The Cebu Provincial Government expects to complete its climate and disaster risk assessment by July 2026, providing a baseline for land use and development decisions aimed at reducing disaster impacts from climate hazards and earthquakes.
Current Progress
Elizar Sabinay Jr. of the Cebu Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) announced on Wednesday, June 10, that the Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) is 80 percent complete. The remaining 20 percent involves data analysis. The CDRA is a methodology prescribed by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
“It’s new because it talks about the impact of climate change, projection of the impact of climate change and the disaster as well,” Sabinay said.
Guiding Land Use
The assessment will guide future zoning and building parameters. “With the CDRA, it will give you an idea, and identify which area needs for you to have a settlement, which area you should avoid,” Sabinay explained. Baricuatro added that the Province will share the plan once it is complete.
This statement followed a query about the Province’s proactive measures for a potential major earthquake, after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned on June 9 that the Central Cebu Fault System could generate a magnitude 7.2 to 7.5 earthquake, causing Intensity 8 ground shaking.
Understanding CDRA
According to DHSUD, CDRA is a methodology to understand and assess potential hazard impacts on people and property. It goes beyond conventional risk assessment by incorporating climate-related hazards and projected impacts. The United States Agency for International Development, through the Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity Project, collaborated with DHSUD to develop a CDRA training module, which includes instructions, references, and templates. DHSUD plans to convert the module into an online platform for broader accessibility.
Addressing Data Gaps
The Province began its internal mapping project in September 2025. Sabinay noted that the lack of a consolidated data repository delayed the March 2026 completion target, as the team had to gather information from various state agencies individually. To accelerate local rollout, the PPDO and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will conduct workshops for municipal and city governments from June 22 to 26, grouping them into batches of 10.
The mapping outputs will update comprehensive land use plans and the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan, which guides annual investment and infrastructure budgets.
Outdated Maps
Sabinay said existing environmental maps have become obsolete due to erratic weather. He cited the November 2025 flooding in Metro Cebu after Typhoon Tino, which brought heavy rain and affected areas not marked flood-prone in a 2023 Department of Environment and Natural Resources map. “That DENR map would no longer be used as valid,” he stated.
Unlike earlier initiatives focusing on post-disaster action plans, CDRA uses datasets to project future risks over a 10- to 12-year period. “With CDRA, it’s really assessing the impact of climate change and the disasters either currently happening or projected that will happen in Cebu,” Sabinay said.
Leading the Region
Cebu Province is the first in Central Visayas to near completion of the assessment, while Bohol has started its work. The initiative is handled by an in-house team of provincial engineers and architects to avoid costly outsourcing. “Right now, we’re doing it. If we outsource it, that costs a lot,” Sabinay noted.
Of the 50 component cities and municipalities under Cebu Province, only 24 have updated or approved land use plans. Sabinay said the Province is incorporating CDRA into planning revisions for the remaining 26 local governments to ensure compliance with zoning restrictions, including limits on private developments in no-build zones.
He emphasized that natural hazards cannot be stopped, but human disasters can be prevented through planning compliance. “That can be prevented by just having and following what is mentioned in the CDRA,” he concluded.
