The Phillippines - Living with Risk; Coping with Disasters

Historical adaptations

Simple nipa palm and bamboo hut - house style in the Batanes

Simple nipa palm and bamboo hut

Easily rebuilt when damaged and less likely to injure people during storms or earthquakes

Traditional house style in the Batanes

Constructed from stone, had low ceilings as a precaution against the frequency of typhoons

Domestic architecture - woodwork

Heavy woodwork in houses rested on wooden struts deep in the ground to provide flexibility

Domestic architecture - height of houses

Number of stories reduced from three to two with the upper story being constructed from lighter materials such as wood and latticework panels

Farming

Crop is diversified and segmented limiting the amount potential crop loss

Relocation

Beachside towns are moved further inland

Psychological adaptation

Fatalism / leave it to fate (“bahala na”) - christian prayer and shamanistic rituals - unity and togetherness (“bayanihan”) with empty houses for those who have lost them in disasters - dark humour