Destroyed house after Ondoy,  covered with garbage.

A social contract considers these non-negotiables as a way of drawing the bottom lines in terms of what society can and must do, and what it cannot and must not do, to manage and respond effectively and appropriately to disaster events.

Rebuilding homes in same area after a destructive flashflood.

The location and natural conditions of the Philippines make it highly vulnerable to natural hazards. The country's history is marked by disaster events, and the frequency and severity of these events is rising. Often, people point to environmental degradation as the cause of disaster. Some conclude that deforestation due to illegal logging was the cause of the floods. Indeed, unsustainable exploitation of the environment has an adverse impact on the stability of ecosystems but is not the sole reason for disasters. Natural conditions predispose certain areas to particular hazards. Development projects and human settlement patterns that do not consider appropriate resource use and management can aggravate the situation and increase vulnerability and risk.

Some call the 1990s the decade of disaster, with destructive floods, a volcanic eruption and a major earthquake happening within the first five years in the country. But in recent years, disaster events have also taken their toll, forcing both national and local government to grapple with the causes of these disasters and with questions of how to effectively plan and respond to these events.

At the national level, there are structures that deal with disaster and policies that mandate local governments to prepare and implement disaster preparedness plans. However, local disaster management plans often fall short in terms of laying down specific strategies and in terms of implementation.

At the personal and community level, taking part in the social contract involves an active interest to understand the physical landscape and past disaster events to explore how the landscape, such as mountain slopes, rivers, activities in the forests, is affecting the wellbeing and the welfare of the community and larger society.

The social contract is not a formal written agreement as such, and it is not the product of a one-time discussion or engagement. Rather, it involves a process of learning from past experiences and making the necessary changes in attitudes and actions and sustaining dialogue to enhance human security. A social contract is an agreement that stakeholders must collectively negotiate and must be committed to pursue.

One could say that this contract is one-sided as there is the inability of the natural environment to negotiate, leaving humans with the responsibility to respond appropriately. But nature has long set its terms, and the impact of natural events and their transformation into disasters are defined by the decisions and actions of people.

Towns and cities previously hit by flooding and landslides are picking up the pieces, rebuilding their communities and setting in place the plans to respond to future crises. For other areas that recognize their vulnerability to future disasters, the question is when and where the impact will occur, and how to respond.

It is not enough to have "plans on paper" as difficult decisions need to be made now, not when disaster has struck. And these decisions and the will to pursue and animate these decisions are lodged in the social contract that must be negotiated collectively.

Key elements in this social contract are already emerging through various levels of implementation in some local governments and communities. These include:

• Realistic zoning and land allocation by improving disaster management and refining disaster preparedness plans, with clear and defined roles and responsibilities
• Integrated post-disaster zoning and land use planning, rehabilitation and reconstruction with better infrastructure
• Understanding and integrating the physical and social context of the area through geo-hazard maps that will identify particular areas prone to specific hazards and areas safe for housing and other infrastructure
• Updating and resurveying of landscape maps and river paths that changed dramatically
• Identification of safe evacuation and relocation sites, communication and medical facilities, roads and bridges
• Rethinking human settlements for a growing population in a limited land area, the safe land allocation that must be made available for the poor, and ensuring proximity of relocation areas to livelihood sources
• Sustainable land and water management practices
• Bringing to justice those who must be made accountable for illegal and unsustainable resource extraction in forests, quarry areas, river beds
• Information support to local governments and communities and assistance in local policy formulation and implementation and land use planning
• Building local government capacity and accountability in disaster relief management

In all of these elements, the most critical is establishing and enhancing stakeholder relations, coordination, and networking, as a social contract cannot be struck without the coordinated response of the main stakeholders in a community. Often, there is a history of aggravation that fosters a lack of trust in local government. This lack of credibility is usually a main factor in areas where the links between local governments, local civil society, the church and religious groups, and communities are weak. The social contract is hinged on the strength of these relationships and on the commitment of these stakeholders to work together and translate the social contract into action.

The basis for a social contract is that the present situation is unacceptable, is untenable, and must be changed. And it is in this simple reality that Philippine society is challenged to prove that it has the capacity to care, and the ability to use this care to think and act towards disaster resiliency.