Page 233 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 3

STS541 Vivian R. I.

The development of disaster statistics in the
Philippines: Expenditure accounts for disaster
1
risk reduction
2
Vivian R. Ilarina
Macroeconomic Accounts Service (MAS),
Sectoral Statistics Office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Abstract
The Philippines is identified as one of the most vulnerable to different types
of disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, flood, among others. According to the
World Risk Index, the Philippines ranks third among countries with the highest
disaster risk levels. The report cites the archipelago’s location in the typhoon
and earthquake belts, high degree of exposure and vulnerability and the lack
of capacities in coping capacities. For disaster risk reduction and management
primarily to protect human lives and infrastructure as well as conservation of
the environment and natural resources, it is crucial that we generate a
comprehensive disaster statistics as guide/tool among planners and policy
makers for effective disaster management. However, disaster statistics is seen
as relatively new statistical domain. This cut across several disciplines and
needs an integrated framework to coordinate and consolidate into one
comprehensive system. In the 3rd meeting in 2015, the Asia-Pacific Expert
Group on Disaster-related Statistics decided to undertake a pilot test for a
provisional outline and summary of core principles on disaster related
statistics. This supports the mandate of the Expert Group and the requirements
for monitoring progress towards the achievement of the Sendai Framework.
In line with this, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the highest policy
making body on statistics, deemed it important to develop an integrated
framework for disaster statistics catering the needs of several stakeholders as
well as the requirements in the attainment of the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). The PSA, as the agency tasked for the compilation of national
accounts and the environmental accounts has utilized the existing frameworks
of the System of National Accounts (SNA) and System of Environmental-
Economic Accounting (SEEA) to supplement the development of the disaster
statistics, specifically towards the organization of data for the Disaster
Expenditure Accounts – a satellite accounts of the SNA.

1 Paper presented during the 62nd ISI World Statistics Congress 2019 held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia on August 18-23, 2019.
Assistant National Statistician of the Macroeconomic Accounts Service (MAS), Sectoral
2
Statistics Office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The author acknowledges the
assistance of Mark C. Pascasio of the Expenditure Accounts Division and Polaris C. Bautista of
the Environment and Natural Resources Division, both from the PSA.
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