RP is 4th among 10 countries hardest hit by disasters in 2004

The Philippines ranked fourth among the top 10 countries hardest hit by disasters in 2004, Red Cross chairman and Sen. Richard Gordon said yesterday.

Citing the International Disaster Database, Gordon noted the Philippines landed in fourth because of the 13 natural disasters that hit the country last year.

China topped the list with 25 disasters, followed by the United States with 22 while Indonesia ranked third with 18. Japan was fifth on the list with 12, followed by Turkey with 10; Bangladesh, 10; Nigeria, nine; and Thailand and Russia, eight each.

The record showed that floods and storms were the most common natural disasters that occurred in 2004 while epidemics and earthquakes were responsible for a third and fourth of the disasters, respectively.

The Philippines also registered the fourth highest death toll of 1,619 in a single disaster. This occurred during super typhoon "Winnie," which devastated the Quezon and Aurora provinces late last year.

The 12 countries affected by the tsunami in December 2004 accounted for 226,408 deaths, followed by Haiti with 2,754 deaths caused by hurricane Jeanne in September 2004 and Haiti again with 2,665 deaths caused by flooding in May and June 2004.

The database was created by the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters to rationalize decision-making for disaster preparedness.

It contains essential information on the occurrence and effects of over 12,800 mass disasters across the world from 1900 to the present.

Gordon admitted that the Philippines is "not thoroughly prepared" for disasters but efforts to modernize the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) are now underway.

"Nobody can really be prepared. Look at the United States. They thought they were prepared" before hurricane Katrina struck, he told reporters.

But Gordon boasted that during a recent meeting of Southeast Asian Red Cross leaders in the Philippines, the country was recognized as one of the best in Southeast Asia in terms of disaster preparedness, response and management capability.

"That’s why the Disaster Training and Logistic Center (of the International Red Cross) will be put up here in the Philippines. I really worked hard to get it here. It means that international people will come here to train people and stockpile equipment," he added.

Gordon is eyeing the former US military base in Subic Naval Base in Olongapo City as the site of the center.

Yesterday, Gordon presented before the media a locally assembled 16-wheeler "Disaster Response Truck" that is fully equipped with various equipment used in rescue operations.

He said that with the equipment, trained staff and volunteers of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) would be able to respond to all types of accidents and disasters.

The truck contains modern apparatus like a search camera which is used to find people buried under rubble and tools that can easily cut through iron bars to free trapped victims.