The Committee on Health Crisis Preparedness and Management of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), formerly known as then Committee on Disaster and Calamity, was created on June 2009 as a response to properly address the then looming AH1N1 pandemic. The string of recent natural disasters that hit the country like the typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng" (and the subsequent increase in the incidence of leptospirosis), the eruption of Mt. Mayon, and the present drought brought about by the El Nino phenomenon underscored the need for committed efforts to focus on overall disaster preparedness from a medical standpoint. When faced with these seemingly insurmountable challenges given the geographical, economic, cultural and sociopolitical landscape of the country, the committee seeks to promote and to undertake a strategic, systematic, sustainable, sensible and self-assured approach in reducing both the vulnerabilities and risks to imminent hazards, The PCP's stand is one of pro-active approach to informing, motivating and involving people in all aspects of disaster risk reduction down to the grassroots level by enhancing all the PCP chapters' capability in risk management preparedness. A more focused and resolute plan of action should be in place at all times so that individual efforts by members and collective endeavors by the chapters and by the College itself transcend mere interim responses, knee-jerk reactions or marginal rejoinders that mitigate nothing but superficial concerns that cloud the deeper, more significant issues. In a nutshell, the PCP should aim for partnering with vulnerable communities in developing a culture of resilience to disaster.

Download Health Crisis Preparedness and Management Booklet