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Drought portal - Knowledge resources on integrated drought management

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Philippines

HISTORICAL DROUGHT – The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia, consisting of 7 107 islands, encompassing a total land area of about 299 764 square kilometers. Significant bodies of water surround the country: to the east, the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean; to the west and north, the South China Sea; and to the south, the Celebes Sea, along with the coastal waters of Borneo. The Philippines is highly vulnerable to drought, impacting human and natural systems. Historically, there have been 12 recorded droughts in the country from 1968 to the present, occurring every 3 to 7 years. A reduction of rainfall of 21–60% for three or more consecutive months indicates a dry spell or drought in the Philippines. One prevalent type of drought in the Philippines is agricultural drought, which severely impacts crop production. From 1980 to 2020, the country recorded losses of approximately 20 million metric tons due to agricultural drought (M. Valete, Philippine Space Agency, 2023). In addition to agricultural drought, the country can experience meteorological and hydrological droughts (Wilhite and Glantz, 1985). The most recent drought in the Philippines, one of the five strongest on record, is the 2023/24 El Niňo episode (NCCP, 2024).

Mali 1

DROUGHT IMPACT PATHWAY – Drought has significant economic, social, and environmental impacts in the Philippines, particularly affecting agriculture, water availability, economic activity, and public health. Very low rainfall caused by El Niño disrupts hydroelectric power generation, agricultural output, and water resources, leading to power outages, food shortages, and inflation. The economic consequences include agricultural job losses, reduced household incomes, and rural-to-urban migration. Socially, it results in malnutrition, especially among lactating mothers, poor sanitation, and rising poverty. Environmental degradation, such as soil moisture deficits, forest fires, and water scarcity, further intensifies these challenges.

 

Highlights of drought vulnerability dimensions

  • Total population is 109 million (2020)
  • 52% (60 million) of population is living in rural areas (2023)
  • Literacy rate (national) is 97% in 2023, a 1.2% increase since 2015
  • 97.1% female literacy rate compared to 96.8% male literacy rate
  • Life expectancy among females is 74 years, compared to 70 years for  males
  • Age distribution: 30.7% under 15; 63.9% 15-64; 5.4% 65+
  • National poverty incidence is 10.9% (2.99 million families) (2023)
  • Highest regional poverty incidence was recorded by Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), 24.2%; Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BARMM), 23.5%; and Negros Island Region (NIR), 22.6% (2023)
  • Existing gender disparities in access to credit/ insurance in rural areas
  • Women's well-being affected by stress from securing safe water and maintaining hygiene
  • Women in rural areas faced increased workload and health risks during energy shortages
  • Chronic energy deficiency (CED) prevalence among lactating mothers is 10.7% (2018–2019)

  • Agriculture (Agriculture, forestry, and fishing) comprises 9% of GDP (2023) and 23.2% of total employment (2023)
  • The top three regions that contributed the most to the agriculture sector are Central Luzon (13.9%), Northern Mindanao (10.4%), and Western Visayas (8.9%) (2023)
  • Rice, which is the food in the Philippines, is highly produced in Central Luzon, at 18.1% of total production, followed by Cagayan Valley, at 15.1%, and Western Visayas, at 11.3% (2023)  
  • In rural areas, around 60%–70% depend on agriculture for their livelihood
  • Informal employment is predominant in the agriculture sector, especially among smallholder farmers
  • Women have fewer agricultural assets (land and irrigation system)
  • 30.3% of employed men and 14.6% of employed women work in agriculture (2021)
  • Total electricity generation: 119 938 897 MWh (2023)
  • Total energy consumption by sector: Residential (36 968 GWh), Industrial (29 493 GWh), Commercial (26 236 GWh)
  • Installed electricity capacity from hydropower: 4 470 MW (2021)

  • 6.1m ha of agricultural land area, with up to 8% slope, is considered irrigable
  • Total service area provided with irrigation system reached 68.9% of the total irrigable area (2023)
  • 10 401 irrigation systems nationwide
  • Small Scale Irrigation Projects added 183 726 ha irrigated (Dec 2023)
  • 59 MW hydropower capacity added in 2023
  • Hydropower plants include: Kalayaan, Magat, Agus, Pulangi 4, Angat
  • 17% only of hydropower potential has been utilized
  • A 300 MW pumped storage hydropower station in Malay, Aklan, is in the planning and development stage; this will be the first pumped storage facility in the Philippines
  • The country has 15 large dams in operation, with a total water storage volume of 8.67 x 109 m3

  • The country has 14.5 million (M) ha of agricultural land, with 6.2M located in Luzon, 3.1M in Visayas, and 5.2M in Mindanao
  • Agriculture regions with highest water deficits: Regions 1 and 3
  • From 2001 to 2023, the Philippines lost 1.47M ha of tree cover, 2% of which was caused by forest fires
  • There are 3 seasons: the hot dry season (March to May), the rainy season (June to November), and the cool dry season (December to February)
  • Average annual rainfall of 2 400 mm, the country receives about 146 billion m³ of freshwater each year
  • Temperatures typically range from 21°C (70°F) to 32°C (90°F)
  • There is high relative humidity due to high temperature and surrounding bodies of water
  • Average monthly relative humidity: 71% (March) to 85% (September)
  • It has 18 major river basins and 421 principal rivers
  • 145.9 billion cubic meters of annual freshwater resources (80% surface, 20% groundwater)
  • Groundwater aquifers cover an estimated 50 000 square kilometers of area
  • Groundwater contributes 14% of total water resources
  • Groundwater extraction potential: 20 200 MCM/year
  • 50% of the population relies on groundwater for drinking
  • 60% of groundwater extraction is unregulated
  • 86% of piped water systems use groundwater

  • The Philippines developed a National Drought Plan in 2019 (NDP) to improve drought risk management.
  • Various task forces have been created to address drought:  (a) The El Niño Task Force (2001) (b) The Inter-Agency Committee on Water Crisis Management (1986–1987) (c) National El Niño Team (NENT) (2023–2024).
  • Institutional laws and regulations related to water, drought, and drought risk management, disaster risk reduction, and climate change: Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act 10121) , The Climate Change Act of 2009, Executive Order No. 22, Series of 2023 (creation of WRMO), DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2024-065 (water monitoring consumption and water conservation awareness campaign).
  • The Department of Water Resources has been created to prioritise and elevate the issue of water resources management.
  • Plans related to drought risk management, disaster risk reduction, climate change: Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (NFSCC), Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs), and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).
  • Government agencies relevant to drought risk management under NENT: Food Security – Department of Agriculture; Water Security – Department of Health; Energy Security – Department of Energy; Health Security – Department of Health; Public Safety – Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
  • Key members of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council: Office of Civil Defense, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National economic and Development Authority.

 

ADRC. 2011. Country Report: Philippines. Hyogo, Asian Disaster Reduction Center. [Cited 24 September 2024]. https://www.adrc.asia/countryreport/PHL/2011/FY2011A_PHL_CR.pdf   

DA-BSWM and UNCCD. 2019. National Drought Plan for the Philippines. Quezon City, Department of Agriculture Bureau of Soils and Water Management and Bonn, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/country_profile_documents/1%2520FINAL_NDP_Philippines.pdf

International Journal on Hydropower and Dams. 2019. In: Philippines: Country Profile. Surrey, International Journal on Hydropower and Dams. [Cited 16 October 2024]. https://www.hydropower-dams.com/news/philippines-country-report/

IHA. 2022. 2022 Hydropower Status Report Sector: trends and insights. London, International Hydropower Association. [Cited 11 April 2024]. https://www.hydropower.org/publications/2022-hydropower-status-report

IHA. 2024. 2024 World Hydropower Outlook: Opportunities to Advance Net Zero. London, International Hydropower Association. [Cited 3 November 2024]. https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:6ba5f8fc-5ad3-4d52-a83c-0931ce5fa119

PAGASA. 2024. Climate Change in the Philippines. Quezon City, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. [Cited 24 September 2024]. https://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/information/climate-change-in-the-philippines

PSA. 2024. In: Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP). Quezon City, Philippine Statistics Agency. [Cited 16 October 2024]. https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/grdp

PSA. 2024. 2024 Selected Statistics on Agriculture and Fisheries. Quezon City, Philippine Statistics Agency. https://library.psa.gov.ph/cgi-bin/koha/opac-retrieve-file.pl?id=8e8f6c8208295eefde6c015a4bba7993

Valete, MAP. 2023. El Niño and Drought Management: The Case of the Philippines. Bangkok, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. [Cited 24 September 2024]. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/d8files/event-documents/Valete_UNESCAP_El%20Nino_V2_0_0.pdf   

Wilhite, D. Aa and Glantz, M. H. (985. Understanding the Drought Phenomenon: The Role of Definitions. Water International, 10(3): 111–120.

 

FOCUS on Vulnerability

Vulnerable sectors:
Agriculture, environment, renewable energy resources, health

Vulnerable population/people:
Agricultural households and communities, upland farmers, workers employed in agriculture, women in agriculture, rural population, poor people

Vulnerable areas/zones:
Agriculture area in North and Central Luzon; rural area relying on shallow and surface water; pasture lands, agriculture lands situated in slopes, farms and orchards without irrigation; areas heavily dependent on hydropower