After a string of powerful typhoons swept across the Philippines from September to November 2024: a father rebuilds, a grandmother provides, a man with disability survives days stranded on his roof. In the country’s southernmost island, amid conflict and compounding disasters, people continue to hope.
These are stories of survival and strength, from Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, and Mindanao, from communities supported by timely, dignified humanitarian aid.
Gathered through the EU Humanitarian Aid-funded ACCESS Project.
Contents:
A collection of stories on peace, progress, and recovery: a tribal community ending two decades of armed conflict, remote villages transformed by access to clean water, families rebuilding safer homes after a storm.
These stories of change were made possible through the ACCESS and BRIDGE projects, funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid.
Contents:
The recent El Niño event has severely impacted the Philippines, causing widespread drought, food shortages, and economic instability across several regions. In response, the Humanitarian Partnership Platform (HPP) has mobilized ten partner organizations to conduct rapid needs assessments and launch rapid response interventions to support affected communities.
Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) by HPP Partner Organizations
Cordillera Disaster Response Center & Development Services (CORDIS) conducted assessments in Kalinga province, revealing devastating impacts on agriculture and public health. In Barangay Tanglag, severe crop failures were reported across rice fields and vegetable farms, including mung beans and eggplants. The drought not only led to food shortages but also drastically reduced household incomes. Livestock and fishponds also suffered, compounding economic losses and food insecurity. Similar challenges were observed in Sitio Tomiangan and Dupag Proper, with significant agricultural losses and deteriorating health conditions among residents, including respiratory problems and fevers.
Tarabang Para sa Bikol (TABI) focused on Albay, where over 2,465 farmers across 1,838.75 hectares of land faced substantial yield losses in rice, corn, and high-value crops. The economic impact has been severe, with many farmers struggling under debt exacerbated by high production costs and reduced earnings. Immediate food aid is crucial to prevent further deterioration in nutritional health and economic stability among affected families.
Southern Tagalog People’s Response Center (STPRC)‘s assessments in Batangas highlighted critical food insecurity and economic hardships exacerbated by water scarcity and reduced agricultural yields. Reports show that families are rationing food supplies, prioritizing meals for children and the elderly. The closure of sugarcane mills has further exacerbated income losses, pushing vulnerable groups deeper into poverty.
The Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK) focused on Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental, where food insecurity and shelter issues have compounded challenges following recent floods and ongoing drought conditions. Many homes remain damaged, and residents are struggling with reduced access to food and safe shelter. Urgent relief efforts are needed to address these immediate needs and ensure the well-being of affected populations.
Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment and Development (ICRED) conducted assessments across Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union, revealing widespread agricultural devastation. Severe losses in corn, rice, and high-value crops have amounted to millions in damages, affecting thousands of families. Water shortages, dried up water sources, and disrupted farming activities have further heightened food security risks, necessitating immediate support for recovery and long-term resilience-building efforts.
Cebu-Bohol Relief and Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (CRRC) reported on the dire situation in Cebu City and neighboring municipalities, where drought conditions and multiple grassfires caused by El Nino have decimated crops and severely strained water resources. Critical water shortages have forced drastic measures, including rotational supply interruptions, affecting daily life for over 60,000 residents. The economic impact is profound, with many farmers losing their main source of income and facing heightened health risks due to extreme temperatures and limited access to medical services.
Mindanao-based HPP partner organizations Agri-Aqua Development Coalition (AADC) and Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs (MINCODE), provided insights into diverse impacts across Zamboanga City. On the other hand, Kalimudan sa Ranao Foundation, Inc. (KALIMUDAN) focused on El Nino affected communities in Lanao del Sur. From upland communities in Piagapo to lakeshore fishermen in Taraka, the assessments highlighted varying challenges faced by different ecological zones, underscoring the need for tailored response strategies to address local vulnerabilities effectively.
Voices from the Field: Stories of Struggle and Resilience
Farmers are facing severe hardships due to El Niño’s impacts. Their stories highlight the devastating agricultural losses, financial struggles, and deteriorating living conditions. Despite these challenges, their resilience and hope for community support shine through.
The Razon family of five, residing in Malinis, Lemery, Batangas faces severe hardships exacerbated by El Niño. The father, who suffered a stroke last November, can no longer contribute to the labor-intensive farm work, leaving the mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law to handle land preparation, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and quality control on their less-than-a-hectare farm. The son joins the father in negotiating and selling their produce to avoid unfair pricing. Despite spending PhP60,000 on their eggplant crop, not counting their labor, the intense drought has severely reduced their yield from over ten bags a week to just ten bags every two weeks, with a portion being unusable. “Our savings are totally depleted,” the mother shared, “and most of our income now goes towards my husband’s medication and check-ups, leaving little for food and other essentials.”
Ivy Ozeña, a 22-year-old pregnant mother residing in San Felix, Sto. Tomas, Batangas, faces dire challenges exacerbated by the ongoing dry season due to El Niño. Her husband’s income from farm labor has dwindled, forcing him to turn to charcoal-making, earning just enough to buy five kilograms of rice per week. “We eat less now to make sure our child and the baby get enough,” Ivy shared, highlighting the sacrifices they make amidst food scarcity. Despite these hardships, Ivy prioritizes her health, attending monthly pre-natal check-ups and planning for a safe childbirth with the support of a local lying-in facility and midwife.
Vangelen Salem, a 46-year-old rice and vegetable farmer from Zone-4, Libon, Albay, is struggling with the severe impacts of El Niño. “During the previous plantation, I harvested 123 sacks of rice from my 4-hectare land. However, this time, the scorching heat and intense sunlight brought by El Niño have wreaked havoc on my rice crops. It’s devastating to say that my yield this time is only 7 sacks,” Vangelen shared. The drought has stunted the growth of her rice plants, leading to significant losses in productivity. Not only has rice production been affected, but Vangelen’s vegetable and fruit cultivation, particularly watermelon, has also suffered. “The watermelons, which used to grow beautifully, have failed to reach their full potential this season. The relentless heat and limited water supply have hindered their development, resulting in smaller and underdeveloped watermelons,” she added.
The failing irrigation system, coupled with the soaring price of crude oil, has made it too costly to operate consistently, forcing Vangelen to abandon her rice field until the rains return. “We recently purchased crude oil to water the plants, hoping to aid their recovery. However, the plants have not fully recovered yet,” she noted. The prolonged drought continues to challenge Vangelen’s family, decreasing their income and food availability. The financial constraints and limited water supply further exacerbate the hardships faced by farmers like Vangelen. “It is my hope that the community extends their hands to farmers like me,” she expressed, hoping for support to overcome these difficult times.
Maria Salome Angco, a 57-year-old farmer and mother from Barangay Nangan, Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental, has faced devastating impacts on her livelihood due to subsequent natural disasters. “The damage to our livelihood has been severe. Our house was submerged when the continuous rains late last year caused the water to rise. My vegetable crops were destroyed, leaving us without a source of income. And now with this drought, nearly all my remaining vegetables died; where I used to harvest 10-15 kilos, I now get less than 2 kilos. My husband, who is a fisherman, has been catching little or no fish for more than seven months. When he does catch some, it’s barely enough for us to eat for a day. I just feel like crying because our situation is always like this, but my heart remains strong,” shared Nay Sally, reflecting on the dual challenges of flooding and drought that have decimated their crops and drastically reduced fish catch.
Despite these adversities, Nay Sally, a founder of Agraryong Reporma Samahang Kababaihan (ARSK), continues to champion women’s leadership in her community. She remains hopeful, emphasizing the support she has received from fellow women farmers and community leaders: “The help I received from my fellow women and the community has been significant; I learned a lot from them, and they also help me. Some people can’t believe that a woman can do the work of farming, but I’ve shown them that I can.”
Rapid Response Efforts: Delivering Lifesaving Aid
To address the dire needs identified in the assessments, HPP’s partner organizations have initiated rapid relief operations, delivering essential supplies to the most affected communities:
Citizens’ Disaster Response Center’s local partner Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR) targeted 909 households across 21 fishing and farming communities in Aklan, Iloilo, and Capiz. Each household received 15 kilograms of rice, providing critical food support amid the ongoing drought. This rice distribution is vital, as it serves as the primary staple, and local production has been severely curtailed by the drought.
In Iloilo, Citizens’ Disaster Response Center’s local partner Center for People’s Resources and Services (CPRS) reached 700 individuals with a comprehensive aid package, including 15 kg of rice, miswa, mung beans, and biscuits. These distributions took place in Brgy. Salvacion Hda. Maasin & Purok Tumpok, Brgy. Blumentritt, and Brgy. E Lopez in Silay City, and Brgy. Bacong, Brgy. Busay, Brgy. Balingasag, and Brgy. Calumangan in Bago City. The varied contents of these packages aim to address both immediate hunger and nutritional needs.
TABI provided support to 514 vulnerable families in Pio Duran, Polangui, and Ligao in Albay, with each family receiving 25 kg of rice. In Pio Duran, the distribution focused on barangays La Medalla, Buenavista, Banawan, and Lawinon, where families were in urgent need of food supplies. Polangui’s aid targeted communities like Cotnogan, Balinad, and Itaran, while Ligao City saw distributions in Tambo and Basag, crucial in areas where local food production had collapsed due to the drought.
Looking ahead, CORDIS and CARE are preparing to distribute aid packages to 450 families in Kalinga, specifically Brgy Tanglag, Lubuagan; Brgy Allaguia, Pinukpuk; Brgy Limos, Pinukpuk; and Brgy Dupag, Tabuk. Each family will receive 60 kg of rice, 5 cans of sardines, 2 liters of cooking oil, and 1 kilogram of sugar. These packages are designed to sustain families for an extended period, providing not just staple foods but also essential cooking supplies.
Urgent Needs and Recommendations
Based on these Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA), the HPP has identified urgent needs and recommended targeted interventions to mitigate the ongoing crisis:
Enabling Locally Led Responses
The Humanitarian Partnership Platform (HPP) prioritizes locally led responses that empower communities to rebuild and strengthen resilience against future climatic shocks. Through close collaboration with local stakeholders and leveraging community knowledge, the platform not only addresses immediate challenges but also forwards suggested solutions for longer-term recovery.
The HPP demonstrates effective coordination and solidarity in responding to the El Niño crisis in the Philippines. Through thorough assessments, rapid response initiatives, and targeted interventions, the HPP is committed to upholding the dignity and well-being of affected populations. These efforts aim to lay the groundwork for sustainable recovery and resilience-building efforts across the regions.
About the Humanitarian Partnership Platform
Established in 2016, the Humanitarian Partnership Platform (HPP) serves as a collaborative hub for its members, facilitating timely exchanges, fostering collaboration, and enhancing capacity development. The HPP manages an Emergency Response Fund (ERF) designed with streamlined processes, minimal bureaucratic requirements, and expedited approvals. This responsive mechanism enables partners to swiftly conduct assessments and distribute aid to communities in need.
Comprising fourteen organizations nationwide, the HPP includes eleven women-led organizations, one international NGO, two women’s rights organizations, and four member organizations identified as a coalition or network of CSOs. The platform operates under a governance structure co-developed through peer nomination and volunteering, ensuring inclusive decision-making and effective operational management. For more information on the HPP, reach out to the HPP Secretariat at philippinepartnershipplatform@gmail.com.
by CorDisRDS, Inc.
The Cordillera Disaster Response & Development Services Inc (CorDisRDS Inc.) is a non-government organization providing disaster response and community development services to the communities of Cordillera Provinces: Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and Baguio City. Their main activities include facilitating assistance to disaster-affected communities and helping in the distribution of relief assistance, giving training and seminars to capacitate community and people’s organization leaders and their members.
Support given by CARE:
CorDis-RDS is the local partner of CARE Philippines in implementing INCREASE project in Mountain Province. INCREASE or Increasing the Resilience to Natural Hazards aims to increase the resilience of
45,000 women and men small-scale farmers and fishers, including 720 extreme poor female-headed households, to natural hazards and the effects of climate change.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CARE Philippines and CorDis-RDS, has provided personal protective equipment to municipal local government units (MLGUs) and sacks of rice as a relief to communities in Barlig and Natonin, Mountain Province.
COVID-19 information materials were also distributed in the areas to promote preventive measures against the coronavirus
The Problem
What has been your experience since the COVID-19 pandemic started?
The CorDis-RDS team has experienced challenges in reaching the communities because of travel restrictions. Before community quarantine was implemented, the team would spend 2 weeks in INCREASE areas where they would visit 4 barangays in two municipalities. But because of the pandemic, they had to cut their field work short to one and a half week covering three barangays. Since then, they were not able to go back to these communities.
According to Liza Lomong-ey, CorDis-RDS Field Officer, “Since the declaration of enhanced community quarantine in March 2020, it has been so stressful because the team was not able to personally reach partner communities and local government units (LGUs) in this trying time and we have not implemented activities for almost 6 months and are confined within our homes and office due to the safety protocols being implemented.”
How have you adapted operations to reach your beneficiaries?
The pandemic has heightened the importance of network-building, especially on the ground, in implementing emergency response and development projects. While faced with travel restrictions, the team has worked on strengthening their relationship with people’s organizations and LGUs so they can understand the evolving needs of the communities.
Liza mentioned, “Communication between INCREASE team and partner LGUs was sustained through constant updating and coordination via phone calls and text messages. From constant updating with MLGUs and partner BLGUs, COVID responses in Natonin and Barlig namely the provision of PPES and rice assistance were implemented. This was made possible through building partnerships with LGUs and their willingness to implement such.”
It is also important to keep the response strategy adaptive to the changing situations in the communities. For example, Barlig and Natonin are in the same province but follow different process in implementing relief distribution.
Liza shared, “The distribution of PPEs and sacks of rice were implemented by the municipal disaster risk reduction officer. Particular for the PPEs in Barlig and Natonin, it was channeled to the PDRRM office which was later fetched personally by Barlig MDRRM officer together with the PPEs for Natonin. Likewise, the rice distribution in the municipality was implemented under the supervision of Barlig Mayor’s office and MDRRM officer. In Natonin, the distribution was implemented directly by partner BLGUs.”
Since face-to-face interaction was not possible for CorDis-RDS team, they have supplemented the efforts of the LGUs with localized communication materials. This way, the communities would have reference materials for long term preventive measures as a community against COVID-19.
“We were also able to reach our partners through sending a localized IEC material on reminders for COVID 19 to 6 communities in Natonin and a minimal copy of COVID flyers (long term measures) to selected LGUs in the municipality,” said Liza.
What has been the ‘word on the ground’?
Community lockdowns were implemented by the government, limiting people’s movement and livelihood options. This has negatively affected their income as several businesses have closed either temporarily or permanently. A lot of people have lost their jobs, while farmers couldn’t reach market places to sell their produce because of the travel ban.
Liza said, “INCREASE areas in Mountain Province are affected by this COVID pandemic in terms of economic aspect. Their livelihood is affected due to protocols on public transportation and transport of goods.”
How do you think the typhoon season is going to affect operations?
Operating in disaster-prone areas, CorDis-RDS team is used to shifting to emergency response whenever it is needed. However, this means that the regular activities being implemented for INCREASE project will have to be re-strategized so it can be pushed through in an efficient manner.
Liza shared her worries about the typhoon season, “The implementation of planned activities in two partner municipalities will surely be affected this last quarter of the year if there will be typhoons that will hit Northern Luzon. Some planned activities will not be implemented, the main reason is accessibility/ road cuts given the location of Natonin and Barlig which is mountainous in nature which is also prone to landslides and erosion. In addition, Cordis will surely shift to emergency mode wherein all pending activities and office works will be set aside for the meantime.”
Do you think you can weather the storm?
“The team together with partner communities must weather the storm, not literally, but to adjust on whatever the plan and activities are and to strictly follow LGU protocols in this pandemic period,” said Liza.
CorDis-RDS team understands that increasing resilience to natural hazards is much more needed in a pandemic. Preventive actions to protect self and others should be observed while planning for or experiencing disasters. Being fully informed of these measures and strengthening the capacities of the local actors are their best way to weather the storm
by: Leyte Center for Development, Inc. (LCDE)
Responding to the unique needs of women and girls
Food, water, and medicine are limited during and after a crisis. In a household where resources are limited, women are usually the ones to eat the least amount of food because they sacrifice their share for their husband and children. Women and girls, being more vulnerable during and after disasters, have needs that should be considered in designing and implementing multipurpose cash transfers (MPCT). Therefore, their involvement is important to ensure that the MPCT actually addresses their and those of their families and communities’ needs, challenges, and opportunities.
In the Typhoon Kammuri response led by CARE together with Leyte Center for Development Inc in the early months of 2020f, MPCT has involved women from the design phase of the distribution process. Each household was given the opportunity to decide which family member should be registered and receive cash transfers on behalf of the household. In these cases, women were as likely to receive the MPCT as men. Because of this, the usual tension on financial decision-making upon the receipt of the cash was reduced, as the registered names in the distribution list came from and owned by the household. Women will then have a voice on where to allocate the cash.
Prior to the distribution of the MPCT, the community, especially women, has also received complimentary training sessions on Build Back Safer and hygiene and sanitation. Build Back Safer which involves lessons on carpentry, usually gathers men as participants because carpentry is traditionally considered as men’s work. However, since women were encouraged to come, they have attended and realized that they can also do such work. This has also been useful for men participants to be aware that women can also do other roles. Women have also reported that they appreciate such sessions because they served as a safe space so they can share their experiences and learn from one another. It is also important for the women to have learned handwashing measures that they can share with their children at home. This has proven that complementing MPCT with learning sessions raise awareness on disrupting gender roles among men and women in the community.
Women supporting women
Most volunteers during the distribution of water kits and MPCT were women. Their initiative comes from the sense of responsibility they have towards their community.
In one barangay, a woman leader in an organization ensured that people in her community are informed if there is a disaster coming. Without her, people at-risk might have not been able to prepare or evacuate their area since information dissemination is a challenge in the area because of limited cellular signal. This leader has also expressed the need to revive the women’s organization to have more activities that could benefit the community and to access basic services collectively.
To save time, effort, and resources, women and men who collected the cash took the opportunity to buy their needs on the same day of the distribution, since the distribution sites are near market places. Due to lockdown measures by the government, pregnant women and the elderly were not allowed to go outside. Their women neighbors, then, offered to buy their needs for them. This sense of solidarity among women has been more evident in times of disaster and pandemic. Safety issues due to the distance from the distribution site and their communities were reduced when women self-organized to go together to protect one another.
Women protecting other women has also been true in Brgy. Magsaysay. Josefina, 68, is a farmer whose income has also been affected by the pandemic. Because some of her farm produce were not sold due to travel ban, she shared them to her neighbors since she knows that a lot of families in her community are suffering from hunger. She has also visited houses of women to talk to them to make sure that they are safe. This has given these women psychosocial support. In times of extreme experiences brought by a disaster and pandemic, it is likely that people feel fearful and anxious. Mental health and psychosocial support is a clearly-identified need, and therefore, doubly crucial.
Although the COVID-19 Pandemic has exerted multiple shocks all over the globe and on all types of communities, certain populations remain the most vulnerable.
Nanay Guillerma, 56, is a mother of five children. She works as a cook at a small, local canteen. Luckily, her employers were quite considerate to workers like her, even extending some supplies to help underscored needs amidst a struggling economy, especially when limited by the pandemic measures and guidelines in the country. However, this does not mean that Nanay Guillerma is confident enough to say she can make ends meet for her and her family.
With all five of her kids at home sue to school closures and age, age limitations on people allowed outside of their home, and the implementation of online learning, it is indubitable that her load of unpaid care and domestic work has significantly increased, not to mention, she is a single mother. Forced to undergo distance learning to continue school, her children are not only dealing with the transition to learning lessons at home and online but have also seemingly reached a cul-de-sac. Out of five siblings, four of Nanay Guillerma’s children need to attend school through online or digital mediums, but Nanay Guillerma’s family only has two cell phones available. They have no other gadgets that may be used for academics purposes.
“Kapag natatanong [ng guro] yung bunso ko kung bakit hindi siya nakakapasok, ang nasasagot na lang niya ay ‘cell phone, Ma’am. Wala.’”
[“There are times when my youngest gets asked [by teachers] why there are times that he is unable to attend online classes. All he can say is ‘Ma’am, we don’t have a cellphone.’”
With her income barely covering rent and other daily needs like food and supplies, Nanay Guillerma also constantly worries about her kids’ progress in school. She says that although her two older daughters are mature enough to adjust and cope, she regularly gets stressed out by the additional help her younger children need with school work. As an adaptive measure to a lack of gadgets, her kids’ teachers have encouraged her to at least assure that they can study and accomplish learning modules at home. However, Nanay Guillerma also worries about her capability to assist in academics especially when lessons in the curriculum begin to get more advanced, “hanggang first year high school lang naman ako,” she says. [“I also went to school only until my first year in high school.”] Moreover, she also has bad eyes and constantly finds it difficult to read and write without glasses, an item she does not even have on her person. This is one of the reasons she was accompanied by her daughter during the Together for Her Multipurpose Cash Assistance in Caloocan City.
According to an estimate from UNESCO, as of March 2020, 89% of the world’s student population (children and youth) are out of school due to COVID-19 closures, including 743 million who are girls. Students have been forced to shift online despite large parts of the said population in low-tech or no-internet areas. With over 1.5 billion students at home due to the pandemic, there is an increased demand for unpaid childcare and domestic work at home, which in turn, impairs their time and capability to accept and carry out paid work, most especially with jobs that cannot be carried out remotely or from home.
With all these worries constantly running through Nanay Guillerma’s mind, she says that it gives her recurring headaches and even sometimes makes her forget to add certain ingredients to recipes when she is cooking at the canteen, resulting in a scolding at work. She worries that in the long run, it might cost her her job.
“Ano na ang kakainin namin kapag nangyari iyon? Ano na ang pangsuporta namin sa buwan-buwang pangangailangan namin?”
[“What will happen to my family then, if I lose my job? How are we supposed to get support for our monthly needs?”]
Amidst a crowd of people, mostly women in their thirties and forties, *Nanay Lolita stood out with silver hair despite a slightly slumped posture. Regardless of the great number of multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) receivers, there were only two of us staff members assigned to this money transfer facility. We were awkwardly and barely perched behind a crooked table on the sidewalk of a narrow road where motorcycles and jeepneys flowed nonstop. My partner for this station caught my attention as I finished handing out our pamphlets on gender-based violence in the time of COVID-19. He had told me that it might be a good idea to have a chat with Nanay Lolita to provide the rest of our team with better insight and for me to better understand the current situation of many women in the Philippines.
Nanay Lolita was sitting beside our little table, our pamphlet and her MPCA claim form in one hand, and a big blue plastic bag in the other that had, at the time, unknown items inside that rattled whenever she would shift her position. She sported a worn-out yellow shirt, a piece of promotional material usually given out for free to promote a candidate during election season. My implementation partner gave her a spare surgical mask; she was walking outdoors without one.
“Kumusta po kayo, Nanay?” [How are you?] I asked her. “Ito ho, mabuti naman,” [Doing okay.] she replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders. She told me that she likes to spend her days walking and that she used to walk far greater distances when she was a little younger. “Hindi ko na rin gaano nagagawa dahil bumibigay na rin ang katawan ko,” [I don’t really get to do this as much anymore because my body has started to give out,] she says. Nanay Lolita walking thinks it helps keep her legs and muscles functioning well. She does not only use walking to exercise and think but to also collect scrap and recyclable plastic littered on the streets or in sourced trash cans. I look down at the plastic bag in her hand and suddenly make out the shapes of two or three plastic drink bottles. She has been scavenging through garbage for around two years now, and at the age of 72, this means that she has been out and about 20 years beyond the declared senior citizen age in the Philippines. Residing in a country having the longest recorded lockdowns in the world, Nanay Lolita recounted how this affected her simple routine. She was forbidden from going outdoors during the lockdowns and partners from the local government even shared how the authorities deployed to assure quarantine and lockdown measures were being followed came to be familiar with Nanay Lolita’s face due to her persistence to go outdoors.
“Pakiramdam ko malulumpo ako kapag hindi ako nakaklakad tapos hindi pa ako nakapangangalakal.” [I feel like my legs would atrophy if I just stop walking and that means I would also no longer be able to scavenge for scrap plastic to sell for money]. The plastic materials she would have been able to collect would be up for selling to junk shops and other places of the like for a minimal amount of cash. “Kahit papaano, may kaunting nakukuha,” says Nanay Lolita. When the need would arise, she would beg for change from passers-by, public transportation drivers, and commuters. She shared with smiling eyes how sometimes people would randomly hand her a small amount of money and she would automatically think that they were paying her to do a small favor for them or that it was just for her to hand to someone else. When she would clarify, “akala ko may pinapakisuyo kasi minsan ganun, pero pang merienda ko daw.” On the flipside, her eyes changed and seemed sullen and hurt when she also recounted how there were also times when people would look her head to toe and say negative or hurtful things toward her.
Nanay Lolita is only one of thousands upon thousands of women who are experiencing the impact of the pandemic at a greater and more difficult to address degree. The United Nations has stated that the era of the Coronavirus has become a “defining moment for an inclusive and targeted response” for the sector of the community that is among the most physically and economically vulnerable population – the elderly. During a time when intense pressure and instability are placed on the average individual and even more so on frontliners, society is now put on the spot to address deep-set inequalities in terms of access to social services like health care, as well as the presence of age discrimination and the lack of community participation in planning and decision-making.
Moreover and on a global scale, the COVID-19 pandemic has punctuated the degree to which societies rely on women while simultaneously bringing to light the inequalities sewn into our daily routines, touching on health and other social services, the economy, independence, or involvement in decision-making. According to UN Women, violence against women has intensified since the pandemic with exacerbating factors such as security, health, and financial worries, cramped living conditions, isolation with abusers, movement restrictions, and deserted public spaces.
Referring to UN Women data from April 2020, a number of countries have recorded a surge of 25 percent in domestic violence reports and emergency calls since social distancing measures were implemented. Women and girls are hit harder by economic shocks. Generally earning less, women are able to save less despite comprising a majority of single-parent households. The pandemic has significantly increased the unpaid care and domestic work of women at home, thus disabling them from taking on or balancing paid work. According to a report from the International Labour Force in Geneva (2018), although not all informal workers are poor, there is definitely a positive relationship between informal employment and poverty; 91% of women in South Asia are informally employed (compared to 87% observed in men across the region).
Nanay Lolita may have come alone for a minimum amount of assistance on the day we were in Barangay Tangos South, Navotas City, but many women across the globe may not even have had this opportunity. CARE, together with its local partners in the Philippines, does not only plan to sustain its humanitarian operations in times of crises, but also to continue to work toward promoting lasting change and innovative solutions in order to support the strengthening of essential service delivery, community resilience, and empowering the most vulnerable, particularly women and girls.
October 1, 2012
By Tarra Quismundo, Philippine Daily Inquirer
This report was first published in print in issue in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on 30 September 2012
St. Bernard, Southern Leyte – When a 7.6-magnitude quake hit the Visayas and triggered a tsunami warning in the Pacific coast a month ago, some 7,000 residents from coastal barangays here evacuated to higher ground within 12 minutes.
In the fast and orderly retreat to safer ground, everyone was spared from harm.
Scarred by a deadly landslide six years ago, this fourth class town of 27,000 residents has emerged as a “flagship” example in disaster preparedness, response and mitigation, its early warning system and community-based readiness program now a model for other vulnerable towns to emulate.
“Where we fall, we rise.”, said town Mayor Rico Rentuza in opening the national disaster risk reduction and climate change conference here on Friday.
“We are not a rich town, but we are rich in hazards. Name all the hazards, we have them.. We want to build a culture of preparedness. With all the things we implemented in St. Bernard, we are already experiencing the impact of more efficient emergency response and coordination,” Rentuza said before an audience of fellow government officials and civil society groups that gathered to learn about his town’s experience.
Once rendered “helpless” by a landslide that killed more than 1,000 residents in 2006, this town of survivors has integrated disaster risk reduction into their daily lives.
Barangays on the town’s Pacific coast man state-of-the-art early warning systems round-the-clock, ready to immediately dispatch alerts through loudspeakers installed in hazard-prone villages. All around town are disaster preparedness posters and signs. Evacuation routes are marked.
Volunteers plant mangroves along the coastline to build a natural shield from flooding. Young people regularly go to disaster-preparedness camps. And the town government, supported by both local and international agencies, is in a constant state of readiness – that is, ready to sustain the program even when left to stand in their own feet.
“As a first-time visitor in Southern Leyte, it is rewarding to see how St. Bernard has been fully involved in community based disaster risk reduction project since the results of its investment are manifested in the successful outcomes of drills and actual evacuation,” said European Union Manila head of delegation Guy Ledoux, addressing the forum.
“I would say that regarding disaster preparedness, St. Bernard is certainly flagship. It is the most successful project and we are now [looking] to share the success in disaster preparedness of St. Bernard,” an impressed Ledoux later said in an interview.
He also noted how the Philippines has come a long way in disaster risk reduction efforts compared to its neighbors in the region.
“We are proud to recognize that the Philippines is ahead of its Southeast Asian neighbors as it has adopted a policy framework on disaster preparedness and local government units have been trained in implementing this framework,” Ledoux said.
Through a modest P10-million assistance over five years, the European Union and other partner agencies, including CARE Netherlands and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), have helped build the town’s capacity for disaster risk reduction.
International funding helped the town create its local disaster risk reduction office, which maintains a sophisticated, Filipino-made early warning system in eight high-risk barangays.
Designed and operated by Filippino scientist Reginald Juan Mercado, devices that detect multiple hazards such as flood, earthquake, landslide and tsunami, among others, are hooked to barangay stations that could readily issue warnings through loudspeakers whenever necessary.
While monitored by a nerve-center based at the town hall, this decentralized system makes for factor dispatch of information, Rentuza said. “They don’t have to wait for me to issue the warning,” he said.
The town has also designated evacuation sites in every sector. This way, residents already know where to run when emergency comes.
Incidentally, one such site is the uphill resettlement site for survivors of the Guinsagon landslide. Permanently relocated after the 2006 landslide, some 268 families (1,023 people) now reside in the new village, living in colorful concrete homes built by the Red Cross, Gawad Kalinga and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
“I am proud to say that from tragedy, we are now host to evacuees from Barangay Tambis Uno,” said New Guinsagon village chief Beauty Omela Cabacungan, referring to one of the town’s vulnerable barangays.
“Our secret to still surviving is our faith in God and the prayer that whatever problem happens, we offer it to God, for we all know that God will provide,” said Cabacungan in welcoming Ledoux and other visiting officials to her village on Friday.
“The St. Bernard experience is a good example of how local communities with the support of civil society and organizations and collaboration with local government authorities can spearhead collective action along disaster risk reduction,” Ledoux said.
Much needs to be done, conceded Rentuza, as he gave assurance that the local government will not waver in disaster risk reduction efforts.
“There is still much to be done. And it requires commitment, focus, time… We have a long way to go. This should be a lifelong process and practice,” Rentuza said.
The European Union has been a steady humanitarian partner of the Philippines as part of its global effort to provide financial and technical aid to disaster-prone countries. Between this year and 2013, the EU has allocated P130 million for disaster-preparedness initiatives across the Philippines.
(Photo credit to Gregorio Dantes Jr.)
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Strengthening BDRRMC capacities as a sustainable mechanism for IRM
by Brgy. Captain Edilberto Lacaba, Brgy. Badiangay, Sta. Fe
Barangay Badiangay is one of 20 barangays in the municipality of Sta Fe that is high-risk to flooding. It is four kilometres away from the town center, and situated in the interior part of the municipality. To reach Badiangay, one needs to ride a motorbike or “habal-habal,” the primary mode of transportation going in and out of the barangay. There are three sitios in the barangay namely Sitios Kamalig, Batoon and Proper. A total of 175 households or 710 individuals make up the whole barangay in which majority are children.
Both sides of the road leading to the barangay are bordered by rice fields, with a few houses dotting the sides of the road. Areas that used to be planted with coconuts have now been broken up to small patches of land planted with vegetables and root crops. Majority of the people work in rice fields as tenants or farm laborers. As farm laborers, they get paid P150-200 pesos for a whole day’s work. During lean months they work as laborers, house helpers or sales ladies in the neighbouring town of Palo or Tacloban. There is no water system that brings water into the homes directly. Drinking water in the barangay is delivered once a week by a truck from the Leyte Metro Water District (LMWD). The residents pay P5.00 per container of water. For bathing and washing, they fetch water from an open well near their houses. This has been the situation in the barangay for the longest time and is considered as normal for everyone.
Such is the situation of the barangay which Edilberto Lacaba calls home.
Edilberto Lacaba is the soft spoken and shy barangay chairman of Badiangay. Once you engage him in a discussion, however, he speaks with seriousness and sincerity. He explains that Barangay Badiangay is a low lying barangay surrounded by the Bobonon River from neighbouring barangay San Isidro and Dapdap and Malaihaw rivers from barangay Gapas, all in the eastern part of the barangay. Water coming from these rivers traverses their barangay thus with only a few hours of strong rain, flood is an inevitable hazard they experience. This constant flooding exacerbates the already difficult economic and physical conditions of the residents of Barangay Badiangay.
According to some elderly in the barangay, in the 1960’s they already experienced flooding. Back then they just stayed within the barangay and wait for flood waters to recede. They would only evacuate to the barangay proper or in some private houses that have second floors when water is knee or waist high. Flooding, at that time, does not reach the barangay proper. Only the two sitios (Batoon and Kamalig) were heavily flooded. Kap Edilberto says it’s different now. Flood waters reach up to 8 feet high, covering their roofs and also reaching the barangay proper. When Typhoon Senyang hit Leyte in the last week of December of 2014, it brought the worst flooding ever experienced in the barangay. The whole barangay was inundated. Left with no choice, they evacuated to the municipal gymnasium of Sta. Fe. Most of their belongings were left behind because they could only bring what they can carry. The fathers were left to take care of their farm animals and other valuables left behind. They built bamboo rafts and stayed on guard of their properties until the flood water subsided.
This was also the time when Edilberto, then the first Kagawad of Badiangay, was forced to act as the head of their barangay because of the untimely death of their Barangay Captain. He did not wish to be a First Kagawad in the first place. Being a Barangay Captain was farthest from his mind. His reluctance was based on his idea that being a Chairman is an enormous responsibility and this would require a 24-7 commitment from him. He was not sure then if he was up to that challenge. But he did heed the challenge after the people of Badiangay showed their support for him.
When ACCORD conducted the series of trainings on Disaster Risk Reduction as part of Promoting Recovery and Enhancing Resilience of the Most Vulnerable Communities that are Most Affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the barangay officials of Badiangay were not so enthusiastic to participate. Their initial reaction was the usual reaction ACCORD gets from almost all barangays and municipalities encountered for the first time. Flooding was a normal occurrence in their barangay and they have gotten used to it and besides, they have already attended numerous DRR trainings conducted by other organizations. But out of respect to ACCORD, the trainings pushed through.
As the series of trainings unfold, they started to see the difference. They observed that the activities during workshops are hands-on and based on their actual experiences. Every activity involved the community’s participation, and they can proudly claim every output as their own. Above all, the successive DRR trainings by ACCORD made them realize that they can do something to minimize the ill effects of flooding in their barangay, that they have capacities to improve their situation. After the community-based DRM training for barangay officials in Sta. Fe, Kap Edilberto surprised us when he made the commitment to accept the challenge posed by ACCORD. He will try to the best of his abilities to pursue the path towards resilience.
Indeed, because of the firm commitment Kap Edilberto made, and the changes showed by his fellow barangay officials, the BDRRMC of Badiangay evolved into a learning and responsible organization. Even Kap Edilberto said that BDRRMC officials and members were not active at first, but they showed they can change. Even the community members were not as participative at first. So much so that when ACCORD chose Badiangay to be one of two barangays to conduct a community flood drill, Kap Edilberto was worried if they could muster the support of the majority of the residents to participate in the drill. But he was challenged because this is what their community needs.
The community flood drill was nothing but successful. BDRRMC members and the whole community actively participated in all of the community activities leading to the drill. He was amazed at the seemingly unending stream of volunteers to do all the technical jobs required and all the public awareness activities that had to be done to ensure that everyone in the community was adequately informed. He also acknowledged that part of the strengthening process of the BDRRMC is the opportunity it provided to work with the MDRRMC. And they are happy to note that the MDRRMC has started to recognize its role in supporting the actions of the BDRRMCs.
When asked about his reflections of the project, Kap Edilberto said that what he appreciates most was the series of DRR capacity-building activities that aimed at strengthening their BDRRMC. He still could not believe that they were able to formulate their Contingency Plan and was able to test it through the community drill. Lessons learned were that if people are informed, they will participate. If the BDRRMC members understand DRR, and their responsibilities, they will eventually be active. Just like him, he said he also learned by doing. And what one does must be propelled by a sincere resolve to increase the capacities of a very high risk and vulnerable community.
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INCREASE prioritizes vulnerable women in its activities to make sure that more opportunities will be accessible for them. This is published to show the selection criteria for female household heads who would be qualified to become part of the resilient livelihood activities of INCREASE.
To access a high-resolution copy of the file, please access the document by clicking on this link.
INCREASE or “Philippines – Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards” aims to increase the resilience of 45,00 women and men small scale farmers and fishers, including 720 extremely poor female-headed households, to natural hazards and the effect of climate change. The project will run from 2019-2021 in different parts of the Philippines, namely 36 barangays across 8 municipalities in the provinces of Cagayan, Mt. Province, Northern Samar, and Surigao del Sur. Its project components and activities include early warning systems, alternative livelihood, and climate and disaster governance.
