Disaster Preparedness Philippines

Prepare for Disasters

Disaster Preparedness

During five years living in the Greater Manila area I have walked through flooded streets, ridden in a pedicab with water up to our seat, heard tin roofs rattling and banging in our compound in Paranaque during typhoons, watched children play and swim in highways while buses and jeepneys plowed through the water near them. I've stayed in a cottage close to the beach at the Lido Beach Resort, in Cavite, during a surprise storm. In the morning the catamaran that was on the beach was missing, apparently swept away by the wind and waves.

There have been disasters occur while we lived there. Fires where many shanty homes burned down, flooding rivers where many people have died in mud slides along the river banks, ferry boats and other boats have sunk.

I never prepared past having a Katadyn pocket water filter to filter drinking water and keeping copies of important papers and my passport in a safe place.

 

There is also the possibility of volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Be ready to grab your valuables and flee if advised to. 

I plan to be more prepared in future. I plan to follow the steps outlined at the US State Department website. 

Watch this video about developing Situational Awareness.

Update July 30, 2015: The government has warned that there is a possibility of an imminent "7.5 killer earthquake" in Metro Manila and out into surrounding provinces. See this article in the Sun Star Manila. You may want to adjust your travel plans accordingly. Maybe you will want to visit some islands other than Luzon. Cebu is a great place to visit. Check out other places in my article about adventure in the Philippines.

Keep things ready to go at all times.

UN raps Philippines for failing to rehouse typhoon homeless (as reported by Channel News Asia July 31, 2015.)

Was this article helpful?

If you have found this article helpful, have suggestions, advice or insights please "comment" below.

This post will be expanded. Check back for more information about disaster preparedness in the Philippines. Last updated July 30, 2022.

Health Insurance Philippines.

Health insurance in the Philippines

Health Insurance in The Philippines, International Health Insurance and Medical Evacuation Insurance
Lower your medical expenses.Visit our online Vegan Tribe Cafe and order now.

You may very well be able to pay for emergency room and outpatient visits out-of-pocket. Medical services cost far less than in the U.S. so you may find that you could pay for hospital stays as well. But, to cover the possibility of long hospital stays, treatment or medical evacuation you may want to consider getting an insurance policy.
Find out about health and travel insurance in the Philippines. 

Some Philippine insurance carriers are PhilHealth (for Filipinos) and Pacific Prime (international insurance). I have contacted Pacific Prime and a senior consultant emailed me rates promptly.
Some more international insurance carriers are  Allianz, Bupa International, Cigna, and HealthCare International.

From the US Travel.State.Gov web site:

"MEDICAL INSURANCE: You can’t assume your insurance will go with you when you travel. It’s 

very important to find out BEFORE you leave whether 

or not your medical insurance will cover you overseas. 

You need to ask your insurance company two 

questions:

• Does my policy apply when I’m out of the United States?
• 
  
• Will it cover emergencies like a trip to a foreign hospital or a medical evacuation?

In many places, including in the Philippines, doctors 

and hospitals expect payment in cash at the time of 

service. Your regular U.S. health insurance may not 

cover doctors’ and hospital visits in other countries. 

Medicare, for instance, does not cover care received 

outside of the United States or its territories. If your 

policy does not go with you when you travel, it’s a very 

good idea to take out another one for your trip. For 

more information, please see our medical insurance 

overseas page."

I have heard that Medicare may cover emergencies which occur while you are traveling outside the USA. So, check with your insurance company regarding coverage.

Check out this worldwide health map. It reports outbreaks, etc.

Learn about Hospitals, Clinics, Doctors and health care in the Philippines.

Was this article helpful?

If you have found this article helpful, have suggestions, advice or insights please "comment" below.

This article will be expanded upon. Please check back for more information about health insurance or medical insurance in the Philippines. Last updated June 4, 2022.