On paper, the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit southern Mindanao last week is a really scary thing, but several elements ensured that – at least as of this writing – the loss of life and damage to property is not as extensive, and the path to recovery could start faster. For one, the most affected areas were not heavily built-up: even in the case of General Santos City, where several buildings collapsed, the lack of high-rise buildings meant there were fewer casualties. Perhaps the fact that it was the first day of classes, meaning students were outside in open areas, helped minimize the number of injuries and deaths, too. Those living in coastal areas were also more prepared for tsunamis; the last major earthquake in the area, in 1976, killed thousands because of the waves that came after, while they were sleeping.
But I am keen to note that government agencies seemed more prepared to provide immediate relief and aid. I particularly note one of the earliest pronouncements of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, touting that a million food packs have been prepositioned across Mindanao, at the LGU level, long before the calamity struck. This makes a massive difference in ensuring affected residents – scared, unable to go back to their homes – don’t have to wait long to feed themselves and their loved ones. While damage to infrastructure could delay the arrival of further aid – as we have now seen in the hardest-hit town of Glan, Saranggani – effective pre-positioning could impact the number of casualties and how immediately an affected area can recover.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing how the DSWD is expanding its ability to reach those in need faster, from streamlining the way they put together food packs and other relief packages – making it easier to deliver and store in local government facilities – to investing in new facilities to strengthen prepositioning. (I believe they are constructing a third facility in Surigao to complement the ones in Manila and Cebu.) It’s great to see these initiatives translate to results.
My work with the Pilipinas Kontra Gutom multi-sectoral initiative, back during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, had attuned my head to the role that logistics plays in ensuring people remain fed despite natural and man-made calamities. For PKG, our team proposed a mapping exercise which would identify locations where additional supplies, both food and non-food, can be procured in the case of an area being isolated by disaster. This includes supermarkets, pharmacies, warehouses and local government facilities. The mapping would also cover what vehicles are available in the area, to help with the transport of said goods. The idea, much like the DSWD’s, is to ensure people are provided for before additional resources from outside arrive.
A significant chunk of last year’s Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference in Hong Kong focused on the low-altitude economy – essentially, the use of drones for various economic activities, including last-mile delivery. China, of course, is miles ahead of this, in part because of early policy work, and in part because most of their cities have been designed from the ground up, meaning they somehow have been able to anticipate the use of drones for deliveries. (You may have seen videos of people ordering food from their phones and having them arrive by drone to designated drop-off hubs.) The haphazard planning of Philippine cities may make drones less ideal – in particular, Metro Manila having an inner-city airport means a big part of the region is a no-drone zone – but I realize that we can still take advantage of drones in humanitarian logistics, providing another way to bring relief to hard to reach areas as soon as possible.
And why not? Unlike airplanes, drones do not need large spaces to take off and land. (Runways may be closed due to quake damage, but I suppose drones can still land there in the meantime.) Drones are now also able to carry larger shipments, so the idea of one drone delivering just, say, one DSWD food pack no longer stands. This could be crucial especially for Filipinos who live in isolated areas or even in far-flung islands, where transport is already difficult during the best of times.
That said, a lot of work will have to be done to fully realize these potentials. I am not aware of any updated policy from the government on drone deliveries – I could be wrong; do let me know – which suggests we have not thought that far yet. Of course, the cost of acquiring and operating these drones is pretty high, which could render it an impractical option for local governments, or even the national government. But as the DSWD has demonstrated over the last few years, a little imagination, and input from other stakeholders, could lead to practical and impactful solutions. For a country that’s in the sweet (or is it sour?) spot when it comes to typhoons, earthquakes and other climate-related calamities, having more tools to sooner help those most affected can only be a good thing.
Henrik Batallones is the marketing and communications director of SCMAP, and editor-in-chief of its official publication, Supply Chain Philippines. More information about SCMAP is available at scmap.org.
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