Natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, have become a persistent reality rather than isolated events. While some studies note fluctuations in seismic activity over time, global reporting systems have shown a significant rise in documented natural disaster impacts, mainly due to improved monitoring and increased vulnerability of communities and businesses. According to Statista, the Philippines remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with over one million Filipinos displaced by natural disasters in 2024 and the nation experiencing an average of 20 earthquakes every single day due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. This trend reinforces the need for organisations to rethink how they approach resilience—specifically through robust technology, process, and people strategies.
Technology: Building resilient infrastructure in an unpredictable world
Modern businesses must assume that natural disruptions are now part of the operational landscape. Earthquake bulletins shared by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)’ in January 2026 show continuous seismic activity across multiple regions, with dozens of low-magnitude events recorded daily by the Philippine Seismic Network. Hosting critical systems in the cloud—ranging from enterprise applications to data repositories—ensures both redundancy and high availability. Cloud platforms offer distributed architecture across multiple geographic regions, meaning that even if a primary region becomes inaccessible due to a natural event, services can seamlessly fail over to a secondary site.
Equally essential is the inclusion of cloud based backup and disaster recovery systems. Cloud snapshots, offsite replication, and automated failover processes help minimise downtime and data loss. The Philippines’ position along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire reinforces the urgent need for cloud-centric resilience strategies, especially as the country is considered one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations according to global risk assessments.
Backup connectivity is now also a prerequisite rather than an option. Satellite internet, mobile broadband, and portable communication devices allow organisations to maintain connectivity even when terrestrial networks fail. Lessons from past seismic disruptions in Cebu and Davao show that traditional connectivity infrastructures often become intermittent or unusable during natural disasters like strong earthquakes, validating the need for mobility driven communication systems.
Process: Business continuity requires a full organisation mindset
Technology alone cannot guarantee continuity. Effective Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and IT Disaster Recovery Planning (IT DRP) must be treated as organisation wide responsibilities—not merely IT functions. This is supported by research emphasising that business continuity plans must address broad operational processes including supply chains, workforce arrangements, and customer-facing functions. IBM highlights that BCPs and DRPs serve distinct but complementary roles: BCP ensures the continuation of critical business functions, while DRP focuses specifically on
restoring IT systems. Their effectiveness relies heavily on leadership alignment, cross-functional involvement, and organisation wide participation.
A well-defined BCP and DRP should document all essential components of business operations—from risk assessments to recovery point objectives—and specify actions needed to sustain operations through various disruptors. Internal documentation reinforces this need, noting that annual DRP reviews aligned with hazard maps, such as PHIVOLCS ACER, are necessary to keep business strategies current with evolving risks.
Moreover, these plans must be tested regularly—ideally at least annually—to ensure their relevance and viability. Validating backup sites and assessing service-level performance of internet and firewall systems, demonstrate that such drills are indispensable for operational readiness.
Processes should also include a structured communication plan for employee welfare checks. A call tree system, for example, ensures that teams can account for staff safety during an earthquake or similar crisis. Communication frameworks must activate instantly using redundant channels such as emergency hotlines and backup messaging apps.
People: Empowering teams to withstand operational shocks
Technology and processes cannot operate without people—and disasters test human capacity more than any other element. Studies show that individuals naturally prioritise the welfare of their families before their professional responsibilities during crises. Science News notes that people worldwide consistently place family wellbeing above their own, explaining why employees may be unreachable for extended periods during emergencies. Organisations should therefore plan for at least three days of limited staff availability, ensuring that critical systems can continue running autonomously during this window.
This requires building IT teams with redundancy and cross coverage. A one-person deep IT structure is a major operational risk. Forming resilient teams with overlapping competencies ensures that if one member is unavailable, operations can still continue. Assigning clear roles and regular crisis management exercises is essential to reinforce team readiness.
Equally important is training employees across the organisation to work remotely using available collaboration and productivity tools. Remote readiness where onsite presence became impossible yet business operations still had to continue.
Finally, calamities often trigger increased cyberattacks. Threat actors exploit crises—launching phishing attempts disguised as relief efforts or urgent financial assistance. Business continuity guidelines emphasise maintaining heightened vigilance during such events and leveraging backup communication and security protocols to reduce exposure.
Conclusion
Earthquakes and natural disasters are no longer rare disruptions—they are recurring realities that organisations must consistently anticipate. A resilient IT ecosystem demands the right blend of technology, process, and people strategies. With the rising frequency and financial impact of disasters globally, reinforced by national and international data, it is clear that BCP and IT DRP are no longer optional documents sitting on shelves; they are critical components for business survival. For companies like P&A Grant Thornton and organisations across the Philippines, investing in resilience today ensures operational continuity, protects employees, safeguards clients, and strengthens the capacity to thrive amid tomorrow’s uncertainties.
As published in The Manila Times, dated 11 February 2026
