Reflections on My Young Writer’s Summer Camp Experience

Karl Patrick Mendoza

The summer youth program of Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) allowed me to explore people’s narratives on Yolanda and learn local dynamics on governance, development and disaster risk reduction (DRR). As I embarked on a journey in the Yolanda damaged areas of Marcilla and Maquinit (of Coron, Palawan), I have realized that development somewhat resembles household management where the parent ensures that the basic needs of his/her children are met through the provision of some basic necessities such as food, water, clothing, education, and shelter.

In Barangay (village) Marcilla and Sitio (territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay) Maquinit of Barangay Tagumpay, I observed that there is a huge energy to return to business. The community leaders of both areas were very eager to coordinate and forge partnerships with non-state actors such as Palawan Advocates for Good Governance and Empowerment (PAGE), my host organization in Coron. In relation to Yolanda, the recent implementation of the Emergency Shelter Assistance Program by PAGE with the Partnership of Philippine Support Services Agencies, Inc. (PHILSSA), Christian Aid, Solar Energy Foundation, and the Municipality of Coron, made it possible for the residents to reconstruct their houses. Under the project name “Angat Calamianes”, the said initiative involved a “bottom-up” rehabilitation strategy wherein residents were given the choice of choosing the materials to buy for their houses provided that it will not exceed the amount of PHP 5,000.00. More importantly, the “bayanihan” (communal unity) spirit was largely present at the aftermath of Yolanda in these communities. For instance, my early morning walks in Marcilla made me witness the daily efforts exerted by local carpenters in rebuilding their own public school. On the other hand, the people of Maquinit helped each other in rebuilding each other’s houses after Yolanda.

Intra-community power play and weak LGU (local government unit) initiative in supporting community interests and DRR is present. Some families and individuals dominate decision-making at the barangay and municipal levels. Decisions are not broad-based but narrow. At the municipal level, it is evident that despite the booming development at the center, peripheral communities remain scavenging for bits and pieces of jobs and resources. In the communities, aid and public goods do not always reach its intended recipients; instead, only a few people and individuals enjoy it. As a painful consequence, underdevelopment and socio-economic inequalities prevail. Concomitant concerns on drugs and child prostitution are also becoming apparent given the tourism accompanied with the rise of migrant settlers.

“To be for them, we need to be with them first.” This means that in order for us to help communities develop, we must first be friends with them. We need to appreciate what they appreciate and be sad about the things that make them sad. Personal connections are very important not only in connecting data but also in allowing people to confidently express their needs and concerns.

My day-to-day interactions and conversations with the residents of Marcilla and Sitio Maquinit allowed me to discern one key factor in development practice. That is, the ability to empathize with people and adapt to the local culture. For instance, it was not until I cracked jokes and took early morning coffee with the wife of Kapitan (captain) Laudemer Pe of Marcilla that I was able to know the existing conflict between certain individuals in their barangay and their concern on water scarcity.

Finally, the way forward for the people of Marcilla and Maquinit is to have a heightened sense of idealism to change the course of development within the framework of democratic governance. This means that optimism rather than pessimism is needed. Such a call involves the participation of all citizens, not only of Marcilla and Maquinit, but of whole Coron in dismantling local dynasties and advocating for incremental change through civic education, good governance, and honest to goodness multi-sectoral consultations spearheaded by the state. After all, we can never neglect the role of the latter in spurring national and local development through the provision of public goods and policy steering. They may be able to do something right now about improving their lives but it will never last and be sustained without addressing problems on decision-making.

Karl Patrick R. Mendoza is an MA Political Science student at De La Salle University. He is also a Lecturer in Social Science at FEU Institute of Technology. Apart from research, Karl is interested in joining volunteering projects most especially those that tackle disaster risk reduction, governance and development issues.