Enhancing Collective Actions for Young People in Guinayangan towards Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (Eco-DRRM)

Summary

The municipality of Gunayangan is a typhoon and storm surge prone area. It was mentioned that the different disaster events such as the 2006 typhoon Milenyo and 2012 January flooding in the area caused tremendous socioeconomic and psychosocial impacts in the community. As the municipality is prone to disaster, since the passage of the DRRM Republic Act 2010, the community risk, community planning and the role of different sectors and local government units in dealing with risk reduction have been recognised as key factors to build resilient communities. In July 2012 to June, 2014, YKBI implemented an eco-DRRM project with the support/partnership and funds from ChildFund Philippines, ChildFund Australia and AusAid. This project aimed to increase the capacities of stakeholders and communities against disaster hazards.

Activities based on the original proposal include:

  1. Organising and Training Workshop
    • Organising of children and youth
    • DRRM training of children, youth, LGU partners and DepEd officials
    • Participatory planning of children and youth, LGU partners together with DepEd officials
  2. Workshop on the development of information, education and communication (IEC) materials
  3. Consultation meeting of children and youth in the community together with LGU partners and DepEd officials for the implementation of DRRM
  4. Providing support to the protection and conservation of presidential proclamation 295 or the Maulawin Spring Protected Landscape
  5. The project will coordinate with to schools to ensure that some DRRM activities are done through school-based settings and part of the child friendly schools principles

Process

There was collective engagement and partnerships with authorities (local officials and municipal department heads), youth, and parent associations in the eco-DRRM project implementation. The Eco-DRRM project actively engaged local stakeholders, including decision-makers, policy-makers, and various actors. A DRRM technical working group (TWG) was organised, composed of MLGU unit heads and key officials of the municipality. This working group served as the MDRRM council and has contributed a lot to DRRM initiatives. DRRM through the TWG resulted in: - Utilisation of LDRRM funds to support the DRR activities at barangay level - The MLGU of Guinayangan scaled out the DRRM project to the 11 barangays not covered by the YKBI programming. - Youth representation has increased in the MDRRMC and BDRRMCs - Local Chief Executive (LCE) increased appreciation and understanding on DRRM. The MDRRMO Officer, Budget Officer, MPDO Officer, who were participants of the YDRRM capacity building, served as trainers in facilitating the DRRM software in the communities, orientation and consultation with LGU/Barangay Council/Committees, School Principals and Government Agencies including DA, DAR, CENRO, PENRO, DepEd District Supervisors, Division Superintendent on DRRM. Provincial and Regional DRR and climate change adaptation actors were tapped to provide technical support, such as for emergency response training, and early warning systems, among others. The YKBI also secured seedlings by linking with the Department of Natural Environment and Resources (DENR) and engaging in cash-for-work programmes in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). As a result, community members felt that LGUs provide them a better public service, particularly in minimising the hazards and risks in the area. Local officials have become more active in information dissemination during disaster preparedness and response. The MLGU, led by Mayor Cesar Jay Isaac III, committed to prioritise DRRM. In his leadership, the YKBI’s DRRM project was replicated to the rest of the 54 barangays, and allocated LDRRM funds for construction of a safe evacuation centre, improving their local database system e.g. CBMS. The sense of ownership in the implementation of DRR in different barangays is high among the local government unit as inspired by the eco-DRRM project model.
People with special needs were considered in the eco-DRRM project model. The group of people with special needs were recognised as one of the important stakeholders of the eco-DRRM project model. Such good practices ensured that the eco-DRRM processes and the implementation of the DRR framework are inclusive of persons with special needs, their experiences and perspective at all levels and in each different sector.
There are some activities that were implemented that are not included in the original plan but still supports in the attainment on the objectives of the project. These include: - Formation of Municipal Eco-DRRM Technical Working Group (Eco-DRRM TWG). - Organisation of the Theatre Advocacy Group.

Impact

The Eco-DRRM project is a platform for advocacy. With its more than P8 million funding, it was implemented over the course of 3 years. The workshops and trainings enabled the stakeholders to develop and enhance knowledge, skills and attitude towards DRRM; become aware of what to do before, during and after disasters; and gain self-confidence and develop the love for the environment. These activities involved multi-sectoral approaches in the locality. The TWG has been a platform for advocacy. Advocacy translated into the utilisation of LDRRM funds to support the DRR activities at the barangay level. The MLGU of Guinayangan has scaled out the DRRM project to the remaining 36 barangays not covered by the YKBI programme. A theatre advocacy group contributed to increasing knowledge and awareness of the communities on disaster preparedness, environmental care, and protection. Youth leaders represented their sector in the BLGU and MLGU councils, providing local councils with the opportunity to better understand the role of the youth in the development process of society. Youth were trained on DRR, PCRVA, emergency response, and advocacy. Some of the youth leaders were able to join the learning exchange visit of other Asian countries. These youth were then involved in rolling out their learning in the community, mobilising themselves as facilitators in risk analysis and assessment workshops, and peer mentoring on disaster preparedness. Youth also developed the IEC materials for the community and were capacitated to have skills on sign language, as a milestone for the community was to become more PWD inclusive. MLGU Unit Heads and staff also participated in the capacity building. The organisation of the eco-DRRM TWG paved the way to accommodate youth representatives to the council as part of the decision-making body. This also allowed for youth representation in the BLGU level. The TWG is still active, though the project ended in 2014. The eco-DRRM implementation process involved community participation as mentioned. All stages of the project, including the situational analysis, decisions, planning, and operationalisation went through a consultation process, and hence, the eco-DRRM project has been recognised and received high acceptability by the community. The sense of being involved and ownership was high. 54 barangays had PCRVA; 1 theatre group was organised and actively disseminated information; 54 DRR and contingency plans were developed at the barangay level, while 1 DRR preparedness and 1 contingency plan were also developed through the project.
The constituents feel that the LGU provides them a better public service particularly in minimising the hazards and risks in the area. Local officials have become more active in information dissemination during disaster preparedness and response. The community has become a partner of the MLGU, hence the quick and prompt response relative to DRR. The MLGU can confidently emphasise the readiness of the community residents in times of disaster. After Typhoon Glenda, Guinayangan reported zero casualties.

Other

DRR capacity should be strengthened at the community level. The strengthening of community resilience is a major outcome of the project. Since communities are major beneficiaries, it is recommended that follow-up capacity-building activities be strengthened at this level. It has been demonstrated by YKBI through pilot community involvement (eco-scout) that collaboration can enhance community participation. It has been recommended that DRR be extended to more communities; hence the youth-led model can be adopted for all new projects.