Ranking 3rd in the 2017 World Risk Index, the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone areas in the world. While being considered as the backbone of the Philippine economy, the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector are among the most vulnerable during times of disasters as they often lack human capital, financial, infrastructure, and other necessary resources to restore, recover, and sustain their business operations.
Considering the important role of MSMEs in community rehabilitation and recovery, this presentation will highlight case stories of MSMEs in the Philippines including their disaster experiences, natural and human-induced threats challenging business operations, disaster preparedness and survival strategies to minimize impact on their customers, employees, and their business. In particular, this presentation aims to answer the following questions:
- Disaster Scenario: What business disruptions affected the MSMEs during the last five years?
- Impact: How did disasters affect their business?
- Duration of Disruption: How long was their business disrupted?
- Disaster Preparedness Strategies: What existing control measures and survival strategies did MSMEs put in place for their businesses?
- Support Programs and Projects: Which agencies helped them in times of disasters? What kind of assistance did these agencies provide?
- Lessons Learned: What significant lessons did the MSMEs learn from these experiences?
This presentation is in line with the APEC Disaster Risk Reduction Framework which aims to build adaptive and resilient communities; and the Boracay Agenda to Globalize MSMEs which aims to foster MSME Business Continuity Planning and implementation to build sustainable and resilient businesses and communities. As such, the main objective of this presentation is to promote a culture of preparedness among MSMEs.