As Mark Villar highlighted, poverty in the Philippines, especially in rural areas, is deeply linked to the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters. To address this, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has approved the ₱56.7-billion Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP) led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The initiative aims to support 4.13 million households across 500 municipalities through resilience planning and infrastructure improvements, particularly in disaster-prone and impoverished areas.
Climate-related disasters have caused significant financial losses, with the Department of Finance reporting ₱506.1 billion in damages from 2010 to 2020. Despite contributing only 0.3% to global greenhouse gas emissions, the Philippines suffers disproportionately from typhoons, floods, and other hazards. A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found that poor households lose about 7% of their income due to disasters, worsening economic inequality and slowing development.
Addressing these challenges requires urgent disaster preparedness and poverty reduction investment to protect vulnerable communities and sustain economic growth.
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