By Jerome Carlo Paunan with reports from Bernadette Alalin
PASAY CITY (PIA) — Government and private sector leaders on Wednesday urged Filipino families to establish localized emergency plans, shifting the nation’s disaster strategy to household-level readiness as the country kicked off National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) 2026.
Speaking at the “Coffee Dialogues” forum at the SM Mall of Asia, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro IV emphasized that the first 24 to 72 hours following a catastrophic earthquake, often referred to as “The Big One,” will rely heavily on self-help before institutional rescue operations can fully mobilize.
The event marked the public launch of the government’s newly harmonized national contingency plan for a major earthquake along the West Valley Fault, commonly cited as capable of generating a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.
“When we do [our] preparedness [measures], it starts at our home,” Alejandro said. “We can prepare the institutions, the responders, and the communities, but it is vital that our families are equally ready.”
The shift toward household empowerment directly impacts ordinary citizens and vulnerable sectors, including children and the elderly, by integrating disaster education into foundational social programs.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Diane Rose Cajipe said that the agency has incorporated disaster risk reduction and resilience training into its regular family development programs, ensuring that vulnerable communities receive timely, accurate, and actionable safety information.
Cajipe challenged parents to proactively discuss family reunification and evacuation protocols with their children instead of waiting for an emergency to strike.
“An earthquake will not choose whether it is night or day, raining, or quiet. It will just happen,” Cajipe said. “A family that is prepared in times like this will save lives.”
To guarantee rapid relief for affected populations, Cajipe reported that the DSWD has prepositioned nearly 5 million family food packs across strategic locations in the Philippines.
The agency operates within the National Interagency Coordinating Cell to systematically distribute resources, ensuring that aid is balanced across all affected localities rather than overwhelming a single area.
Representing the private sector, National Resilience Council Executive Director Sylvestre Barameda Jr. affirmed that businesses have moved beyond temporary financial donations toward long-term structural and social investments.
Through initiatives like the “Adopt-a-City” program, corporate networks are funding multi-year local government upgrades, securing critical supply chains for basic goods, and training retail workforces in first aid and emergency response.
Pre-agreements are also underway with major retail businesses to utilize their commercial networks for immediate food and water distribution following a severe disaster event.
The OCD said it will continue expanding its quarterly National Simultaneous Earthquake Drills (NSED) and community-based training programs, with the long-term goal of cascading institutional simulation exercises directly into ordinary Filipino households. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
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