Senior High School

Disaster Readiness and

AIRs - LM
LU_Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction_Module 2
 Risk Reduction
Module 2:
Understanding the Effects of Disasters

LU_Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction_Module 2

 DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION
Module 2: Understanding the Effects of Disasters
Second Edition, 2021

Copyright © 2021
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: Aurie Amor Quinones

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team
Content Reviewer: Jodel Maria Ragpala
Language Reviewer: Joan Guerrero
Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr.
Design and Layout: Ronnel M. Barrientos

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent
Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph D
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
German E. Flora, Ph D, CID Chief
Virgilio C. Boado, Ph D, EPS in Charge of LRMS
Rominel P. Sobremonte, Ed D, EPS in Charge of Science
Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II
Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II

Printed in the Philippines by: _________________________

Department of Education – SDO La Union

Office Address: Flores St. Catbangen, San Fernando City, La Union
Telefax: 072 – 205 – 0046
Email Address: launion@deped.gov.ph

Senior High School

LU_Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction_Module 2

 Disaster Readiness and Risk
Reduction
Module 2:
Understanding the Effects of Disaster

Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear
learners, can continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities,
questions, directions, exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you
to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you
step-by-step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in

each SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this

LU_Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction_Module 2

 module or if you need to ask your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for
better understanding of the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to
answer the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer keys are provided
for each activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teacher are
also provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on
how they can best help you on your home-based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on
any part of this SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the
exercises and tests. And read the instructions carefully before performing
each task.

If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in

answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher
or facilitator.

Thank you.

LU_Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction_Module 2

 Target

Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event, bringing great damage, loss,

destruction and devastation to life and property. The damage caused by disasters
is immeasurable and influences the mental, socioeconomic, political, and cultural
state of the affected area. Disasters are events that cause great damage,
destruction, and human suffering. Their origin can be natural, such as
earthquakes, floods, and typhoons, or of human origin: accidents and terrorist
acts.
Disasters can cause a full range of mental and physical reactions. Those
affected may also react to problems that occur after the event, as well as to triggers
or reminds them of the trauma.
This learning material will provide you with information and activities that
will help you understand the effects of disasters. Also, this will provide you with
information and activities that will help you analyze the different perspective or
point of views of disaster.

After going through this learning material, you are expected to:

1. describe the effects of disasters on one’s life (DRR11/12-Ia-b-3)

2. plan ways to lessen the impact of a disaster
3. analyze disaster from the different perspectives (physical, psychological,
socio-cultural, economic, political, and biological (DRR11/12-Ia-b-6)

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Pre-Test

Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. What effect of disasters refer to the shortage of sustenance among people?

A. Displaced population B. Emotional aftershock
C. Food scarcity D. Health risk
2. The collective term used to describe the condition of people who develop stress
reaction that negatively affect their physical and mental behavior after suffering
from a disaster
A. Displaced population B. Emotional aftershock
C. Food scarcity D. Health risk
3. Which of the following is NOT an example of psychological effect of a disaster?
A. Anxiety B. Bereavement C. Depression D. Hunger
4. It stresses on the significance of culture in developing a disaster resilient
personality among the inhabitants in a certain community. What perspective of
disaster is being describe?
A. Biological B. Economic C. Political D. Socio-Cultural
5. Which of the following is NOT an example of physical effects of a disaster?
A. Injuries C. Sanitation
B. Physical disability D. Unemployment
6. Among the following perspective of disaster, which is normally left untreated?
A. Economic perspective C. Psychological perspective
B. Physical perspective D. Socio-cultural perspective
7. It causes group of people to forcibly leave their homes. What effect of disaster
is being illustrated?
A. Displaced population B. Emotional aftershock
C. Food scarcity D. Health risk
8. What should be the right attitude in dealing the effects of a disaster? A. Let us
be mindful of others.
B. Try to be a leader for others.
C. Show positivity in dealing with it.
D. Be grateful on what the government can provide.
9. You and your family are situated in a disaster prone are, how could you reduce
the impact of a disaster? A. Avoid the crowd.
B. Watch news to be informed.
C. Get the right mindset and preparation.
D. Build good relationships among neighbors.
10.COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a serious acute
respiratory syndrome. This was first detected in Wuhan, China in December
2019 and then spread around the globe, triggering a continuing pandemic. How
can the Philippines win against COVID-19?
A. Quarantine protocols must be continued.
B. People must maintain a clean environment at all time.
C. The citizens must follow health guidelines and safety measures.
D. The government must be allowed to decide for the good of the fellow people.

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 Jumpstart

Direction: Identify one typhoon that you can remember and experience that struck
northern Luzon particularly the Province of La Union. How did the typhoon affected
you, your family and your community? Share your unforgettable/traumatic
experience during and after the typhoon.
Name of Typhoon/ Date : ________________________________
How did the typhoon affect you personally, your family and your community?
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 Discover

Effects of Disasters on One’s Life

The following are the common effects of disaster identified by some studies on
disaster risk and management:

1. Displaced Populations. One of the most immediate effects of natural

disasters is population displacement. When countries are ravaged by
earthquakes or other powerful forces of nature like flood and super
typhoons, many people have to abandon their homes and seek shelter in
other regions. A large influx of evacuees can disrupt accessibility of health
care and education, as well as food supplies and clean water. When Mt.
Pinatubo erupted in 1991, thousands of families in Zambales and Pampanga
were displaced. Their communities were ravaged by lahar flow that turned
these communities into “wilderness”. Several resettlement areas were
established to accommodate those who were displaced. These resettlement
areas which started as tent cities for those affected by the volcanic eruption
became permanent communities.
2. Health Risks. Aside from the obvious immediate danger that natural
disasters present, the secondary effects can be just as damaging. Severe
flooding can result in stagnant water that allows breeding of waterborne
bacteria and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Dengue fever is another serious
health problem caused by mosquitoes (Aedis egypti). Without emergency
relief from international aid organizations and others, death tolls can rise
even after the immediate danger has passed.
3. Food Scarcity. After natural disasters, food often becomes scarce.
Thousands of people around the world go hungry as a result of destroyed
crops and loss of agricultural supplies, whether it happens suddenly in a
storm or gradually in a drought. As a result, food prices rise, reducing
families’ purchasing power and increasing the risk of severe malnutrition.
The impacts of hunger following an earthquake, typhoon or hurricane can be
tremendous, causing lifelong damage to children’s development. One of the
serious “aftershocks” of Super Typhoon Yolanda was there’s no food to eat
immediately after the storm surge. This resulted into looting of some stores
and supermarkets in Tacloban City.
4. Emotional Aftershocks. Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for
young children. Confronted with scenes of destruction and the deaths of
friends and loved ones, many children develop post-traumatic disorder
(PTSD), a serious psychological condition resulting from extreme trauma.
Left untreated, children suffering from PTSD can be prone to lasting
psychological damage and emotional distress.
The Different Perspectives of Disaster

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 A disaster is a result of a vast ecological breakdown in the relation between
humans and their environment; a serious or sudden event on such a scale that the
stricken community needs extraordinary efforts to cope with it, often with outside
help or international aid.

Disaster is analyzed from different perspectives as follows:

Physical Perspective
From this view, disaster is defined as a phenomenon that cause damage to
physical elements such as buildings, infrastructures, including people and their
properties, e.g. houses and environmental sources of living. Physical effects are the
most visible and quantifiable effects of a disaster. In assessing the aftermath of a
disaster, physical damages are essentially considered in data recording.
Assessment of disaster is focused on the following common questions:

How many families are affected? (displacement, injury, death)

How many houses are damaged or washed out? (in case of super typhoons)

How many buildings collapsed or are damaged? (in case of an earthquake)

How many roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructures are damaged? (in case
of floods, lahar flows and earthquakes)
What is the extent of damage in agricultural industry? (crop losses, damaged fish
cages, washed out rice fields, etc.)

Psychological Perspective
Psychological research has shown that disasters can cause serious mental health
consequences for victims. These consequences take the form of PostTraumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a variety of other disorders and symptoms which have
been less investigated. The more stress, defined in a variety of ways, within the
disaster, the more likely there are to be emotional consequences.
In psychological context a disaster is regarded as an occurrence involving an
unexpected or uncontrollable event rather than a long-term experience. In other
words, a disaster is something that could happen within a hazard rather than the
hazard itself. Hence, one very important component of the recovery phase, aside
from relief services is debriefing or psychological support system.

Other psychological effects of a disaster are the following:

• Emotional effects: Shock, terror, irritability, blame, anger, guilt, grief or

sadness, numbing, helplessness, loss of pleasure derived from familiar activities,
difficulty feeling happy, difficulty feeling loved.

• Cognitive effects: Impaired concentration, impaired decision-making ability,

memory impairment, disbelief, confusion, nightmares, decreased self-esteem,
decreased self-efficacy, self-blame, intrusive thoughts, memories, dissociation (e.g.
tunnel vision, dreamlike or ‘spacey’ feeling).

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• Physical effects: Fatigue, exhaustion, insomnia, cardiovascular strain,
startle response, hyper arousal, increased physical pain, reduced immune
response, headaches, gastrointestinal upset, decreased appetite, decreased libido,
vulnerability to illness.

• Interpersonal effects: Increased relational conflict social withdrawal, reduced

relational intimacy, alienation, impaired work performance, decreased satisfaction,
distrust, externalization of blame, externalization of vulnerability, feeling
abandoned.
Socio-Cultural Perspective
What the people living at risk know and do about natural hazards and disaster
risks is mediated by a range of factors including social conditions (such as age,
gender, wealth, ethnicity) and cultural settings (language, beliefs, traditions,
customs). In most places people are also more or less exposed by information and
ideas coming from the “outside” – the world outside their own cultural setting. At
the same, the field of natural hazards and disasters has developed its own debates,
framework, and notions such as vulnerability, resilience, and ‘risk’. But
communities may have different priorities and notions of natural hazards and
disaster risks. People’s socio-cultural background may affect their response to
disasters at the different stages of disaster management.
Hence, from the socio-cultural point of view, a disaster is analyzed based on how
people respond having as parameter their social conditions and cultural settings.
These two factors are important determinants of the degree of risk, resilience and
vulnerability of those affected. That is why some ethnic groups can easily cope with
disasters compared to other groups.
Economic Perspective
From an economic perspective, a natural disaster can be defined as a natural event
that causes a perturbation to the functioning of the economic system, with a
significant negative impact on assets, production factors, output, employment and
consumption. One salient component of assessing the impact of disaster impact
from this view is defining direct economic cost and indirect losses.
Direct economic cost is the value of what has been damaged or destroyed by the
disaster. This should be seriously considered in disaster risk management and
assessment. However, to get the whole picture indirect losses is crucial in
assessing disaster seriousness. This is done by evaluating the main indirect
consequences of a disaster. One example is when a head of family losses a job due
to isolation or the workplace itself is affected. The value of losses is measured vis-
à-vis time period and salary including perks and allowances.
Political Perspective
From this view, natural disasters are commonly thought to be less politically
contentious than armed conflicts. Yet, a closer look reveals that politics are deeply
wedded to both the impact of a natural disaster and the subsequent delivery of
humanitarian assistance. Political considerations before, during, and after a
natural disaster can determine who is most at risk, who can intervene, what
actions will be taken, and who will benefit from those actions. Some case studies

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demonstrate that economic, social, and political factors can significantly amplify
the devastating impact of a natural disaster.

Governmentality or deliverance of government services to constituents can be a

plus or minus factor in disaster risk reduction and management. Government
interventions should be present in following phases of Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management: (1) Prevention, (2) Mitigation, (3) Preparedness, and (4) Recovery.
Failure to do so adversely affects the capacity and opportunities of those affected to
cope with and recover from the impacts of disaster.
Environmental Perspective
Disasters are not random and do not occur by accident. They are the convergence
of hazards and vulnerable conditions. Disasters not only reveal underlying social,
economic, political and environmental problems, but unfortunately contribute to
worsening them. Such events pose serious challenges to development, as they
erode hard-earned gains in terms of political, social and educational progress, as
well as infrastructure and technological development. The Millennium Declaration
recognizes the risk to development stemming from disasters and calls on the global
community to “intensify our collective efforts to reduce the number and effects of
natural hazards and man-made disasters.” Several studies have recently
highlighted the fact that investments in development are in jeopardy unless
precautionary action is taken toward reducing disaster risk. Yet, few development
organizations adopt a precautionary approach in the design and management of
projects and fewer still recognize the role of environmental management in reducing
disaster risk.

Explore

Read the article Pepeng (2009) Floods and Landslides in Northern Luzon
dated October 11, 2009 from https://center.noah.up.edu.ph. Identify five effects of
Typhoon Pepeng particularly in Northern Luzon and analyze its impact using three
perspectives of your choice.

Pepeng (2009) Floods and Landslides in Northern Luzon

October 11, 2009
Typhoon Pepeng (international name, Parma), was the second typhoon
that affected the Philippines within the span of a week in September 2009. It
entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility days after Tropical Storm Ondoy
(International Name Ketsana) wreaked havoc on the country. Although Pepeng
did not extend its fury to Metro Manila where Ondoy recently did, it still added to
the damage caused by the earlier typhoon and lashed out at the northern part of
Luzon Island. Pepeng affected thousands of families in the north, especially in
Pangasinan province where the San Roque Dam released water to prevent it from

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 being overtopped, causing floodwaters to inundate several areas in the province.
In the province of Benguet, with a population of 403,944 (Philippine Statistics
Authority, 2012), multiple landslides triggered by the typhoon killed at least 200
across different municipalities in the province, including Baguio City (ABSCBN,
2009). However, in the first week of October, Pepeng interacted with the
incoming Typhoon Quedan (international name, Melor) on the Pacific as it was
heading towards Southern Taiwan. Days later, though significantly weakened,
Pepeng recurved to Luzon making further landfall in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.
It again gained its strength as it crossed Luzon Island for the second time.
Though it retreated to emerge towards the South China Sea and eventually
became a tropical depression, Pepeng still became one of the deadliest typhoons
that hit the country in a span of a decade. On October 5, 2009, reports showed
14 confirmed fatalities – 12 in Cordillera Region due to landslide and 2 in
Cagayan Valley. Reports also showed that more than 14,000 families in Regions
1, 2, 3, 5, CAR, and NCR were displaced and affected, some were rendered
homeless. Initial estimates on damages caused by Pepeng reached up to 800
million. In their final tally, the NDRRMC reported 465 casualties from Typhoon
Pepeng due to landslide and flooding hazards and caused more than 27 billion
pesos in damages (NDRRMC, 2009).

Deepen

Given the following images during Typhoon Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng.
Evaluate the pictures and describe the effects of natural disaster to the people of
Luzon as evident on the image. Analyze its impact using one perspective of your
choice in each picture.

Source:https://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/files/2010/10/09_10-Inan-1.jpg

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References
Books
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction Core Teacher's Guide. (2017). Pasig City: Department of
Education.

Quebral, V. S. (2016). Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

Websites

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/disaster_risk_resilence.asp

https://www.childfund.org/Content/NewsDetail/2147489272/

https://center.noah.up.edu.ph/pepeng-2009-floods-and-landslides-in-northern-
luzon/#:~:text=Initial%20estimates%20on%20damages%20caused,damages%20(NDRRMC%2C%202
009).

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 For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – SDO La Union

Curriculum Implementation Division
Learning Resource Management Section
Flores St. Catbangen, San Fernando City La Union 2500
Telephone: (072) 607 - 8127
Telefax: (072) 205 - 0046 Email
Address:
launion@deped.gov.ph lrm.launion@deped.gov.ph

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LU_Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction_Module 2