Iloilo Rebuilding Project visited by Doshisia GRM Students

Ted Aldwin E. Ong 

The “Rebuilding for the Better” project site funded by Christian Aid UK and implemented by the Iloilo Caucus of Development NGO’s (Iloilo CODE-NGO) was among the selected sites by the students from Doshisia University in Japan for its on-site practice seminar and learning exchange in relation to its post graduate course under the Global Resource Management Program (GRM).

The project staff of the Iloilo CODE-NGO led by Faye Joy Pabiona, project manager of Rebuilding for the Better Project, facilitated a day-trip for the students last March 6, 2015 to the island Barangay of Polopińa in Concepcion town in Iloilo in order to share efforts being undertaken on the project and help them conduct site visit and a focus group discussion among the project beneficiaries and local government officials on the theme: Understanding Transparency and Accountability Mechanism for Community on Post-Typhoon Yolanda Reconstruction.

The students was comprised by different nationalities and their visit was a course requirement wherein the program instructor organizes practical research activity on either a domestic or foreign country in order to enable students taking up the doctoral program to integrate the perspectives from natural sciences, engineering sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

The visiting student group was composed of three teams which looked deeper into the following concerns: land use, building code and resettlement and shelter program, inclusive and sustainable livelihood program, and transparency and good governance.

Iloilo CODE-NGO’s “Rebuilding Project” assisted the group in acquiring knowledge and learning exchange on transparency and good governance. According to the group members, the exercise allowed them to learn from the actual experience of victims of Typhoon Yolanda and offered a deeper understanding of how existing mechanisms on transparency and governance mechanism worked during periods of disasters.

The findings of the groups was presented during the team output presentation and stakeholders’ responses held in Ajuy town. Iloilo CODE-NGO’s member of the board of trustees were also present in the activity.

The transparency and good governance group recognized that existing mechanisms are in place, however, there are room for improvement and its recommendations will be finalized in a consolidated report from the findings that they have gathered once they are back for school work in Japan.

Professor Willy Carada from the University of the Philippines (UP Los Bańos), the lead facilitator of the on-site visit, underscored that the exercise was not merely an effort to listen to the “misery” of our people. He emphasized the need to provide a substantial assistance to communities by formulating projects based from the findings of the students in order to improve the lives of people.

Iloilo CODE-NGO expressed willingness to undertake a collaborative effort and anticipate a healthy partnership with Doshisia University. ###

Ted Aldwin Ong is the Board Treasurer of the Western Visayas Network of Social Development NGOs (WEVNet), to which Iloilo CODE-NGO is a member of. He is also the Vice-Chairperson of CODE-NGO’s Advocacy Commission.