3.2: DISASTERS THE FILIPINO EXPERIENCE

Maria Lyra R. Verzosa, MA

Article: “ Disaster: The Philippine Experience”

• GINHAWA

catastrophe

an extreme life experience generated by natural calamities, human-induced adversities, and complex emergencies

different from other literatures that ————- is a type of natural hazard.

disaster

which is the impact of a catastrophe on the human community.

resiliency, vulnerability, and coping

Understanding the concepts of __________, ___________, and ___________ in each of these phases especially at impact phase is vital.

Pacific Ring of Fire

This is where the deadliest tectonic plates and volcanoes situated

Philippines Fault Zone, 1,200 kilometers, Western segment

The ___________ is one of the longest in the world at around ________, vehicle trenches run underwater both on the Western and Eastern sides of the country.

Situated within the ___________of the Pacific Ring of Fire

300, 22, 22

Host to ____volcanoes, ___ of which are active, together with faults and trenches that are potential sources of earthquakes and tsunamis.

The geographical location subjects the Philippines to a myriad of natural hazards — including an average of ___ typhoons each year that cause devastating floods and landslides.

HABOL–HININGA

A CONTINUITY OF CATASTROPHES

Paghahabol–hininga (gasping for breath) has oftentimes led to huling–hininga (final breath) in the wake of overwhelming calamities.

● As the first decade of the 21st Century draws to a close, Time Magazine concluded that it is the "worst decade ever"

● Bookended by 9/11 at the start and a financial wipeout at the end, the first 10 years of this century will very likely go down as the most dispiriting and disillusioning decade people have lived through in the post-World War II era.

• Called as "Decade from Hell, or the Reckoning, or the Decade of Broken Dreams, or the Lost Decade".

• The Philippine also experience of "Decade from Hell" as we look back at the disasters, natural and anthropogenic alike, that have shaken the country in the past decade (2000-2009).

HINGALO

PROLONGED EFFECTS OF DISASTERS

Filipinos, rich and poor, were left panting for breath or naghihingalo in order to cope with the long-drawn-out effects of the disasters.

● For example: In the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy (2009), a total of 993,227 families or 4,901,234 persons were affected in 26 provinces, while Typhoon Pepeng (2009) distressed 954,087 families or 4,478,284 persons in 27 provinces. "

KAPOS SA HININGA

DISASTERS AND POVERTY

The deprivation in times of disasters further aggravated by the incidence of poverty in the country.

● Being ________ (out of breath) fittingly describes the vulnerable poor who are made even more vulnerable by calamities.

● Vulnerability increases as the potential of poor households to absorb unexpected costs from disasters is limited and additional costs incurred will have a significant impact.

helplessness, hopelessness

Thus, typhoons and floods reinforce the _______ and ________ that many of the poor already feel even prior to any catastrophe.

Learned helplessness

Uncontrollable bad events

Perceived lack of control

Generalized Helpless behavior

learned helplessness

Martin Seligman and Steven F. Maier first identified learned helplessness as a phenomenon in the 1960s.

dogs

These psychologists conducted experiments on _____, finding that, when exposed to repeated shocks that they could not control, the animals refrained from taking action when they could prevent the shocks.

lack behavioral control

Essentially, those experiencing learned helplessness are said to learn that they ________ over the events in their environment, which, in turn, undermines their motivation to make changes or attempt to alter situations.

BUNTONG-HININGA

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ELITISM

● These are the people who are particularly vulnerable to the catastrophic effects of the disasters because they are doubly victimized.

● The most alarming result of elitism is not the poverty nor the crises that Filipinos are confronted with. It is "victimized sense of themselves".

● Some Filipinos believe that any effort on their part to uplift themselves from destitution will end in failure, and that they are too small to try and fight against unjust structures in society.

● These feelings of helplessness are amplified when disaster strikes, leading to immobility and disempowerment.

doubly victimized

These are the people who are particularly vulnerable to the catastrophic effects of the disasters because they are _____________.

elitism, "victimized sense of themselves"

The most alarming result of _____ is not the poverty nor the crises that Filipinos are confronted with. It is __________.

immobility and disempowerment.

These feelings of helplessness are amplified when disaster strikes, leading to ____________

MAY GINHAWA

LIFE IN THE AFTERMATH OF DISASTERS

Nature reflects the resilience of creation-the transfiguration of destruction into the utmost beauty of life, a metamorphosis which is also not impossible for people who have undergone extreme life experiences.

● Weaving together individual contributions and communal efforts toward a common vision of transformation, that seemingly elusive breath of life or ________, the core of well-being, now becomes well within the reach of the people's hands.

HABOL-HININGA

HINGALO

KAPOS SA HININGA

BUNTONG-HININGA

MAY GINHAWA

TYPES OF PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE IN DISASTER? (HA HA KAY BOBO MO)