HOMELAND SECURITY POLICY INSTITUTE GROUP

Definition of Terms

DISASTER/CALAMITY - a situation usually catastrophic in nature, in which a number of persons are plunged into helplessness and suffering, and as a result may be in need of food, clothing, shelter, medical care and other basic necessities of life.

RELIEF - An act of helping or alleviating the condition of persons who are suffering from the effects of disaster/calamity and are at the time completely helpless.

REHABILITATION - The restoration of a person's economic dependency to an independent or stable way of living either physically, economically, socially or emotionally.

DISASTER OPERATIONS - Any concerted effort by two or more agencies, governmental and/or otherwise, to provide emergency assistance in relief to persons who are victims of a disaster/calamity and in the restoration of essential public utilities and facilities. Specific aid and assistance that may be provided in disaster operations include: issuance of medical supplies and equipment and emergency medical treatment; food, water, and shelter, rescue and firefighting services; police protection route clearances and traffic control; prevention of panic; communications; and restoration of facilities.

NATIONAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL (NDCC) - The highest governmental body responsible for advising the President on the status of disaster preparedness program and disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts at the national level.

REGIONAL, PROVINCIAL, MUNICIPAL AND BARANGAY DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCILS - The organizations responsible for the conduct of disaster preparedness program, disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts at their respective levels.

LOCAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL - It is a group of people at the provincial, city, municipal or arrange government level, duly organized for the purpose of preparing the people under its jurisdiction, to mitigate the effects of disasters and to control the disaster operations of its tasked units.

CIVIL DEFENSE OPERATIONS CENTER (CDOC) - The facility through which all disaster planning and operations of the National Government are conducted.

OPERATIONAL CONTROL - As distinguished from administrative control, this refers to supervision and direction over units involved in disaster operations, but only during periods of disaster.

DISASTER CONTROL - It is the act of limiting or mitigating the effects of disasters through the introduction of measures designed to prepare the inhabitants and to protect their lives and properties before, during and after a disaster.

CIVIL EMERGENCY - It is the disruption of normal activities of the civil populace occasioned by riots, rebellion, revolution and other similar events.

STATE OF CALAMITY - It is a condition so declared by the President the Local Sanguine concerned in the event of widespread destruction to property and loss of life due to destructive forces of nature or man-made emergencies.

CONFLAGRATION - It is a large disastrous fire involving numerous buildings/houses or structures.

EARTHQUAKES - Are earth vibrations produced when the stability of rock masses under the surface of the earth is disturbed. These disturbances usually occur along existing fault lines or zones of structural weaknesses.

ENGINEERING - As applied to a disaster situation pertains to repairs and restoration of infrastructures, buildings and utilities.

EPIDEMIC/OUTBREAK - Is the occurrence of communicable/non-communicable diseases or illnesses of the same nature in excess of the normal.

FLOOD - Is the condition that occurs when water overflows the natural or artificial confines of a stream or body of water, or when run-off from heavy rainfall accumulates over low-lying areas.

POLLUTION - Is any discharge of liquid, gaseous or solid substances into land/soil, natural waters, atmospheric air or space which will create or render such environmental elements and atmospheric air harmful or detrimental or injurious to human beings, animals, plants and ecological balance of nature.

RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT - Are dust particles of earth and debris, together with the radioactive materials that cling to them, which are drawn up into the mushroom cloud resulting from detonation of a nuclear weapon or device, and which are carried by the wind for many kilometers and then fall back to earth.

SPACE DEBRIS - Are the remains of artificial satellites and their components as well as their means of carriage aloft, which fall back to earth.

STORM SURGE - Is an abnormal rise of the level of water along a shore as a result, primarily, of the winds and pressures associated with storms.

TROPICAL CYCLONE - Is an intense weather disturbance such as typhoon and storm composed of a big whirling mass of wind and rains, similar to whirlwind, tornado or waterspout but having immense dimensions. It has violent winds which flow around and towards the center and is associated with torrential rains often accompanied by thunderstorms. Its central area is known as the "eye", some tens of kilometers in diameter when there is unusually little cloud or even a clear sky, no rain and light various winds.

TSUNAMI - Is a series of traveling ocean waves of long length and period usually caused by a seismic disturbances in the ocean floor or confines, which upon reaching the shore, losses speed but increases in height. Depending upon the residual force upon arrival, such waves may rush in shore and cause devastation to human settlements and infrastructures along the shoreline.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION - Is the ejection of volcanic materials such as lava, ashes, rock fragments, steam and other gases through a fissure brought about by tremendous pressure which forces open the rock formation overlying pockets of molten rocks or steam reservoirs found under the earth's crust.

Reference: Presidential Decree 1566 dated June 1978 National Calamities and Disaster Preparedness Plan, Revised Edition, 24 August 1988.