SENATE President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda was alarmed by a report of the United Nations Children’s Fund that the Philippines has the most number of children displaced by storms and floods.

Based on the UNICEF’s report, the Philippines is at the epicenter of weather-related disasters, bearing the highest absolute number of child displacements at 9.7 million.

“While it is true that we are prone to disasters, our number of displaced children is also a function of our planning and our ability to ensure that our population stays within the limits of nature,” Legarda said.

“I call on all the local government units to ensure that their disaster preparedness can measure up to a standard that shows a deep and abiding concern for children’s rights, the reduction of their vulnerability, and their welfare before, during, and after natural disasters,” the senator added.

In terms of hazard, the Philippines ranks first for storms and third for floods in absolute numbers of children displaced, the report said.

It was also estimated that approximately 2.5 million children across the Philippines are at risk of being displaced by storm surges in the next 30 years.