Figure 1: Multiple Climate Hazard Map of Southeast Asia4
Experts have found that the country must spend a substantial portion of its annual
budget to repair and rehabilitate devastated communities. The World Bank stated that the
country spends 0.5% of its annual GDP responding to natural hazards.5 Between 1998 and
2009, the Philippines was forced to deal with costs of up to US$24.3 billion (23.9% of GDP)
resulting from storms that exposed 12.1 million people.6
Research has shown the resilience of the affected communities and individuals to be
relatively high, due to their experience adapting to past disasters. However, hazards can
exceed such coping capacities.7 The 2013 super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) illustrates the
extent of the exposure and vulnerability of the country to these kinds of extreme events.
Despite forecasts and warnings provided days in advance, the typhoon killed more than 6,000
people, affected millions of others, and devastated areas in central Leyte. Haiyan is stated to
4
Yusuf, A. A., & Francisco, H. (2009). Climate Change Vulnerability Mapping for Southeast Asia. East,
181(December), 1–19. doi:10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-07-0267, p.6.
5
Ancheta, Christopher; Bojo, Jan; Dato, Victor; Heister, Johannes; Kariuki, Mukami; Morton, John; Trohanis,
Zoe; Tuyor, Joe; Villaluz, Maya; Virtucio, Felizardo; Wedderburn, Sam; Zhang, Yabei. 2010. A strategic
approach to climate change in the Philippines, at 1, Washington, DC: World Bank p. 6. Available at
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2010/04/15198885/strategic-approach-climate-change-philippines
[hereinafter World Bank].
6
IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part B: Regional Aspects.
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change [Barros, V.R., C.B. Field, D.J. Dokken, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L.
Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L.
White (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 688 pp., at
1638.
7
G.P. Yumul Jr. & N.A. Cruz & C.B. Dimalanta & N.T. Servando & F.D. Hilario, The 2007 Dry Spell in Luzon
(Philippines): Its Cause, Impact and Corresponding Response Measures, 100(3-4) CLIMATE CHANGE 663
(2010).