Disaster-preparedness in rural communities Presentation for AMDA Conference April 2013 Okayama, Japan Isagani R Serrano President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)

Vulnerability & Adaptation (V&A)- Philippines (PH) PH is 3 rd most-at-risk country in the world Vulnerability: social, economic, ecological Vulnerability: exposure, susceptibility, coping ability, adaptive capacity level Adaptive capacity: low, medium, high

V & A--PH Philippines is visited on average by 20 typhoons a year Fragile archipelago – from the mountains to the coasts Large population, urban concentration, dense human settlements along the coasts High poverty, high inequality, environmental degradation

After the storm

Frequent flooding

Prolonged drought

V & A PH baseline of high poverty/high inequality & environmental degradation

V & A in rural areas Majority of the poor in rural areas Differential impacts of disasters: poor gets hit the hardest most of the time

V & A in rural areas But poor people are not totally helpless, they have their own way of coping with tragedies. The poor are good at surviving, survival is their everyday reality---negative resilience/adaptive capacity

PRRM disaster response Since the 80’s: MAN-MADE---Sugar Crisis in Negros Occidental 1986; Mining spill Mindoro Island 1996 NATURAL---N. Luzon Earthquake 1990; Mount Pinatubo Eruption 1991; Tropical Storm Ondoy/Ketsana Metro Manila 2009; Tropical Storm Sendong and Typhoon Pablo in Mindanao, 2012.

PRRM disaster response

PRRM & disaster-preparedness Automatic response in PRRM sites from the area managers, PRRM chapter, PRRM partner people’s organizations in cooperation with cooperation with local government, mainstream & social media, others Anticipatory: CDRR & other public awareness activities; hazards & risks mapping; integration of CDRR in local planning & budgeting

PRRM & disaster-preparedness EMERGENCY RESPONSE >formation of in-house QRT; >mobilization of volunteers; >networking/cooperation with other organizations to leverage resources; >provision of other forms of assistance, e.g. transport, shelter, relief goods (food, water & sanitation, medicines), volunteers >fundraising for relief & rehabilitation & reconstruction

PRRM & disaster-preparedness EDUCATION & ADVOCACY (Strategic response) >Climate & Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR) Course through the PRRM Conrado Benitez Institute for Sustainability (CBIS) >Advocacy/lobby for policy & legislation & budget, eg, Climate Change Act of 2009, Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Act of 2011; Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) since 2006; local planning & budgeting >Crafting of national & local CDRR action plans

PRRM & disaster-preparedness Building a resilient local economy: focus on social enterprises (SE) SE: multiple bottom lines (making money, helping the poor, protecting the environment) & redistributive wealth creation

PRRM & disaster-preparedness Food security Shortening the food mile Reducing carbon footprint thru, e.g., organic/sustainable agriculture “Agropolis”---bringing the city to the farm, and the farm to the city: every human settlement a place of dignity and happiness

PRRM & disaster-preparedness

Valuing aid Humanitarian aid-giving is usually taken by aid-recipients as an act of basic humanity. Aid can foster cooperation or bayanihan (“sogo-fujo”) or sometimes aid-dependency among affected communities. Efficiency, transparency, accountability, people’s participation in aid operations.

Valuing aid Emergency relief, by nature is short-lived, but can be used to set the basis for long-term recovery. Example: food- or cash-for-work schemes that enable resumption of production and livelihood. Aid can “kill” local markets or can be a means for the local economy to “bounce back” (resilience).

Starting “sogo-fujo” partnership

Thank you!