Moving towards desired capability, stakeholders should determine in detail what is to be done for the incoming year in the Annual Budget of the agency concerned, because situations change and these may have not been reflected in the accomplishments the year before.
Changes in situations identified should be reflected in modifications to the multi-year development plan and in determining the following year’s annual budget increment.
The planning process should provide LGUs and National Government Agencies (NGAs) counterparts with detailed descriptions of what they plan to accomplish in the incoming year, and their requirements for financial and technical assistance in support of these efforts.
Because resources are limited, it is imperative to identify and acquire capabilities with multiple-use applications (e.g. whether natural or man-made crisis of various types). For this purpose, the CMSS shall establish a National Capability Resource Management database in conjunction with the NDRRMC, to ensure mutual support between these two mechanisms of government. In addition, departments, LGUs and other agencies of government involved in responding to emergencies shall furnish, through appropriate channels, the CMSS and the NDRRMC, their current capabilities and their planned acquisition for early location and tracking. Departments shall conduct their own resource inventory, in coordination with the Crisis Management Committee. The process of authority and movement of assets to the frontline when needed shall be guided by Figure 3-2.2. (Response Effort Flowchart).
CMSS will, in turn, further develop assessment standards and criteria to provide the concerned agencies with further evaluation tools for prioritization of capabilities building support that can be recommended for the Stakeholders’ Multi-Year Capability Development Plan or annual increments. For this purpose, CMSS, ONSA shall be part of the existing mechanisms that looks into the operational readiness of concerned departments and agencies.
Hence, CMSS, ONSA shall be part of the operational preparedness evaluation of the agency concerned.
Section 4-9 Principle for Capability Resource Management at the Local Government Units, National Government Agencies, and the National Crisis
Management Committee
The LGUs and NGAs with their counterparts in different regions and provinces nationwide are expected to contribute to the overall Crisis Management capability of government, as duly approved by the EXECOM, NCMC. Therefore, each project and activity should represent a necessary building block for this.
In a Joint DILG-DBM Memorandum Circular 2011-1 issued to all governors, city and municipal mayors, Sanggunians, Punong Barangays, and other concerned officials, projects covered by the 20 percent development fund now include projects to address and respond to natural and man-made disasters and calamities.
As stated under Section 21, Republic Act 10121 otherwise known as the ‘’Philippine
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Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010”, not less than five percent (5%) of the estimated revenue from regular sources shall be set aside as the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (LDRRMF) to support disaster risk management and crisis management activities at all components and/or phases such as, but not limited to, pre-disaster preparedness programs including training, purchasing life-saving rescue equipment, supplies and medicines, for post-disaster activities, and for the payment of premiums on calamity insurance.
Of the amount appropriated for LDRRMF, thirty percent (30%) shall be allocated as the Quick Response Fund (QRF) or stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs so that the situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies may be normalized as quickly as possible.
Consistent with the Memo from the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines dated 22 March 2011, cabinet members or heads of agencies shall provide expert advice, assistance and if necessary, resources to help resolve a crisis or emergency.
As long as it is feasible, sourcing of funds in support of these duly approved projects and activities may be done through inter-agency Memorandum of Agreements on Stakeholder Partnerships or Private-Public Partnerships.
Certain improvements will be reflected in the capability assessment in an Annual Work Increment to be prepared by agencies concerned. Emergency operations plans should then be revised to incorporate these improvements. Multi-Year development plans should also be modified to reflect these changes and the experience gained during exercises and the conduct of actual crisis operations.
Section 4-10 Principles in Fostering Stakeholders’ Relationships
Rather than regarding crisis management from a “crisis responder-client” relationship in the context of the Defense System of Management, which gives the connotation of a one-way track and payment for services that the Government should provide for free to the populace, what should be developed as a new mind-set is “Stakeholders’ Relationships”.
The European Union’s Council of Ministers espouses fostering a Stakeholders’
Relationship to achieve a comprehensive integration of crisis management planning among the local people, people’s organizations and CSOs, and between the local and national policy making and operations systems. This also builds on the existing crisis management plans, systems and capabilities that can be further broadened to the full spectrum (from incident to post-action) of crisis in the country. In this way, the consciousness of Crisis Management does not only come out during a crisis.
Having a closer relationship with the populace, Crisis Managers would be able to identify precursors or triggers for crisis, that can be monitored prior to, during and after the crisis.
Hence, assessments falling under Situation Awareness would be able to provide prior notification on an emerging incident and in a worst-case scenario, and the incident that occurred when it happens in real time, so that measures can be provided that can prevent the incident from escalating.
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These precursors/ triggers can range from conditions of an emerging crisis, and the underlying causes and dynamics of the crisis that includes key actors. Stakeholders would be able to understand these triggers better, through joint assessments and accessing of subject matter experts so that the problems can be analyzed from all angles and that all issues affecting the crisis are covered.
Building an information management system, to monitor, process, analyze the information, and to some extent visualize emerging or occurring crisis, are important tools that can be further enhanced with communication technologies. (Refer to Chapter 5, Section 5-7, Significance of Computers and Section 5-8, Public and Media Affairs Group.)
Because there is a range of possible incidents or crises, stakeholders may find it valuable to develop foresight and technologies such as Horizon Scanning which can be learned and developed. This ensures that planning and strategies for Crisis Management are kept pro-active.
Crisis Management should also build legal capabilities and competencies on Human Rights and related international treaty obligations of the Philippines. However good a crisis management is, this can only be gauged within the ethical and legal standards required in implementing them.
In complex, multi-dimensional crises, the interface between crisis management, human rights and development concerns, as well as the criminal justice system, is highlighted. Crisis managers increasingly face non-traditional threats, irregular threats, and organized crime, that it is logical that they boost their legal capabilities. The promotion of the rule of law among stakeholders in order to bring back a community to its feet is of primary importance. This also calls for the strengthening of peace and conflict-prevention measures and shift of focus from military-oriented missions to that of rule-of-law sectors that are beginning to receive wider support in several countries.
1) Hence, stakeholders will achieve more if they involve communities towards seeking the root causes of the crisis or any conflict, and if they remain faithful to their mandates to reduce poverty and create sustainable livelihood, and the strengthening of democracy, rule of law, good governance, human rights and gender equality. The community’s resilience entails their ongoing and developing capacity to account for its vulnerabilities, and develop capabilities that aid them in: preventing, withstanding, and mitigating the stress incident, recovering in a way that restores the community to a state of self,
2) sufficiency and at least the same level of social functioning after an incident; and 3) using knowledge from a past response to strengthen the community’s ability to
withstand the next incident.
Fostering relationship with partners will not be complete without CSOs and the Media who provide the multiplying factor, for wider public information, education, and training on Crisis Management.
A responsible media could support government in Risk Communication where the
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key to success is an entity’s ability to establish, maintain, and increase trust and credibility with key stakeholders. This entails ensuring that while communicating with the general public, the Communicator also guards the security and safety of the victims and the responding units.
Article 6 on “Crime and Crisis” of the 2007 Broadcast Code of the Philippines explicitly states that, “The coverage of crimes in progress or crisis, such as hostage-taking or kidnapping, shall consider the safety and security of human lives above the right of the public to information”.
Some Filipino values or themes which could be inputted as messages are the following:
- Bayanihan – Teamwork Filipino style!
- Mas mabuti na maging handa kaysa magsisi. It is better to be prepared than sorry.
(Preparedness)
- Magkaroon ng kamalayan at magbantay. Be aware and vigilant.
- Nasa Diyos ang awa. Nasa Tao ang gawa. In God is mercy. In People is the Work.
(Faith and People’s Work)
Capability enhancing or building on crisis management cuts across all the phases of the Crisis Management Framework. It is ideally done at the national, regional, provincial, municipal, city, barangay, community, organization and family levels. Although the tasks could be daunting, it helps to be aware, to coordinate and collaborate, choose facilitative leaders to head the bayanihan and to trust in the goodness of people (stakeholders). For most Filipinos, it also helps that there is moral-spiritual consensus to call on the Supreme Being to see us through the tough times but there is always work to be done, things to gather and prepare. It pays to plan and be prepared than be sorry.