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CODE-NGO Member Networks’ Rehabilitation and Recovery Efforts in the Haiyan/Yolanda Corridor

Super Typhoon Yolanda made landfall on November 8, 2013, leaving enormous devastation across Central Philippines.  Though Yolanda left many of CODE-NGO’s member networks in the affected areas in great turmoil, they and their member organizations stepped forward to help provide relief assistance to the typhoon survivors.  Just days after the typhoon made landfall in several islands, at 51 organizations from within the CODE-NGO network started conducting assessments and organizing relief efforts for affected communities, which operated in 44 municipalities in 15 provinces in Regions 4B, 5, 6, 7 and 8.  Download Typhoon Yolanda Emergency Response CODE-NGO Directory as of February 2014

Three months into relief work, they started moving on to organizing and supporting recovery and rehabilitation efforts from this unprecedented disaster. Below are the summaries of the rehabilitation and recovery efforts in the Yolanda corridor of CODE-NGOs’ member networks:

 

1. Association of Foundations (AF)

AF contributed to the rebuilding efforts in communities affected by Typhoon Yolanda when it was chosen by Australian Aid to be its partner in providing capacitybuilding support through workshops on project management and financial and administrative systems to Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) partner organizations who are implementing livelihood rehabilitation projects in the area. Among its members which have ongoing vital recovery efforts in affected areas are Community and Family Services International (CFSI) – which continues to prioritize support for protecting especially the most vulnerable sectors: women and children, persons with disabilities, older persons, and indigenous communities; provision of psychosocial support and mental health care; primary health care; food security; livelihood; disaster risk reduction; and advocacy in Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte and Tacloban City – and the Andres Soriano Foundation (ASF), which supports rebuilding of communities in Palawan by providing core shelter and livelihood support to affected families, medical missions and reconstruction of classrooms.

 

2. Central Visayas Network of NGOs (CenVISNET)

 

CENVISNET is part of Task Force Paglig-on which works on the Cebu Province Rehabilitation, Recovery and Development Plan. The organization made a step to assess the coordination issues and gaps in communication in the region among CSOs and the government. CENVISNET is now the overall coordinator for all clusters with UN-OCHA (shelter, protection, education, livelihood, WASH/Health/Nutrition). It holds regular inter-coordination meetings with international and local NGOs. Among CENVISNET members which have critical roles in ongoing recovery and rehabilitation initiatives in the province are Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI), Pagtambayayong Foundation, Lihok Pilipina and Bohol Alliance of NGOs (BANGON).

 

3. Eastern Visayas Network of NGOs and POs (EVNET)

 

EVNET was able to convene CSO assemblies for DRR in 32 municipalities and two (2) cities in Eastern Visayas affected by the typhoon. As part of the rehabilitation efforts, EVNET conducted capacity building activities for youth and children participation in DRR, for POs in managing their livelihoods, and for member organizations on contingency planning. EVNET also held advocacy training for CSO leaders’ engagement in DRRM and for barangays on child-centered community-based DRRM. EVNET is now engaging with the LGUs for a CSO-inclusive and participative Yolanda rehabilitation and recovery program. Their members which have ongoing recovery and rehabilitation programs include the Eastern Samar Social Development Organizations (ESSDOG), Borongan Diocesan Social Action Center, Leyte Family Development Organization (LEFADO) and Western Samar Development Foundation (WESADEF).

 

4. National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO)

 

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Metro Ormoc Community Cooperative in Ormoc City, NATCCO turned over 30 houses to Yolanda survivors by June 2014. These were among the first permanent homes provided for Yolanda survivors. Construction of 30 additional housing units are now underway in Abuyog Leyte. The housing units make use of “Green Building Technology” which features the use of locally-available materials like bamboo and sand, but still allowing the houses to withstand 300 kph winds.

 

5. National Council of Social Development (NCSD)

 

From supporting immediate relief actions by sending volunteers to DSWD’s relief packing operations and providing psycho-social first aid to affected children and their families, individual NCSD members continued by transitioning to recovery programs focusing on affected children and their families. Among the NCSD members with ongoing recovery efforts are World Vision, which has served 13,150 people in the provinces of Leyte, North Cebu, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Samar. 1,740 pregnant and lactating women and 2,318 children below five years old were assisted in the 14 Women and Young Children Spaces, which helped children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers come to terms with the distressing experiences during the typhoon. In the recovery phase, World Vision will restore health centers and stations to help ensure good health and well-being of children and families after Yolanda. Interventions will focus on repair of damaged facilities such as rural health units and village health centers, provision of medical equipment and supplies, and building the capacity of local health workers.

 

Another NCSD member, the SOS Children’s Village, has the following rehabilitation programs after Typhoon Yolanda: (a) SOS Kinship Programme -designed to specifically support children who lost parents or caretakers in the typhoon, is now helping 124 children. Each child in the Kinship Programme receives, through their guardian, a monthly stipend to cover expenses for education, clothing, health care, and even day-to-day expenses like transportation and food for school, (b) Reconstructing schools – SOS Children’s Villages has taken on full responsibility for rebuilding and reconstructing 12 classrooms and other facilities of Palanog Elementary School in Tacloban, which was completely destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda by early 2015; (c) Building homes, securing families – The house-building element of the SOS Children’s Villages emergency response program aims to build approximately 600 houses for families in need in two different target relocation sites; and (d) Sustaining a living – So far, the breadwinners of 467 families throughout the Tacloban region have restarted their livelihoods through the help of such gifts from the SOS Children’s Villages’ livelihood program.

 

6. Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)

 

Project New Dawn is PBSP’s collective response to the long term rehabilitation needs of the Visayas region after Typhoon Yolanda. The programs under Project New Dawn aim to assist in the immediate recovery and rehabilitation of areas most affected by the super typhoon. Some of these programs relate to classrooms construction, repair of barangay health stations, provision of school supplies and other learning kits, provision of motorized boats, mangrove reforestation and installation of water systems, among many others (all under the Health, Education, Environment and Livelihood & Enterprise Development (HEEL) framework). Project New Dawn’s first focus area is Northern Cebu where four municipalities were badly hit. PBSP targeted an initial amount of Php160 million to rehabilitate these areas. As of October 2014, half of this amount was already raised.

 

7. Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA)

 

PhilDHRRA Visayas and the Lutheran World Relief (LWR) entered into a project partnership to provide cash for work assistance to affected families in the municipalities of Albuera, Kanangga, Matag-ob, Isabel, and Ormoc City in Leyte and the municipalities of Medellin and Daan Bantayan in Northern Cebu. A total of 4,790 worker-beneficiaries from the same number of families were able to meet their basic needs in food, shelter, and education from their 10-day earnings in cash-for-work (C4W). An evaluation of the project showed that 57% were able to buy food, 18% acquired materials for the repair of their houses, 3% saved funds for the educational needs of their children, and 11% were able to add to their capital for small convenience stores and other vending activities.

 

8. Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies Inc. (PHILSSA)

 

PHILSSA and its member organization Palawan Advocates for Good Governance and Empowerment (PAGE) assisted Yolanda-affected families and communities in the emergency stage through training and shelter materials and continues to engage with local communities for livelihood recovery, community rehabilitation and disaster preparedness/resilience through participatory, transformative and empowering approaches. To date, the Angat Calamianes project, which is supported by Christian Aid, has provided emergency shelter assistance (training and materials) to 1,215 affected families with totally damaged houses in 4 municipalities; distributed 100 solar lanterns to community groups and institutions; and created partnerships with communities in 26 pilot barangays in the 4 municipalities for rehabilitation and resilience work.

 

PHILSSA with its member organization Kaunsayan Formation for Community Development, Inc. (KAFCODE) in Region 4-B assisted at least 160 Yolanda-affected beneficiary-families in 24 barangays in 2 municipalities in the Province of Mindoro Oriental that were affected by typhoon Yolanda through the SIkad Mindoreno project with support from Give2Asia. The project included Psycho-social first aid; livelihood early recovery assistance; community DRR and preparedness; and institutionalizing DRRM in municipal development and land use plans. Assistance was also provided to 202 Yolanda-affected families in 4 barangays through: Psycho-social first aid; livelihood training/project planning; and cash grants worth P4,000 per family. The project also assisted these 4 barangays on community DRRM training and review of DRRM plan and provided funding support for the needed equipment for preparedness and resilience. These two municipalities were also assisted in reviewing their DRRM plans and municipal land use plans.

 

9. Western Visayas Network of Social Development NGOs, Inc. (WeVNet)

 

The year 2013-2014 is a milestone year for WevNet. The organization was able to facilitate relief (food and non-food, solar energy) and early recovery (fishing boats, fishing patrols) assistance to its provincial networks and member base organizations (MBOs) in Capiz, Antique and Iloilo from November 10, 2013 to April 2014. WEVNet linked and enabled the local communities and the civil society organizations (CSOs) so that they could get donor assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Among the donor agencies, WeVNet was able to work with are Fondation de France, Christian Aid, Solarenergie Foundation, The Asia Foundation [TAF]) as well as local organizations like Peace and Equity Foundation [PEF], and DOLEFIL and Mahintana Foundation. This support has definitely increased the local CSOs’ capacity to influence the local governments (LGUs) and communities for good environmental governance including disaster preparedness and response and Climate Change Adaptation Plans, budget and program interventions. In these efforts, WEVNET works with its member organizations, including Iloilo Caucus of Development NGOs (ICODE), Antique Federation of NGOs (AFON), Capiz Caucus of Development NGOs (Capiz CODE), Sigmahanon Development Foundation and PROCESS Panay Foundation. 

In addition to these projects and activities undertaken by the member networks of CODE-NGO, numerous member base organizations of these member networks also implement their own rehabilitation and recovery projects in partnership with various donors and partners, among them PHILDHRRA member Guiuan Development Foundation Inc. (GDFI), Coastal Core, a member of the Coalition for Bicol Development (CBD) and Balay Mindanaw and Mahintana Foundation of the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE).

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Advancing CSO Engagement in DRRM-CCA (ACED Project)

Natural disasters increasingly present socio-economic and environmental risks to the Philippines. The World Disaster Report 2012 ranked the country as the third most risky place in the globe in terms of exposure to natural calamities. In 2013 alone, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Bohol in October, and the strongest tropical cycle to ever hit the planet, typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, brought havoc to the Visayas in November. Members of the six (6) national networks and three (3) of the 6 regional networks, which are members of CODE-NGO – WEVNET in Region 6, CENVISNET in Region 7 and EVNET in Region 8 found their partner communities in the middle of the enormous devastation at the aftermath of the typhoon, just as their own organizations, staff and families were reeling from the impact of the calamity.

In prior years, natural calamities hitting the country, especially typhoons, have become more extreme and frequent, and brought damages that have not been seen before – 2006 Reming in Bicol, 2008 Frank in Iloilo, 2009 Ondoy and Pepeng in Metro Manila and in central and northern Luzon, 2011 Sendong in northern and eastern Mindanao and 2012 Pablo in eastern and southern Mindanao.

Since the impacts of these events adversely undermine any development intervention being implemented in the areas affected by the calamities, it has become a necessity for us development organizations to mainstream disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in our interventions. Thus, as it defined its Strategic Plan for 2013-2017, CODE-NGO identified DRR-CCA as key emerging concerns, for which it needs to build its knowledge and understanding. A key result area identified in the CODE-NGO strategic plan is to “build the capacities of its member networks in governance, networking and local and sectoral advocacy effectiveness.” In particular, KRA 2.4 of the plan calls for CODE-NGO to pursue capacity building for its member networks in integrating key emerging concerns, i.e. DRR-CCA, in their programs and projects.

In the meantime, many CODE-NGO members at the regional, provincial and municipal levels are engaging local government units (LGUs) in the bottom-up budgeting (BUB) or grassroots participatory budgeting (GPB) and local development planning processes. These engagements are seen as a platform by which our organizations can influence LGUs to mainstream DRR-CCA in their local plans and budgets.

CODE-NGO’s 3-Year DRRM-CCA Capacity Building Plans

To respond to the above developments, CODE-NGO has drafted its plan to build the capacities of its member networks in DRRM-CCA pursuant to its Strategic Plan for 2013-2017 (see Annex A). In the next 3.5 years, CODE-NGO aims for the following:

1. A cadre of DRRM champions within the CODE-NGO network is formed, who are capable of conducting or facilitating community-based disaster risk assessment, disaster contingency planning and post-disaster rapid needs assessment, and training others to do the same.
2. Local CSO Networks are formed or strengthened (CODE-NGO MNs or MNs ++ other CSOs) as DRRM hubs in at least 8 strategic regions/areas, which have capacities to:
   • Coordinate responses/actions of their members and partner CSOs in their areas in times of disasters
   • Engage LGUs in strengthening local DRRMCs and crafting DRRM-sensitive local plans and budgets through the bottom-up budgeting (BUB)/grassroots participatory budgeting (GPB) and comprehensive development planning (CDP)/executive-legislative agenda (ELA)/annual investments planning (AIP) processes.
3. CODE-NGO has established communication and coordination protocols within the network to coordinate its members’ response from local to national level in times of disaster and to sustain learning exchange on DRR-CCA among practitioners.
4. CODE-NGO and its member networks have assisted selected municipalities in Yolanda-affected provinces – such as Leyte, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Iloilo, Capiz, Cebu and Palawan – in crafting, implementing, monitoring and/or evaluating rehabilitation plans and programs post-Yolanda.

ACED Project Year 1

Christian Aid’s support for CODE-NGO’s ACED Project Year 1 from the period March 2013 to February 28, 2014 has resulted to the following:

1. Capacity building framework and training modules on DRRM-CCA for CSOs were developed on understanding DRRM-CCA concepts and related laws, integrating DRRM-CCA in CSO organizational policies and programs, conducting community-based hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessments and doing emergency response following humanitarian principles. The framework and modules developed for the training program were based on a DRRM training needs analysis of 12 CODE-NGO member networks, as well as DRRM technologies, tools and practices of some CODE-NGO member networks.
2. DRRM-CCA pool of trainers/experts from within the CODE-NGO network was formed.
3. 24 DRRM-CCA ‘champions’ from CODE-NGO member networks and base organizations were trained, strengthening the coalition’s capacity to move forward its DRRM-CCA initiatives.
4. Community-based risk assessments conducted in the following areas:

• • Tabon-tabon, Baco, Oriental Mindoro c/o Kaunsayan Foundation for Community Development (KAFCODE) / PHILSSA
  • Salvador, Cortez, Bohol, c/o Bohol Alliance of NGOs (BANGON), CENVISNET
  • Masayo, Tobias Fornier and Casay, Anini-y, Antique c/o Iloilo CODE and PROCESS Antique / WEVNET
  • Caima, Bahao and Salvacion in Libmanan, Camarines Sur, c/o Caritas Diocese of Libmanan / CBD
  • Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental c/o Foundation for Growth and Organizational Upliftment of People (GROUP) / MINCODE
  • Batunan, Sariano, Manamba, Tagonon, Carpenito in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, c/o Kasilak Development Foundation / MINCODE
  • San Pedro, Talibon, Bohol by PHILDHRRA Visayas / PHILDHRRA.

ACED Project Year 2

Given the above results of ACED Year 1 and ensuing plans and recommendations to sustain such results, CODE-NGO aims to build up on the lessons from ACED by prioritizing the following:

Objectives

1. Sharpen the skills in post-disaster rapid needs assessment and mainstreaming DRRM in BUB/GPB and CDP of a group of DRRM-CCA CSO champions in strategic areas nationwide
2. Strengthen the capacities of local and national CSO networks for response coordination, advocacy and learning exchange on DRRM-CCA.
3. Support the participation and engagement of CSOs in planning, implementing and monitoring of rebuilding and reconstruction programs and projects in Yolanda-affected areas.

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CSOs lament limited consultations with affected communities and civil society organizations in Yolanda rehabilitation plans

The Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) formally submitted last November 10, 2014 a list of recommendations for a more responsive Yolanda rehabilitation and recovery to the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) and other government agencies leading the program. These recommendations resulted from the recently concluded forum entitled “Yolanda, a Year After: Clearing the Road to Rehabilitation and Recovery” held last November 3-4, 2014 at the Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City. CODE-NGO is the country’s biggest coalition of development-oriented civil society organizations.

Almost a year after Typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc in the Philippines, the forum served as a consultation and discussion venue for the lessons learned by local civil society organizations (CSOs) and the public sector after the typhoon. 

 

Integrating Disaster Plans in the Local Government Unit (LGU) Budget

As part of CODE-NGO’s goal to facilitate continuous learning exchange among civil society organizations and their partners, regular communities of practice (CoP) are being conducted at https://www.facebook.com/caucusofdevelopmentngonetworks.

On June 18, 2014, a real-time online discussion titled, “Integrating Disaster Plans in the Local Government Unit (LGU) Budget”, was held. Mr. Benedict Balderrama, National Coordinator of the Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA), served as the resource person to answer questions such as:

1. What priority DRRM assessments must CSOs do in order to be able to generate basic but meaningful/important proposals to its LGU?; and
2. What are the fastest and most strategic ways (tips) for CSOs to engage the LGU for the integration of DRRM plan in the AIP?

This is in the context that the participation of civil society in government’s planning for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) is key to resiliency. Since the Annual Investment Planning (AIP) process in the LGUs is ongoing, it would be meaningful for civil society organizations (CSOs) to discuss how their DRRM plans can be integrated in the AIP.

You may download the complete synthesis of this CoP discussion from the following link:

https://code-ngo.org/home/reports-a-resource-materials/item/integrating-disaster-plans-in-the-local-government-unit-lgu-budget.html

The forum was hosted by CODE-NGO’s CML (Citizens’ Participation in Monitoring of LGU Performance) and ACED (Advancing CSO Engagement in DRRM-CCA (ACED) Projects, which are supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and Christian Aid, respectively.

 

CODE-NGO jumpstarts DRRM-CCA Training for its member networks

CODE-NGO, with Christian Aid’s support, jumpstarted its capacity building training and workshop on disaster risk reduction and management – climate change adaptation (DRRM-CCA) for its member networks in the project titled, “Advancing CSO Engagement in DRRM-CCA or ACED Project , last January 27-31, 2014, at the Institute of Social Order (ISO) Ateneo de Manila University.

Prior to the training workshop, from July to December 2013, representatives from twelve (12) member networks of CODE-NGO worked on developing a DRRM-CCA module that contains basic concepts and principles, mainstreaming DRRM-CCA into the organization’s plans and programs/projects, participatory community-based DRRM, positioning of DRRM-CCA in governance and local planning, and humanitarian emergency response concepts and principles.