Operation Typhoon Ruby: A Response Mechanism by XU-DRRM
By Kimberley Mae Llano
Philippines, being geographically located along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire and surrounded by large bodies of water, has been prone to many natural disasters. Typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, and even volcanic eruptions — to name it, Philippines is no stranger to these calamities.
The country may not be a home for snow, long winter, and cold season as it is a tropical country, but tropical depressions turn into great and deadly typhoons has its usual occurrence. The common case scenario almost throughout the year: classes and work are suspended due to boundless floods and typhoons.
With an average of 20 typhoons that enter the country every year, Philippines is a sure-hit of tropical storms leaving major destructions on infrastructures and even numbers of casualties. In 2013, Typhoon Yolanda devastated Visayas region with a number of 6,300 killed, making it the world’s strongest and deadliest typhoon on the record. Also, Typhoon Pablo, which hit Mindanao in 2012, caused massive flooding and killed 1,901 people. Moreover, as considered to be as one of the Philippines’ deadliest typhoon, Sendong brought massive damage in Northern Mindanao and with a fatality of 1,439.
Recently, Typhoon Ruby crashed through the eastern part of the Philippines with a number of 11 fatalities as identified by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Although it has been reported as the most powerful storm to hit the country this year and might have become the repeat of Typhoon Yolanda, Filipinos were better prepared and already made preemptive evacuations beforehand.
Throughout the years of disasters, there is still a lot of casualties, large amount of damage, and high number of people affected despite the initiative taken into action by the government to reduce disaster risk. However, it may seem that the Government only reacts whenever there is disaster.
According to Giovanni Tapang of Agham, as reported on Bulatlat.com, “It (the vulnerability of the country to disasters) is aggravated by poverty, lack of preparedness and proper disaster response”.
Moreover, Suyin Jamoralin, advocacy officer of Citizen’s Disaster Response Center (CDRC), said the Philippine government relies on a knee-jerk response to disasters. “They still would not invest on disaster preparedness activities, rehabilitation and mitigation. Their prevailing framework for disaster management is still within the traditional approach, which is focused on emergency relief measures rather than rehabilitation and mitigation. They only act when disaster happens and it’s often dole-out.”
She added that this framework is one-dimensional. In his write-up in The Washington Post, Chico Harlan wrote that, “Officials say the Philippines must also improve emergency training for distant local governments in such districts, enforce building codes and make sure that money earmarked for infrastructure ends up helping those whose homes are the most vulnerable”.
In line with their goal to strengthen good governance and responsible citizenship primarily through capacity building by utilizing research outputs, Xavier University (XU) through its arm Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana – Social Involvement Office (KKP-SIO) led its own XU-DRRM (Xavier University-Disaster Risk Reduction Management) program as it envisions a more aware, alert, and updated Jesuit institution when it comes to disaster risk.
Specifically, XU-DRRM program implemented their quick response mechanism for Typhoon Ruby which struck the Philippines during the celebration of Xavier University Festival Days 2014. In that period, the team was monitoring the typhoon as it has been reported that there’s a bigger chance that it will hit the northern part of Mindanao.
Nestor Banuag, Jr, director of KKP-SIO, said that it is part of their concern as a social involvement office to be aware and updated with all the happenings within and even outside the vicinity of the university. In partnership with Engineering Resource Center (ERC), assisted them in providing the status of the typhoon.
In that monitoring mode, Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, a Jesuit-run organization with a goal to help Jesuit communities to be responsive with several issues and concerns in the society, had also coordinated with KKP-SIO which gave them initial reports focusing on the disaster-response.
“With KKP-SIO, we have a monitoring coordination which we engage in social media and share it to update people with latest reports about the Typhoon”, said Banuag. He also described it as the preparation stage of the whole operation.
Furthermore, Banuag also shared the step-by-step process of the response operation. First, in mobilization, they gather everyone that is involved in the disaster response. They had a meeting and assessments wherein they invited key units. Secondly, they check their logistics particularly their manpower during the logistical preparation stage. Next, they organize a fund-raising event to gather financial assistance for the affected people. The fourth stage which is the resource mobilization is mainly connected to the fund-raising stage. For the fifth stage, the relief operation, they gather relief goods to be given to victims.
Moreover, in assessment linkages, the main act here is communication. They will call to the location and ask if the operation is doing well. The seventh stage is the relief distribution wherein they will distribute all the gathered reliefs. The eighth and ninth stage are the response team formation and mission of response team taken respectively. The last step is the learning reflection and evaluation wherein they will let their volunteers understand the whole operation on why they are doing such thing and help them realize the impact of their volunteerism.
After the disaster-response operation, Banuag also shared some points about the challenges they have encountered during the whole process. He said that there was a difficulty in response to the community since the people were not really prepared. Thus, it could be said that it was not really responsive at some point. Also, there is also a challenge for the university to take a decision as one institution on whether to forego the event or not since the Typhoon Ruby struck during the celebration of the university festival days. Lastly, it is still a challenge for the organization on making an approach that is appropriate and effective for the modern society.
As a social arm of the university, KKP-SIO organizes program that are truly institutionalized and teaches every Atenean to live as men and women for others. Even if the Typhoon Ruby were not that destructive in Northern Mindanao as expected it to be, XU-DRRM program presents a great value for life and be involved in activities created to help the university in times of disaster.
