ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the roles of national and local governments in disaster risk reduction and management with reference to the academic literature as well as international, national and local legal frameworks. It explores whether the Philippine national and local governments performed the mandated roles adequately in the case of Typhoon Yolanda and its aftermath. The literature on governance links human security, development, poverty and resilience, especially in the context of disasters. Governments at the national and local levels, thus, have a primary role to play in disaster governance. Aid allocation is never neutral due to the volume of goods available for distribution at any one time. The allocation of goods often reflects the administrative limitations and preferences of the donors as well as that of local officials who sometimes have a tendency to prioritise their allies and their communities. Patronage and clientelism were also evident in resettlement areas.
