SM PRIME: Prioritizing Disaster Preparedness Plan for Philippine Calamities.
File Photo: Aftermath of Typhoon Odette, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, December 2021 Why disaster preparedness should be part of your plan/ Prioritize your safety during natural calamities by knowing what to do - and doing it The Philippines has long been considered calamity-prone and vulnerable to disasters. In fact, it placed third among all the highest-risk countries worldwide, according to the World Risk Report of 2018. A big contributor is the country’s geographical location and make-up. As an archipelago, the Philippines is composed of many small islands and is surrounded by water. It is also located within the Typhoon belt and the “Ring of Fire” and between the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates. Thus, natural occurrences such as typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are almost always a disaster waiting to happen - literally. Just recently, the Visayas and Mindanao regions suffered from the devastating effects of Typhoon Odette. Taal Volcano’s last eruption was onl