The Philippine Archipelago occupies the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, a most active part of the earth characterized by an encircling belt of active volcanoes and fault lines. Typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common. Man-made disasters like bombing and armed conflict are not infrequent either.

The roles of the Disaster Management Services (DMS) are to provide relief in times of disasters and to carry on measures to minimize the suffering caused by them. Disaster preparedness is also a major component of its program that aims to prepare especially the vulnerable communities in the event of calamities.