The Philippines being one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, Filipinos’ self-reported disaster preparedness level has increased by 42% on average over the past seven years.
In the recent nationwide survey on disaster preparedness and climate change perceptions in the Philippines by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) reveals.
Nationwide data collected from 4,608 Filipinos across all regions from February to March 2024 show an average score of 19.2 out of 50 across five objective measures of disaster preparedness: planning, training, material investment, information, and social support. Each criterion received a score from 0 to 10.
This is a significant improvement from an average score of 13.5 out of 50 in a pioneering study conducted by HHI in 2017 using the same methodology and instrument; however, it is not enough for a country with the highest disaster risk in the world. On the 11th anniversary of one of the most destructive typhoons in history—Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Super Typhoon Yolanda) on 8 November 2013, the Harvard survey shows how much progress has been made to prepare for such events, and how much more is left to do.
“A score of 19.2 highlights both progress and areas needing urgent attention. While it shows an improvement in disaster preparedness, the score suggests that Filipinos are only doing 38.4% of the kinds of disaster preparedness activities needed to be prepared,” says Dr. Vincenzo Bollettino, director of the HHI Resilient Communities program and co-lead for this study.
Dr. Bollettino adds, “For a country as vulnerable to disasters as the Philippines, this is not enough, so we must accelerate our efforts to ensure Filipinos are investing, planning, training, and building closer ties to their communities.”
According to Dr. Patrick Vinck, Director of Research at HHI, “Enhancing the Philippines’ disaster preparedness requires investing in local leadership and leveraging technology to improve early warning systems and community engagement, among other critical measures.”
“This should be accompanied by investments in resilient infrastructures, local capacities, and anticipatory actions,” Dr. Vinck adds.
Material investments and social support are still low
Among the objective measures of disaster preparedness, Filipinos scored highest in information (4.9 out of 10); and scored lowest in social support (2.3 out of 10). However, the overall score remains relatively low across all dimensions.
Survey participants were also asked what activities their households carried out to prepare for disasters.
In terms of specific social support activities, only a few Filipinos are members of a group or association (23%) and are familiar with their local disaster risk reduction and management officers (16%). Generally, social support declined from2.7 out of 10 in 2017 to 2.3 in 2024.
Most Filipinos implemented measures to safeguard important documents like birth certificates and property titles (87%). Many Filipinos also monitor typhoon and other disaster warnings (70%) and familiarize themselves with rainfall warning systems (60%), suggesting they routinely experience water-related hazards, such as storms and floods.
While many Filipinos discuss emergency plans as a family (58%), only a few have prepared their respective disaster management plan (20%), Go bag (27%), adequate supplies of regularly taken medications (32%), and first-aid kit (33%).
Disaster preparedness varied by region
In addition to a nationwide perspective, the survey offers regional datasets to provide regional, provincial, and local stakeholders contextually relevant information on disaster preparedness and resilience.
Among the regions, the Cordillera Administrative Region (24.0 out of 50), Central Visayas (21.5), and Western Visayas (21.4) reported the highest levels of preparedness. On the other hand, Davao Region (17.3), Negros Island (15.8), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM (15.1) reported the lowest levels of preparedness.
Surprisingly, the National Capital Region or Metro Manila ranked 11th in level of disaster preparedness (19.1) and slightly below the national average (19.2). It is also one of the regions with the least progress in disaster preparedness over time, with an increase in preparedness score by only 22% or 3.4 points from 15.7 in 2017.
Dr. Bollettino underscores, “NCR is the heart of the Philippine economy and home for a significant part of the country’s population, yet it is routinely hit by natural hazards; thus, increasing its disaster preparedness is crucial.”
Although having the lowest preparedness score among regions, the BARMM has reported the highest increase in preparedness score of 8.0 in 2017 to 15.1 in 2024, marking a 90% (+7.1) increase.
The BARMM has historically been less vulnerable to natural hazards like typhoons, but climate change has contributed to increased occurrences of flooding and drought throughout the region. This relatively low exposure to natural hazards and years of conflict have impeded its disaster preparedness efforts. While major investments are generally poured into peacebuilding, poverty reduction, and protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs), more investments are needed now and in the future to deal with an increasing number of climate-related hazards, Dr. Bollettino said.
In contrast, some regions with a low regional preparedness score, such as Caraga (18.0) and Davao Region (17.3), also showed little progress at 11% (+1.7) only.
Wealth and education are associated with preparedness
The survey also explored the role of Filipinos’ socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, education, and wealth in their disaster preparedness levels.
Results reveal that preparedness is strongly associated with the respondents’ education and wealth, but not much with their age and gender.
In terms of education, Filipinos who only have primary education are less prepared (15.3 out of 50) compared to those who attended higher education (24.1). Meanwhile, in terms of wealth, the poorest Filipinos feel less prepared (16.1) compared to the wealthiest (22.8).
Informing DRR through socio-behavioral research
With the Philippines ranked as the most disaster-prone country for three consecutive years now, increasing support and investments in preparedness are crucial. It is essential for key decision-makers and policymakers to understand disaster preparedness and resilience through the lens of Filipinos themselves to align relevant programs and policies with emerging needs and priorities at the household level, Bollettino emphasized.
HHI’s 2024 nationwide survey collected data using a standardized questionnaire administered during face-to-face interviews by trained local enumerators. The sample was designed to provide representative data at the regional level. Data were weighted to match the population distribution. This ensured that the findings reflect the perspectives of the broader population across the Philippines.
Besides disaster preparedness, the survey also explores climate change perceptions, mental health impacts, micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) resilience, and disability-inclusive DRRM, among others.
In the succeeding months and weeks, the HHI Resilient Communities team will continue sharing data and information from the nationwide survey with relevant stakeholders in the public, private, academia, civil society, humanitarian sector, and the media to inform programming and policymaking at the national and regional levels.
HHI Resilient Communities, a research program at HHI, has nearly a decade of experience supporting disaster and climate resilience through collaborative research, engagement, and informing action in South and Southeast Asia. The program has been operating in the Philippines since 2015. HHI is an academic and research center in humanitarian crisis and leadership at Harvard University.
