The Philippines needs to enhance its assessment of natural hazards and their risks and impacts following the massive devastation brought by Severe Tropical Storm "Paeng," Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga underscored.

"Disaster risk and impact assessment, not just hazard assessment, needs to be sharpened or enhanced,” she said after her meeting with officials from the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Oct. 30.

During the meeting, Loyzaga stated that the DENR may assist in terms of how to best gather and analyze data that is critical in conducting an effective disaster risk and impact assessment, as well as to discuss ways to assist affected communities in recovering from the storm.

She also reportedly participated in an aerial inspection of some areas affected by Paeng with Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr., Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, and Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.

Many local chief executives in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), particularly in Maguindanao province, were shocked by the extent of Paeng's damage in their communities since the storm had been projected to pass through the Visayas region and move north towards Metro Manila.

Loyzaga said that the DENR is willing to assist and collaborate with the OCD in developing an improved risk and impact assessment of climate and natural hazards.

She designated DENR Undersecretaries Augusto dela Pea and Joselin Marcus Fragada as focal points to assist the OCD and other concerned government agencies in the coming days. The secretary also directed the undersecretaries to instruct the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to collect landslide and flooding site reports in specific areas.

Loyzaga also asked the undersecretaries to work with the Philippine Space Agency to obtain free Copernicus imagery of the Paeng-affected areas, particularly in Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

These imagery analysis data, according to Loyzaga, could aid in current and future risk reduction and management efforts, as well as in updating MGB maps and analysis.

Aside from these efforts, Loyzaga emphasized the importance of preparing for another possible climate hazard or natural disaster.

She likewise recommended having a “periodic and not only event-based” pre-disaster risk assessment, and the establishment of an “early warning, early action” system.

“We must have early warning for early action and make the last mile the first mile to avert loss and damage,” Loyzaga stressed.

Loyzaga also cited the importance of “impact-based forecasting,” such as the projected rainfall, to enable anticipatory actions and help reduce the impacts of weather- and climate-related events.

“Projected rainfall is very important. We need to transition from ‘what the weather is’ to ‘what the weather will do’ and ‘what the weather will do to whom and what’ and for how long,” she said.

The DENR, along with other government, non-government, civic sector, and private sector organizations, is a member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

According to the NDRRMC's situation report from Oct. 31, Paeng affected more than 1.9 million Filipinos by flooding 554 localities in 17 different regions.