A Proactive Response to Communal Crisis: The Three Southern Phil ippine Municipalit ies Case

By: A Arquellano, E Abaa, H Zanoria, D Angus

Responding to SDGs Nos. 3 & 11

3- Healthy l ives and promote well -being for all at all ages

　　　

11 Make cit ies and urban areas safe, resil ient and sustainable

11.5. Reduce no. Of deaths and the number of people affected & substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related diseases, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.

b. Cities adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans, towards inclusive resource efficiency, mit igation and adaptation to cl imate change, resil ience to disasters, and develop & implement in line with Sendai Framework for DRR in 2015-2030, Holist ic Disaster Risk management at al l levels.

Climate change/Global Warming Heavy precipitation, stronger typhoons and storm

surges Increasing frequency of El Nino and La Nina Occurrences of landslides and earthquakes Man-made disasters like rebellion and fires

The resil ience approach to disaster reduction

- provides a logic within which this relationship

( health and disaster ) can gain more credence in terms of examining health & organizational practices is Disaster Management

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PROJECTS2012-2013

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PROJECTS2012-2013

The role of LGUs In dealing with risk reduction and enhancing

resilience have been recognized as one of the key concerns throughout the world.

- It is suspected that sustainable development goals may not be achieved if a city /local government fails to enhance itss resilience by prioritizing disaster risk reduction.

“Bottom-up” involvement and participation of affected communities in service delivery

“Confused “- no clear guidance & support of governmental activities

“Top-down” - breakdown at the local level; national government has to step in and take control of the delivery effort

Blue - Very highLight blue -HighYellow green -MediumGreen -Lower Medium Yellow -LowLight orange -Very low

Strongest typhoon – beyond 300 kph

- affecting 7 provinces in central Philippines with around 7,000 dead and displacing thousands of families in affected areas.

- billions of pesos in infrastructure and agricultural produce

NORTHERN CEBU & WESTERN LEYTE

1. Looked into how local government units ( Guian, Samar, San Francisco, Cebu & Himatuan, Surigao Sur ) were able to cope with the calamity.

2. Extracted lessons from the organizational successes & drawbacks

3. To recommend measures that will help draft a model of response for effective LGU DRRM interventions

the study the study

1. Case studies

3. Focus group Discussions & Key informant interviews of service providers and local leaders

4. Documents review

Philippines- has an average of 19 typhoons in a year

RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 delegates the LGU as the frontline responder in emergency situations

National government as the ‘enabler’ –to provide LGUs with the resources and funds they need to respond effectively

RA 10121 or the NDRR System Act –

- aims to strengthen the capacity of the National Government & LGUs, together with partner stakeholders,

- to build the disaster resilience of communities, and to institutionalize arrangements and measures for reducing disaster risks, enhancing preparedness and response capabilities at all levels.

The NDRRMC and the intermediary LDRRMCs

- act as SUPPORT to LGUs which have the primary responsibility as first disaster responders

1. Bureaucratic Norms: rules, regulations, Procedures and SOPs

2. Emergent Norms: Direction & Meaning to the Affected Population

Bureaucratic Norms Emergent Norms

Early evacuation of vulnerable areas, 24/7 manning/communi -cation and close inter -departmental coordination

Inclusion of stakeholders & private sector in the DRRM system

Early response team was formed in each geographic cluster

- organized into several groups/sectors for early or flexible response

- Less casualty than that of Palo or Tacloban City ( regional center ).

LGU's Disaster Responses

1. the data showed that LGUs provided the following:

proactive evacuation of most vulnerable communities

early warning % formation of community volunteers

- health-home/personal kits

- shelter repair kits - provision of livelihood inputs

- psycho-social support for those affected

2. the LGUs are considered as models in DRRM preparation

2.1. instead of a politicized environment and centralized decision -making

3. Responding to the needs poorest of the poor – NGOs

4. Empowering the beneficiaries thru “Cash transfer” – like flexibility on its use

5. ‘cash for work”

6. Livelihood assistance as a priority in the recovery process

7. “ Self-help” as an important ingredient in sustaining initiatives

8. The use of “purok” ( village ) system and having clusters led by informal leaders facilitated project implementation

9. Coordinative activities were very crucial in synchronizing activities at the field level ( before, during and post disaster period )

1. There was a close working relationship between governmental bodies and the community.

2. Leadership and political will to integrate DRRM paid off:

- open system /accessibility; being open to new ideas based on field developments

-resilience/flexibility- ability to respond in ongoing/developing situations;

-communicate across many different boundaries;

-managing different roles

3. Importance of inter-departmental cooperation as an important ingredient:

- health - social services - agriculture - safety and security - infrastructure/engineering - rescue/retrieval

People’s participation is crucial in the implementation of effective DRRM interventions

5. Flexibility on the side of the LCEOs- very important in handling emergencies.

1. LGUs should take DRRM seriously by allocating enough funds & manpower. There should be a system and people manning the office.

2. LGU must harness the power of the people/communities & make them active participants in planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation of DRRM activities. - community volunteer formation

3. Setting up of purposive avenues to regularly educate people about DRRM in a language and methodology that they can understand.

- recognize local knowledge- about disaster preparedness/response.

- respect the organizing scheme/s of communities ( purok system )

4. Give more focus on

PREVENTION AND MITIGATION rather than on RESPONSE.

- Install GEO -mapping, VULNERABILITY assessment tools, communication & other facilities ( e.g. rain gauges at the community

level ).

5. Creation of and/or strengthening of existing DRRM multi-SECTORAL and multi-DISCIPLINARY DRRM councils.

6. Social workers play central roles in disaster response and rehabilitation

- IEC and participatory approaches in prevention/ mitigation activities

- group formation and maintenance - psycho-social support to those who are affected

Reflection - proactive engagement with hazards, vulnerability &

coping to facilitate resilience through well-being; - people centered, driven & motivated Disaster

assessment that is multidisciplinary, integrated and perpetual

- investment of finance and people's participation in

decision making , all in the interrests of implementing disaster avoidance.

Principles

early warning, risk management and preparedness bring security and are many times more cost-effective in dealing with disasters than responding to emergencies once disasters have struck ( first principle of progressive disaster management )

-resilience to disasters must be embedded in multiple stakeholder or corporate interests in security ( 2nd principle).

Maraming Salamat

July 5-6, 2016- Manila Hotel, Manila, Philippines contact : hzanoria@yahoo.com