1. Disaster-preparedness in rural communities Presentation for AMDA Conference 11-19 April 2013 Okayama, Japan Isagani R Serrano President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)

2. 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

3. 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

4. After the storm

5. Frequent flooding

6. Prolonged drought

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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.

11. PRRM disaster response

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. PRRM & disaster-preparedness

21. 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.

22. 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).

23. Starting “sogo-fujo” partnership

24. Thank you!