UNISDR

Makati City: In pursuit of resilience

AN URBAN HUB AT RISK

Makati City, located at the heart of Metro Manila, is home to the Philippines’ business and economic district. The City’s population rises dramatically from 529,039 at nighttime to 3.1 to 4.2 million during daytime as a robust number of professionals flock the city for work. Due to its proximity to the West Valley Fault, it is susceptible to earthquake hazards such as ground shaking, liquefaction, ground rupture, landslides and fires. According to the Greater Metro Manila Area Risk Analysis Project (GMMA-RAP), Makati will have an estimated 1,427 fatalities, 200,000 individuals displaced, 4 to 6 million worth of infrastructure damaged, and roughly 200 million in economic loss in the event of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

Preparations for the “The Big One” indubitably need to involve all members of the society. No less than the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) calls for an all-of-society engagement and partnership to achieve resilience.

Even prior to the SFDRR, the City Government of Makati has been implementing multi-stakeholder measures across the four DRR thematic areas which contribute to achieving reduction in global disaster mortality including, but not limited to, the following: 

A. The use of the different tools of the UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign (Local Government Self-Assessment Tool, Disaster Resilience Scorecard, and Local/Urban Indicators) made the City planners realize the importance of pursuing resilient urban development and design using historical and science-based information. Results of assessment were incorporated in the updating of the Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Plan.

B. Regular earthquake drills in communities, schools, and the central business district are conducted. Businesses, government offices, schools, and residents of the City participate in the annual observance of the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill and Metro Manila Shake Drill.

C. The City believes in generational investment. Every man, woman, or child should be capacitated with survival, coping, and recovery skills to prepare them for a major earthquake event and empower them to help others to do the same. Disaster preparedness and survival skills training has recently been incorporated into the Senior High School Program of the University of Makati. Some 8,000 senior students have undergone basic disaster preparedness and survival courses aimed at familiarizing each of them with household level survival planning as well as the Barangay DRRM system. In 2020, it is expected that every household will have at least one person able to manage disasters and help everyone else.

D. After series of consultations and refinement, the Makati Earthquake Contingency Plan was finalized. This science-based, scenario-specific, time-bound response plan for a 7.2 magnitude earthquake was envisioned to reduce mortality as it lays down sectoral protocols implemented through a unified system.

In implementing these measures, Makati acknowledges that understanding risks and developing shared, local information on hazards, risks, and potential disaster losses is critical to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, as per Sustainable Development Goal 11. Hence, the unpredictable nature of “The Big One” thought to be as daunting as studies assume it would be, may just be a beaten goliath to a city and citizenry armed and prepared for the worst.

Many thanks to the Makati Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office for this post.