Livelihoods – RILHUB

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:

Immediate Relief: Swift distribution of food aid to alleviate hunger and prevent nutritional deficiencies among affected populations.

Agricultural Support: Provision of seeds, agricultural inputs, and technical assistance to help farmers recover and sustain their livelihoods amid significant crop losses.

Health Interventions: Deployment of medical teams to address rising health issues exacerbated by the crisis, ensuring essential healthcare services reach vulnerable communities.

Water Management: Rehabilitation and sustainable management of water sources to secure adequate irrigation and community water supply.

Sustained Community Support: Enhanced coordination with local government units and NGOs to implement comprehensive support programs that address immediate needs and foster long-term resilience.

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.

The Moving Urban Poor Communities toward Resilience (MOVE UP) Project set up Alternative Temporary Shelters (ATS) with the community in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

The alternative temporary shelter is a range of substitute solutions that intend to immediately address the shelter needs of affected populations in the initial stages of disasters to guarantee human dignity and sustain family and community life.

In 2020, the project released a manual to document and consolidate key information, learnings, and development about ATS systems. Principally made for local government units, the 100-page manual aims to describe the importance and practical applications of the ATS system. It also offers a step-by-step guide on properly adopting and implementing select ATS solutions as a form of shelter response and early actions during emergencies.

Download the Alternative Temporary Shelter (ATS) Manual here: https://next.rilhub.org/wp-content/uploads/MOVEUP_Manual-on-ATS-(2020Edition)-min.pdf (view preview below this post)

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MOVE UP – Mindanao is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO (ECHO) and is implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which include CARE Philippines, ACCORD Incorporated, Plan International Philippines, and Action Against Hunger Philippines.

The Alternative Temporary Shelter (ATS) Manual:

MOVEUP_Manual-on-ATS-2020Edition-min-1 Download

This impact video showcases the MOVE UP project’s impact to its partner communities and LGUs in Manila.

To watch and download this video, kindly click here.

In partnership with Department of Labor and Employment, the MOVE UP project explores different social protection strategies for the informal economy.

Click here to read and download full copies of the documents.

In partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, the MOVE UP project explores different social protection strategies for the informal economy.

You may access the following presentations decks enumerated and linked below:

MOVE UP- Mindanao is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid and is implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which include CARE Philippines, ACCORD Incorporated, Plan International Philippines, and Action Against Hunger Philippines.

The MOVE UP Resilient Livelihood Full Module is composed of 9 modules on various topics to help urban poor communities build more capacities. The modules were written based on the project’s wide experience in community-based enterprise development.

View and download the full document here.

The INCREASE Project has committed to holding four (4) learning exchanges engaging local implementing partners and partner communities across provinces to share DRR CCA / IRM good practices, ideas for sustainability and upscaling, innovations, and evidence from which these are based.

Similarly, the project has also committed to producing four (4) research briefs/communication materials, or case stories, from DRR CCA / IRM good practices and innovations documented to be published through RILHUB.

This partner-level learning exchange is the second part of the INCREASE Cross-Learning Platform for Resilience-Building Session 3. The learning questions raised to partners are the following:

How is community members’ participation in DRR and CCA programs and activities changing?
How are community members being included in the design and delivery of these risk reduction programs and activities? What role do women’s organizations, women CSO leaders, and local champions play in facilitating inclusion?
How is the project influencing LGUs to be gender-responsive and risk-informed?
From the perspective of a local planner, why is there a need for gender-responsive and risk-informed planning? What benefits can one get from mainstreaming IRM? Any evidence as to why local governments need to be more flexible to change (i.e. integrating IRM, gender lens in their plans), etc.?

To access a soft copy of this presentation deck, please click here.

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.

Women and men farmers in INCREASE areas were capacitated to build communal and household-level resilient livelihoods. Among these livelihoods is swine production. This manual was created in particular, as a supplementary to the training sessions held in the communities to further boost the knowledge, skills, and attitude of the participants in organic agriculture production in accordance with the industry standards. The manual contains useful tips in the designing of pigpens, preparation of organic feeds, fermentation of feeds, beddings, and silage for raising organic hogs.

To access a soft copy of this manual, please click here.

Please make sure that pop-ups are enabled in your browser to allow the link to the file to open.

This partner-level learning exchange is the second part of the INCREASE Cross-Learning Platform for Resilience-Building Session 2. The learning questions raised to partners are the following:

What risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures have the FHH/farmers adopted during the project period?
What are the indigenous and modern farming practices that you have adopted throughout the years, and which among these do you plan to continue?
How does livelihood diversification help individuals and communities reduce risks and reduce negative coping mechanisms?
What factors drive women and men farmers’ and fishers’ adoption of climate-informed practice, and resilient livelihood strategies?
What encourages incentivises them to be flexible to change, and become more open to becoming part of forward-looking assessments?

To access a soft copy of this presentation deck, please click here.

INCREASE or “Philippines – Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards” aims to 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.

The Natural Farming System Guidebook promotes reducing dependence on off-form inputs to women and men farmers in INCREASE areas. It offers practical guide to make bio-organic inputs that have much potential in terms of food production and environmental conservation. Moreover, food security is increased and additional incomes are generated.

An excerpt from the material:

Ang patuloy na tumataas na gastos ng hindi organikong pataba ay hindi mapipigil sa mga darating na taon ng produksyon. Tinitingnan ang pananaw na ito na ang magsasaka ay kailangang maghanap ng isang alternatibong hakbang upang mapanatili ang kanyang pagsasaka na may kakayahang kumita.

Ang likas na pagsasaka (natural farming) ay mas mura, mas epektibo, at mas ligtas. Wala ng hihigit pang ligaya sa pamilya na ang pagkaing pinagsasaluhan ay tunay na makapagbibigay lakas at nakakapagpahaba ng buhay. Isang alternatibong pamamaraan sa pagsasaka na makakabawas sa gastusin ng magsasaka. Isang alternatibong paraan na epektibo at maka “kalikasan”. Higit sa lahat, isang alternatibong pamaraan na walang maidudulot na kapahamakan sa kalusugan at sa kapaligiran.