essential to their sense of involvement and empowerment. Implementation of these
programs would eradicate the stone-age view that PWDs are helpless persons who can do
nothing but ask for others help and rescue. Contrary to this notion, UNISDR (2014) confirmed
that 50.94% of PWDs express a desire to participate in community disaster management and risk
reduction processes. They want to be actively involved in the formation and implementation of
DRR programs by contributing ideas and suggestions.

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It was indicated in the survey conducted by UNISDR last 2013 that 67% of the PWDs
who are aware of the DRR programs said that the plans and processes do not address their needs
on the state of calamities. To resolve this, the NDRRMC should actively involve and consult
PWDs in planning emergency responses and DRR strategies. Even IDA and IDDC (2013)
strongly recommend that Disaster Risk Reduction activities at all levels need to specifically
include persons with disabilities as a vulnerable group and a stakeholder group, which can
contribute to inclusive planning and preparedness. PWDs could take active part in mitigating
risks by having a representative in the NDRRMC or by simply becoming members of DRR
committees. If they are involved from planning down to the implementation stages, their needs
shall be better addressed and a more agreeable DRRM plan would be observed (Cepeda, 2015).
The Ateneo Innovation Center (2014) supports this idea by agreeing to the conviction that the
regular participation of PWDs in DRR programs would save lives, as well as prevent and
minimize risk and damage when disasters occur.
Indeed, Filipinos should have a change in mindset regarding the archaic notion on PWDs.
Like Maunes (2015) said, disabled persons should not be seen as charitable objects and subjects
of pity. Indeed, disability puts them at a disadvantage but this does not mean that they should be
overlooked during disaster preparedness. The NDRRMCs implementation of disability-inclusive
DRR programs would provide PWDs the opportunity to be active in participating and
contributing sound ideas for better disaster preparedness plans.
DRR programs that play a crucial role to calamity-prone countries like the Philippines
should not exclude or neglect the PWDs. Since these programs serve as a key factor in mitigating
casualties they should be as holistic, comprehensive, integrated, and proactive as they could. If
the government wants to mitigate disaster risks at its best, it should reach out to educate even

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disabled persons on DRRM. Thus, the NDRRMC should implement disability-inclusive DRR
programs for everyone to be actively involved and educated on DRR programs.

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