Short Name: DMAPS Project
Full Name: Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness Strategies Project

Concept: The Philippines is well identified to be prone to natural disasters, and even technological disasters. PICE being a huge organization with nationwide reach, through its 95 chapters in all the regions, and being an organization of technology professionals, is able and willing to advance volunteerism at the community level to help mitigate and prepare for disasters.

PICE members shall become volunteers not only as responders but also as planners.

DMAPS shall be a chapter-based disaster mitigation and preparedness project, with nationwide coordination.

Activities shall include data dissemination (researching and distributing) and capacity building (training and organizing).

During Year 1 of this project, the focus shall be on natural disasters. (Natural disasters include drought, earthquake, epidemic, flood, insect infestation, slide, volcano eruption, water wave/surge, wild fire, wind storm, etc. as catalogued by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center or by the OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database.) More than 350 natural disaster events are in known catalogues for the period 1901-2000. For this whole period, according to the ADRC analysis, wind storm (typhoon) events lead in terms of frequency, in total number of people killed, injured, or otherwise affected, and in monetary value of damage. Earthquakes rank second in terms of total number of people killed or injured, and in value of damage. Floods place second, too, in terms of frequency, in total number of people affected, and in value of damage. Volcano eruptions rank third in terms of number of people killed, and in damage value.

As the Strategy #1 by the PICE DMAPS project, these catalogued disaster events shall be map-linked as accurately as possible by the PICE chapters nationwide. It shall be the immediate purpose of such Disaster Maps to heighten the public awareness of historical disasters. (Example1: The Baguio Chapter shall map the past landslides in the CAR region. Example2: Chapters in Region 3 shall plot in their disaster maps the extent of damage due to the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption.) Each chapter shall draw attention to past events not only in its present geographic territory, but also in territories of all adjoining chapters.

The Strategy #2 shall be to develop, gather, or update Hazard Maps covering each chapter territory, wherein natural hazards as presently existing in the natural environment shall be indicated. It shall be the immediate purpose of such hazard maps to heighten the public consciousness of existing natural threats. (Example3: Lungsod ng Maynila Chapter shall map the districts threatened by annual floods. Example4: East Metro Manila Chapter and other NCR chapters shall gather maps showing traces of the Valley Fault System. Example5: Chapters in Region 9, ARMM, and Region 12 shall mark the coastal zones in Southern Mindanao that are threatened by tsunami waves.) Preferably, the relative level or degree of hazard shall be reflected in the maps as well.

In the Strategy #3, elements of the built environment that may be prone to the effects of natural hazards shall be inventoried and indicated on Vulnerability Maps. Vulnerability maps shall differ from hazard maps, as the former shall highlight those types of built structures or facilities that are deemed technically to be relatively more vulnerable to certain disasters. (Example6: Chapters in Region 5 shall map those structures more likely to be severely damaged by typhoon winds, in contrast to the less vulnerable structures.)

In the Strategy #4, the national committee shall coordinate and oversee the preparation of national guidelines, standards, and manuals in all phases of the project, while the chapter committees shall plan and implement their unique activities locally at community level.

The Strategy #5 shall be to hold training in making, using, and explaining the different types of maps, in ways proactive to mitigate disasters. Also part of this strategy shall be to prepare with practical skills for emergency response. Among those trained volunteers, teams or clusters shall be formed at various levels, from chapters to regions to national. (The DQRP training program for volunteer responders shall continue, and form part of the Strategy #5.)

Some Specific Plans

1. Gathering of data on historical disasters, natural hazards, and vulnerabilities.
2. Formalization of guidelines, standards, and manuals.
3. Accreditation of Trainors & Volunteers (giving them official credentials) certificates/IDs
4. Issuance of inspection manual, tools/kit – safety helmet/survival kit
5. Training of Trainors (see below)
6. Extending formal linkage with the OCD-NDCC
7. Establishing direct linkage of Chapter with the LGU
8. Establishing direct linkage with Red Cross and other similar institutions
9. Planning out fund raising (by the Ways and Means Committee)
10. For the DQRP, schedule Training of Volunteers/Target to have one as soon as possible in Masbate to be conducted by PICE Trainors who have been accredited in the last Midyear Convention and to be supervised by ASEP.