ABSTRACT

For the third consecutive year, the Philippines ranked first on the World Risk Index as the most vulnerable country to natural and man-made hazards in 2024 (GMA Integrated News, 2024). Recent weather phenomena like the El Niño phenomenon and the slew of strong typhoons have put renewed public attention into disaster discourse. Filipinos are asking how the government and their communities can better prepare for and cope with the effects of hazards, and their potential to escalate into disasters. This research will look into the application of Framework for Integrating Rights and Equality (FIRE) to disaster risk reduction and management-climate change adaptation policy-making. The aim of integrating human rights to disaster policies is to decrease the vulnerability and exposure of societies, especially the marginalized, to the negative impacts of hazards by upholding the rights of persons in situations of disasters, and pushing the government to adopt a more proactive position in disaster risk reduction.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Overall, opportunities exist for further integrating human rights in disaster management and prevention. The least costly intervention that the government can utilize in the short term is to stop its actions that have negative impacts on the human rights of the Filipino people. This means putting an end to perpetrating state-sponsored retrogressive measures. In the long term, the govemment can invest in disaster mitigation, placing a premium on preventing disaster events and minimizing casualties and damages.