How much emergency food and water in the Philippines?

Short answer. The Philippines' Office of Civil Defense (OCD) asks every household to keep an emergency "Go Bag" with "easy-to-serve, ready-to-eat food enough for three days" and drinking water in sealed containers, and to check and replenish it every three months ¹. OCD Region XI adds that each family member should have their own Go Bag ². No official litres-per-person figure was found.

How many days of supplies does the OCD recommend?

Three days of food. The national list asks for "easy-to-serve, ready-to-eat food enough for three days" ¹. This is the only quantity stated in the official list; other items carry no quantity ¹.

How much water should I store?

The OCD list asks for "drinking water in sealed containers" but gives no volume ¹. Phaenyx found no official Philippine figure in litres per person per day. For figures used by other agencies and the reasoning behind them, see How much water per person per day?. For containers and treatment, see /guides/water-storage-containers and /guides/water-purification.

Does each person need a separate bag?

Yes, according to OCD Region XI, as relayed by the City Government of Davao: "You should have one Go Bag for each individual, for the wife, each for the children" ².

How often should the Go Bag be checked?

Every three months: the bag should be checked and its contents replenished ¹. See /guides/food-shelf-life for rotation.

What goes in the Go Bag?

The national list covers important documents in a waterproof container, a flashlight, candles, matches and a whistle, a radio with extra batteries, a first aid kit with maintenance drugs, spare cash including coins, items for young and older family members, ready-to-eat food, sealed drinking water, mobile phones with power banks and chargers, clothing and sanitary supplies, sleeping bags and blankets, and ropes, old newspapers and strong eco bags ¹. OCD Region XI adds maps and identification cards, a survival army knife and a personal hygiene kit ². The complete list is on the kit page.

Where does the official list come from?

The national list is an OCD Facebook post of 24 July 2021, relayed by PTV News on 25 July 2021 ¹. The OCD website could not be read by automated tools, so no checklist page on it was consulted. The OCD runs the Go Bag campaign on a recurring basis, and July is National Disaster Resilience Month ³.

How do I adapt it to my household?

The official list asks for items covering the special needs of young and older family members ¹. For children, older people and people on regular medication, see /guides/vulnerable-people and /guides/infant-supplies. For a longer horizon than three days, see /guides/two-week-supplies; typhoon-specific steps are in /guides/hurricane-preparedness.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Philippine Go Bag a 72-hour kit?

It holds food for three days ¹. See /guides/72-hour-kit for how that compares with other countries.

How much water per person in the Philippines?

No official figure was found. The OCD asks only for drinking water in sealed containers ¹.

Should children have their own Go Bag?

Yes. OCD Region XI advises one Go Bag for each individual, including each child ².

Sources

1. PTV News (relaying an Office of Civil Defense Facebook post of 24 July 2021) — What's in a 'go bag'? — https://ptvnews.ph/whats-in-a-go-bag/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. City Government of Davao — Prepare go bags for disaster – OCD XI — https://davaocity.gov.ph/disaster-risk-reduction-mitigation/prepare-go-bags-for-disaster-ocd-xi/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Office of the President (text via LawPhil) — Executive Order No. 29, s. 2017 – National Disaster Resilience Month — https://lawphil.net/executive/execord/eo2017/eo_29_2017.html (accessed 2026-10-20)