CHAPTER 9:

MANAGING CRISES
AND NATIONAL
EMERGENCIES

03 October 2020
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

The Government shall strengthen the Incident

Command System at all government units and
improve intra-government, inter-governmental and
non-government collaboration, and response
mechanisms in times of crisis and emergencies.
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES
 During national emergencies, natural disasters or
grave civil disturbance, the President may mobilize the
entire Government apparatus, or parts thereof, as well as
other private instrumentalities as may be necessary to
effectively address, manage and resolve the threat. As
Commander-in-chief, the President may call on the
armed services, or parts thereof, to prevent any serious
threat of lawless violence, invasion, rebellion, or any such
threat that puts public safety at grave risk.
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES
Emergency
 Power Provisions in the 1987
Constitution

 First, in times of war or other national emergency,

the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a
limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may
prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to
carry out a declared national policy. (Article VI, Section
23 (2))
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

 Second, in times of national emergency, when the

public interest so requires, the State may, during the
emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it,
temporarily take over or direct the operation of any
privately owned public utility or business affected with
public interest. (Article XII, Section 17)
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

 And third, the President as Commander-in-Chief

can call out the armed forces as may be necessary to
prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or
rebellion. In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public
safety requires it, the President can suspend the privilege
of the writ of habeas corpus or impose a nationwide or
partial martial law. (Article VII, Section 18)
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

Notably, the President has the prerogative to

determine whether to call out the armed forces or
whether the situation demands suspension of the writ of
habeas corpus or whether it calls for the declaration of
martial law. Such a decision will ultimately depend on
the exigencies or threats that endanger the nation as
appreciated by the President.
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES
 More importantly however, the 1987 Constitution explicitly
states that “A state of martial law does not suspend the operation
of the Constitution, nor supplant the functioning of the civil courts
or legislative assemblies, nor authorize the conferment of
jurisdiction on military courts and agencies over civilians where
civil courts are able to function, nor automatically suspend the
privilege of the writ.” (Article VII, Section 18) This provision affirms
that in times of national emergency, regardless of the
extraordinary circumstances, a constitutional government
continues to be in charge and the rule of law is still in force.
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

 When the magnitude of the crisis or emergency

requires international assistance, coordination shall be
made with the United Nations Office for Coordination of
Humanitarian Assistance (UN-OCHA) to ensure the
smooth flow of international relief and rehabilitation
efforts.
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

 The Republic Act 10121 also known as

“Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010” which outlines the 5Ps
of Crisis Management — Predict, Prevent, Prepare,
Perform and Post-Action and Assessment paved
away the threat of complex human-induced
emergencies.
 NATIONAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT
FRAMEWORK
PREDICT

PREVENT
WEAK SIGNALS,
DRIVERS, Resolution
Incident
INHIBITORS, Resolution POST-ACTION and
WILDCARDS
Turning Point
PERFORM ASSESSMENT
Turning Point Resolution
(HAZARDS,
THREATS, RISKS, Crisis/ Turning Point
Emergency
OPPORTUNITIES,
& Disaster
PREPARE
VULNERABILITIES)

SOPS, TTPs, Emergency Readiness Plan Crisis Action Planning

Disaster Risk Reduction
Management Council
Policy Process/
Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Process
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES
 Meanwhile, the Philippines' increasing exposure to the
pressures of the "new normal" in the climate landscape has
prompted the Government to vigorously enhance its disaster
preparedness and mitigation capabilities. What adds to the
complexity of such emergencies is the increased threat of
crime, chaos and lawlessness during disaster scenarios. A
Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) with the Subject:
"Guidelines on the Formulation of Contingency Plans for
Natural and Human-Induced Hazards and Adoption of the
Contingency Planning Guidebook”
CHAPTER 9: MANAGING CRISES AND
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES

 The manuals cover the essential elements of effective

crisis management: Situation Awareness, Strategy,
Command and Control, Capability Building and
Enhancement, and Post Action and Assessment. The
manuals also establish and delineate authority,
responsibility and accountability during crisis or disaster
situations.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Statute-Based Emergency Powers

 President Rodrigo Duterte’s immediate response to the COVID-

19 pandemic was to implement emergency measures under the
authority of two statutes. The first one was the Mandatory Reporting
of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act
which empowers the president to declare a state of public health
emergency and mobilize governmental and nongovernmental
agencies to respond to the threat. (Section 7)
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS

 The second statute operationalized in this

pandemic was the Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Act of 2010 which
authorizes the president to declare a state of
calamity (Section 16).
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 The lockdown directive effectively means home
quarantine for all, suspension of public transportation,
strict regulation of food distribution and of essential
health services, and a heightened presence of
uniformed personnel in checkpoints stationed in
various areas of the huge island. One month into the
lockdown police figures show that violators were either
given a warning or fined on the spot, but there were
also reports of some being detained.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS

 However, these two executive directives were not

enough. Congress, exercising emergency powers
under the 1987 Constitution, enacted on 24 March
the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020
(Bayanihan Act) with the sole purpose of giving
“necessary special powers” to President Duterte to
deal with the Covid-19 global pandemic.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS

 This statute was swiftly enacted with virtually no

opposition even though it contained provisions
that give the president “fiscal leeway” to use public
funds. However, as an oversight mechanism, it
mandates the President to submit a weekly report
to Congress. This law is in full force and effect only
for three months unless extended by Congress.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 Other Government Early Responses to COVID-19 Crisis
 the government immediately created the National Action Plan
to address the effects of the global health crisis in the
country. The National Task Force on COVID-19
 the NAP is anchored on the test, treat, and trace
management system to curb the spread of the disease. At
present, the government is already capable of conducting
50,000 tests per day with the establishment of 87 testing
laboratories nationwide
THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 Four mega swabbing centers, 15 mega-COVID-19 treatment facilities,
and more than 7,000 local isolation and general treatment facilities
were also built in different parts of the country to attend to patients
 around two million Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and test kits
have been distributed to hospitals for the use of frontliners leading the
fight against COVID-19.
 efforts to bring home overseas Filipinos back home after they lost their
jobs as businesses abroad closed due to economic recession
 the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Army utilized
its assets to transport medical supplies, equipment, healthworkers,
overseas Filipinos, and locally stranded individuals here and abroad.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 Vaccines for Corona Virus
Russia’s vaccine, known as “Sputnik V”
 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may receive a shot of
Russia’s coronavirus vaccine as early as May 2021.
 The Sputnik V has only undergone rapid Phase 1 and Phase 2
clinical trials on a small number of individuals.
 The Philippines is now among a handful of countries that will
participate in a more extensive Phase 3 trial for the vaccine,
which could start as soon as October. Russia is expected to
fund the clinical trial.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 Other Government latest Responses to COVID-19 Crisis

Some of the most important and recent initiatives by the Philippine government
as part of its mitigation response to the pandemic include: (a) the establishment
of the One Command Hospital Center (OCHC) launched last month (August
2020) as a referral system between private and public hospital, (b) the ramping-
up of the country’s testing capacity (c) the augmentation in the numbers of
contract-tracers and intensified contract tracing efforts; (d) the scaling-up of
local health care system capacity and infrastructure; (e) the recent passage into
law of the Bayanihan Act 2; and (f) the latest directive of President Rodrigo
Duterte to extend the “state of calamity” in the Philippines until 12 September
2021 to give the national and local governments time to marshal their resources
to better address and defeat the pandemic.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
 Bayanihan Act 2
The enactment into law of the Republic Act. No. 11494
or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” or
“Bayanihan Act 2” on 11 September, 2020 is not only
a huge boost to the COVID-19 response of the
Philippines, but more than anything, it is a piece of
legislation that provides large funding to fortify the
economic recovery efforts of the Philippines from the
devastation caused by the pandemic.
 THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
EARLY AND LATEST RESPONSE TO
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
The new law prioritizes the financing of some of the most important
government programs amid the pandemic that include: (a) the further
improvement of the healthcare system and infrastructure of the country
to better respond to the COVID-19 crisis, (b) further extension of
benefits to healthcare workers; (c) funding cash work program to
address the surge of unemployment in the country, (d) financing
support and assistance to the agricultural sector and industries that
were much affected by the pandemic; and (e) the procurement of
coronavirus vaccines once readily available.
Hence, the law has the twin objective of reviving the economy, and
further addressing the health care needs of the Filipinos.
End of Presentation