‘More than a fighting chance’: Yamsuan cites urgency of instituting science-based hazard mitigation measures vs. disasters

Parañaque 2nd District Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has underscored the urgent need for the government to institute science-based strategies to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and give vulnerable communities “more than a fighting chance” in minimizing losses resulting from these destructive events.

These science-based measures, Yamsuan said, include the production and regular updating of hazard maps using the latest technologies as well as infrastructure and nature-based solutions to disaster risk reduction.

“The recent destruction wrought by typhoons Uwan and Tino and the strong earthquakes that shook the Visayas and Mindanao, have overwhelmed frontline responders and strained government resources. These disasters that were once rare but now appear to be coming one after another highlight the need for better planning and preparedness,” Yamsuan said.

Yamsuan has filed House Bill 4305 or the proposed Multi-Hazard Mapping Act, which aims to institutionalize the creation and regular updating of hazard maps for every city and municipality, and integrate these tools into disaster risk reduction efforts and local development planning.

According to Yamsuan, the bill seeks to build on the gains made by the Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), which utilized LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning to identify risks and danger zones, and create 3-D models to predict flooding and identify flood paths.

Cabinet-level agencies, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will also be mobilized under the bill to produce, maintain and update the hazard maps in coordination with the local government units (LGUs).

“The growing intensity and frequency of the calamities we are experiencing compel us to invest in a unified, comprehensive, science-based disaster risk reduction strategy. We should provide our countrymen with more than a fighting chance in minimizing their risks from typhoons, earthquakes and other disasters,” Yamsuan said.

“Usually ang preparations natin kapag may padating na disaster are evacuation and pre-positioning of relief supplies para mabilis na maihatid sa mga nasalanta. Pero kulang pa rin. Lalo na ngayon na ‘yung mga komunidad na dati naman ay hindi nakakaranas ng bagyo at yung mga lugar na dati namang hindi binabaha, kasama na ang mga evacuation centers, ang siya nang hinahagupit ng mga kalamidad na dinadanas natin,” he added.

(Usually our preparations for an imminent disaster are evacuation and pre-positioning of relief supplies to speed up delivery to calamity victims. But these are inadequate, especially now that communities which before were not struck by typhoons, and areas that were once free from flooding, including evacuation centers, now bear the brunt of the calamities we are experiencing.)

Better planning through the use of regularly updated hazard maps and risk assessment tools will guide the government in deciding which infrastructure projects should be implemented; where housing, evacuation centers and other structures can be safely built; and when nature-based solutions, such as mangrove planting, soil erosion control and bamboo propagation, are best carried out to protect communities and save lives, Yamsuan pointed out.

He commended Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph Lara, who chairs the House Committee on Disaster Resilience, for swiftly acting on pending disaster risk reduction bills by directing the formation of a subcommittee to consolidate these proposed measures, including HB 4305, into a single comprehensive disaster resilience strategy applicable to the Philippine setting.

The Philippines, which sits directly on the Pacific Typhoon Belt and the Pacific Ring of Fire, topped the ranking of the World Risk Index as the most disaster-prone country globally in 2025.

Yamsuan pointed out that Japan faces similar extreme hazards as the Philippines. But Japan has long been minimizing risks and casualties from typhoons and earthquakes by investing in science and technology, as well as on properly built facilities and infrastructure projects designed to enhance the country’s defenses against disasters.