Originally Written: September 13, 2013
Cresencio and Clarita Canono of Lebanon village, Montevista municipality in Compostela Valley province spend most of their time “growing old together” in their contour farm. They are among the most vulnerable households affected by Typhoon Bopha who are, with support from CARE, trying to shift from many years of mono-cropping to diversified, sustainable farming that will contribute to making their livelihoods more resilient.
In late 2012, a region in southern Philippine rarely visited by tropical cyclones was devastated by Typhoon Bopha. Some 6.3 million people were affected, with about 217,000 families having their houses either partially damaged or completely destroyed. Direct damage to agriculture was estimated at EUR482 million. Many of the vulnerable populations most affected by Bopha are still recovering from the adverse effects of the typhoon. 
CARE has responded to the emergency by providing food, WASH services, shelter repair kits and NFIs to affected households in remote areas, which are home to indigenous peoples. At present, CARE is providing livelihood support and activity-linked cash transfers to help speed up the recovery of the most vulnerable households. As in previous responses to the disasters that frequently hit the Philippines, disaster risk reduction is incorporated in the response to Bopha. In providing the shelter repair kits, for example, information was also provided on how to rebuild houses that will be more resistant to typhoons. Those whose houses were in high-risk zones were also assisted to rebuild their houses in safer areas. CARE’s responses to Bopha have been supported by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).
In helping households rebuild their livelihoods, relay cropping combined contour farming was introduced as a strategy to make livelihoods more resilient. Relay cropping is a form of multiple cropping that allows farmers to grow different crops of different maturation periods. Mono-cropping was extensive in the Bopha-affetced areas and has been pointed to as one of the factors for the magnitude of the disaster.
One of the benefits of relay cropping is that it allows for diet diversification of the household. It also includes growing disaster-resilient crops such as sweet potatoes and cassava. Relay cropping and contour farmingare also effective erosion control measures and are environmentally sustainable.
The vulnerable households targeted by CARE have already planted their relay crops and have established model contour farms. While waiting for their crops to mature, household members are going to participate in community-based trainings on sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and community-based disaster risk reduction that incorporates climate change adaptation and ecosystem management and restoration.
The strategy for more sustainable and resilient livelihoods has been embraced with enthusiasm by targeted beneficiaires. The elderly Canono couple are very proud of the contour farm they established on their own. They insisted on the monitoring team to see their farm during a recent ECHO monitoring mission. The Canonos are demonstrating to other community members that with correct motivation, making livelihoods more resilient is possible.
View and download a PDF version of this article here.
By Celso Dulce
Originally Written: December 10, 2012
I did not expect the sight that greeted us when we reached barangay Langaon. Men and women, including some elderly were repairing the hanging bridge known as Kalawahig-1. Some were erecting two concrete posts where steel cables of the bridge will be re-anchored. Some were replacing the wooden planks. Some were gathering rocks from the riverbed and piling them into an embankment that will strengthen the bridge’s foundation. Two days ago, we were informed that the bridge was washed out by a flashflood spawned by Typhoon Pablo (Bopha).
Typhoon Sendong (Washi) damaged the Kalawahig-1 suspension bridge that connects barangay Langaon to “the outside world.” The bridge was in a state of disrepair prior to Sendong, in the first place. The flooring is made of bamboo. The sides are unprotected and anybody, but most especially children, could easily fall into the river. The bridge was in urgent need of repair as the community could not bring their farm produce to the market, could not safely access relief assistance and basic services, and could not bring in basic commodities. 
In March 2012, CARE worked with the community to undertake minor repair of the bridge, as part of the cash-for-work activity. Cyclone wires were installed on the sides of the bridge to prevent people from falling into the river.
Rotting bamboo were replaced to strengthen the flooring. Community members were jubilant, feeling safer as they cross the bridge everyday, to go to the market, and in general to do business with the outside world.
A follow-up CARE emergency response project provided another opportunity to further strengthen the bridge. Building on the initiative of a local NGO, Green Mindanao, which constructed a concrete foundation for a new bridge. CARE provided thick steel cables, wooden planks, cyclone wire, nuts and bolts, and other materials to complete the bridge through another cash-for-work activity. In August 2012, the new bridge was completed. I visited Langaon on 24 November 2012 and saw not only people crossing the bridge but even motorbikes laden with produce. The bridge was affording people safe access to goods and basic services. It was also encouraging people to increase agricultural production and livelihood activities as the people can now safely transport farm inputs and farm produce.
On 5 December 2012, I was informed that barangay Langaon lost its hanging bridge to a big flashflood triggered by typhoon Pablo. The news was very difficult to accept. According to Langaon residents, Ugiaban Bridge one kilometer upstream got clogged and formed a temporary dam. When this temporary dam burst, it unleashed a huge wall of water that reached up to the Kalawahig-1’s flooring. The residents of Langaon watched helplessly as a huge wall of water washed away their bridge. The Kalawahig-1 was built substantially higher than the original precisely to prevent it from being overtopped by floodwaters.
The Langaon community was able to retrieve all the bridge’s materials – the steel cables, the wooden planks, the nuts and bolts, the cyclone wires. With their meager resources, and without waiting for external assistance, the community started rebuilding their bridge. We were talking with some community members when Barangay Chairman Martin Tanio arrived, bringing with him perhaps two kilograms of tie wire I did not ask, but I had a very strong suspicion that it was the most that they could afford, having earlier bought already a few bags of cement and a few pieces steel reinforcement bars.
Kalawahig-1 was built through a project partnership amongst CARE, ACCORD and RMP, with funding support from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), AXA Philippines and Metrobank Foundation. Barangay Langaon is in Baungon municipality, Bukidnon province.
Driving back to Cagayan de Oro, my colleague Athena was saying that we were not mistaken sticking it out with the people and the leaders of Langaon. Langaon demonstrates the indomitable spirit of the poor and vulnerable, who aspire to make their communities more resilient.
View and download a PDF version of this article here.
Originally Written: April 2, 2013
Johari Cali is a playful boy with a shy smile. He is a Grade 4 pupil at the Mandulog Elementary School. He lives in Purok 21 of barangay Mandulog. Purok 21, together with Purok 18 and Purok 22, are separated from the rest of the barangay by Bayug River.
Along with the other children in the community, Bayug River is Joharis’s playground. The river serves as their bathing place where they can swim until sundown. It is also in this river they get water for washing and drinking. Often, Joharis helps in household responsibilities by drawing water from the river. For Joharis, his family, and his neighbours, the river is everything.
Joharis’s family’s house is located just beside the old Pigsu-otan concrete bridge. This bridge connects the three puroks of Mandulog, as well as barangay Lanipao, Dulag and Kalilangan to the rest of Mandulog and Iligan City. Along with his other siblings, they walk for over a kilometre everyday in going to school. “My mother is very insistent that we never miss school. She would always tell us that it is hard if we are not educated. Better opportunities would rarely come way and would even be discriminated because of lack of education. My mother would say that education is the only gift I could give to us her children,” relates Joharis in the Maranao language. Arlene, or Inday to her neighbours, herself did not finish elementary grades.
In the night of 17 December 2011, 2011 the river that used to be the children’s playground and the source of life to the community claimed many lives and destroyed a large amount of property in Joharis’s community.
Joharis’s eyes still widen as he recalls what he witnessed: “that night, the river widened, overflowing its banks. The current was so strong. I have never seen the river so angry. Our neighbours were in panic as they sought refuge in our house.”
Eventually, Joharis’s family had also to abandon its house. His Nanay Inday courageously gathered all her seven children and transferred to another house for safety. Keeping her children intact was all she could do as she heard the river’s strong current away the concrete bridge that connects them to the outside world.
The young Johari together with his parents and siblings immediately started rebuilding their lives after the storm. They were among the lucky ones whose houses were not carried away by the deadly floods. But Swaib, Joharis’s father remained depressed for the coconuts that he was about to harvest were either washed away by the flood, or the flowers and nuts were blown away by the strong wind. For a time, the family experienced hunger. “We had only porridge and root crops,” reveals Joharis. Help that came is like a blessing that Allah delivers to them.
Trying to go back to their normal lives, Johari continued going to school when it reopened. However, it was very difficult because since the concrete bridge that they used to cross was washed away by the floods, Johari and his siblings had to use a makeshift bamboo raft to cross the river in order to go to school. Her mother feared that accidents might happen, but could not do anything since there is no other way for the children to go to school except to take the raft. During rainy days, when the river is swollen, Joharis’s mother would not let the children go to school. Thus, most of the time the children were absent. “My mother would not allow us to go to school when the river is swollen and the current is very strong. I also feel afraid at times, Johari relates.
“I have stopped wearing my shoes in going to school. It gets wet during the ride on the raft. I also wrapped my books and notebooks in plastic bags so that they will not get wet should it rain or the raft capsize when the current is strong.”
On the way home from school Joharis and his siblings would always stop for a while and watch adult members of the community build a footbridge across Bayug River. They were overjoyed when the footbridge could already be used. Even if work on the bridge was not yet completed, with some community members still doing some paintwork, they were already allowed to use the bridge. Asked what the footbridge meant to him, Joharis said: “We no longer have to be absent from school when it rains hard. We no longer fear that the river’s strong currents would carry us away. My books and notebooks will no longer get wet. Now I can wear again my shoes to school.” There joy in Joharis’s eyes as he crosses back and forth the footbridge along with the other children, tugging with them their toy carts. Perhaps, crossing the bridge of hope somehow eases the sad memory brought by the storm. Now according to Johari, he can go to school running and he can now wear his shoes to school. And walks to school with a smile.
View and download a PDF version of this article here.
Excerpt: Introduction
Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme events and disasters.1 While disaster risk reduction (DRR) offers an important opportunity to adapt to current climate variability, in order to be successful, DRR efforts must also take into account changing climate‐related risks in the medium to long term. Many national climate change adaptation plans consider the need to plan over various timescales and acknowledge the essential role of local communities2 in addressing these changing risks. The Minimum Standards for climate‐smart disaster risk reduction were created to serve as an essential bridge between national climate policy and local capacities for DRR. The standards are not idealized solutions, but rather practical approaches to implementing climate‐smart DRR activities in a way that is achievable by many communities with relatively limited external support.
The Minimum Standards are presented in two tables: The first table outlines standards meant to guide local leaders, oftentimes selected by their community (e.g. Red Cross local disaster preparedness volunteers), to inform and facilitate resilience building across the wider community. The second table focuses on the role of national and provincial civil society organizations (CSOs) in providing supplemental guidance for improving the flow of information between various types of scientific ‘knowledge centres’ and vulnerable communities, to enable implementation of climate‐smart DRR. For local actors and their counterparts in CSOs, the Minimum Standards are intended as a practical tool, allowing them to integrate changing climate risks into their efforts to support communities reduce risk to extreme events and disasters. When the Minimum Standards are met, local DRR actions can be considered to be climate-smart and contribute to climate change adaptation. This lends importance to the Minimum Standards for national actors as well, who may use the standards to guide integration of community‐level action on DRR into national adaptation and climate risk management strategies. National strategies that consider these standards will be able to go to scale, knowing that they are realistic and achievable. Overall, these standards provide assurance that DRR goes beyond business as usual and truly addresses changing climate‐related risks.
The minimum standards are based on ample local experience and consultation, including lessons learned during the first years of the Partners for Resilience program, the largest program of its kind focusing on local‐level climate‐smart DRR. The Minimum Standards are a living document that should continue to be
discussed, tested, revised and validated through local‐level activities around the world.
View and download the full document here.
“Philippines – Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards” or “INCREASE” aims to aims to increase the resilience of 45,00 women and men small scale farmers and fishers, including 720 extremely poor female-headed households, to natural hazards and the effect of climate change. INCREASE will run from 2019-2021 in different parts of the Philippines.
INCREASE will be working with 36 barangays across 8 municipalities in the provinces of Mt. Province, Cagayan, Northern Samar, and Surigao del Sur. These barangays are among the most vulnerable communities that are the first to be impacted by strong rain and typhoons along the east coast of the Philippines. These communities share the same landscape – upland, riverline, coastal – building on the landscape approach of the project.
View and download the full briefer here.
Story by CARE Philippines
Rose (24 years old) is a resident of Sapa, Barangay Panghulo, Malabon City. Her household is composed of eight individuals which include her five children, her mother, father, aunt who is a senior citizen. Her family’s main source of income is distributing and selling Sampaguita flower garlands.
Most members of her community lost their employment. Rose revealed that since most men in the community work at construction sites, all of them lost their jobs during the lockdown enforced by the government to control the pandemic. Women while primarily responsible for caring for the children, also sold Sampaguita garlands on the side to augment household incomes. Due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or lockdown, they were unable to sell the garlands and had no sustainable source of income.
“Bawal kasi talaga lumabas. Halimbawa, nakita ka ng barangay sa labas, huhulihin ka kaagad lalo na pag wala kang mask” (Rose, female, 24 years old, Malabon City)
“We were not allowed to go out at all. If the barangay officials see you outside of your house, they would arrest you immediately especially if you do not have a face mask.”(Rose, female, 24 years old, Malabon City)
Rose also mentioned that the quarantine protocols in their barangay are extremely strict. For each household, throughout the ECQ, only one person is allowed to go out and do errands. They did not have curfew hours since residents were not allowed to go out if they do not have a quarantine pass. If apprehended, curfew violators are taken to the barangay office. Rose also mentioned that those who guard and enforce quarantine protocols in their community are all men.
When asked whether they had access to face masks during the ECQ, Rose shared that they could not afford a box of face masks. It was too expensive, so they used cloths and handkerchiefs as an alternative for protective gear. She also mentioned that practicing social distancing was difficult and almost impossible for them since their house is small and all of them were forced to stay inside.
Rose shared that they received food aid four times during the lockdown. However, this was insufficient to meet the foods needs of the whole household. Most of the time they were eating only twice or once a day in order to make food supply last longer. As for the cash aid, she mentioned that there were a lot of households in the community that did not receive cash assistance even though they lost their jobs and applied for the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
“Kulang po talaga ang binibigay ng barangay. Minsan sabi ko sa anak ko pag humihingi ng pagkain, inom na lang siya tubig para ma-survive ang gutom.” (Mary (Rose’s mother), female, 49 years-old, Malabon City)
“The food aid given by the barangay is insufficient. Sometimes when my children ask for food, I just tell them to drink lots of water so that they can endure their hunger and survive.” (Mary (rose’s mother) female, 49 years-old, Malabon City)
Since the implementation of General Community Quarantine (GCQ), Rose and her family were able to go back to selling and distributing Sampaguita garlands. However, it would take them 8 to 9 hours of walking every day since there is no public transportation. They also mentioned that as of now there is little profit from selling since the pandemic has caused the closure of many business establishments.
You may also read this story on the CARE Philippines website by clicking here.
Story by ACCORD, Inc.
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting not just the health but also the livelihoods of people the world over. In Cotabato City, many from urban poor communities have been unable to work because of strict quarantine measures imposed across the Philippines midway through March 2020.
To help partner communities tap alternative sources of livelihood during the COVID-19 crisis, the Moving Urban Poor Communities Toward Resilience Project (MOVE UP) organized a mobile palengke (market) in five barangays of Cotabato City on June 13, 2020. This was also one way to make affordable, fresh, healthy food accessible to locals as they observe stay-at-home rules.
MOVE UP worked with the local government and two community savings groups (CSG), which are livelihood groups formed as part of the project’s strategies to enhance urban resilience by improving financial literacy and making livelihoods more resilient. Members of the participating CSGs – who, before the pandemic, made a living by selling food products, tailoring, or working as housekeepers – sold fish, chicken, fruits, vegetables, and spices at the mobile palengke.
Pre-activity consultations and planning
Throughout the whole process, the CSG members were actively involved in decision-making, and there was always proper coordination with the local government.
The first step was to conduct consultations with the relevant stakeholders. The team met with the barangay and city local government through the members of the project’s Technical Working Group on Resilient Livelihood, and members of the CSGs. The next phase involved figuring out which commodities to sell, making the necessary logistics arrangements, looking for cost-efficient suppliers, and computing for potential revenue, among other planning-related tasks.
To promote the activity, city and barangay local governments worked together to help spread the word.
Market day
The group went to all five barangays – Poblacion 3 and 9, and Rosary Heights 3, 4, and 5 – in one day. They had planned to spend two hours in each site, including the loading and unloading of items from the rented trucks. Staff members made announcements on-site in the local language using a megaphone. Physical distancing was observed, and the team used masks and disposable gloves.
Challenges and lessons
During the post-activity evaluations, several challenges were discussed. Planning and coordination was made more difficult by the quarantine because face-to-face meetings were discouraged, if not prohibited. Making sure the perishable goods stayed fresh – on the day itself and a few days after, in case there were leftovers – was also challenging. There were difficulties during procurement because stock availability was limited, another effect of the lockdown on supply chains. There was also a sharp price drop, particularly for fish, from the day of procurement to the day after the activity. Lastly, five barangays, with one to two market sites per barangay, may have been too many to cover in one day, as the loading and unloading process in each site was laborious and time-consuming.
Some CGS members also expressed hesitance to join future sessions. For one, sales projections made during this run of the mobile palengke may not be applicable to subsequent runs, as buyers begin to have more choices available due to the loosening up of movement restrictions. Some are also less inclined to do it again because they incurred some losses due to the price fluctuation.
But despite these concerns and the challenges they faced, the team has decided to try again and adjust based on the lessons they learned from the previous activity.
Focusing on people rather than just profit
The mobile palengke gave partner communities a chance to explore an alternative livelihood, and also brought food closer to communities whose access to markets has been difficult. It also allowed the MOVE UP team to see how else they could help improve the livelihoods of CSGs.
It was a good reminder that exploring alternative livelihoods entails taking risks – as all livelihood pursuits have associated risks – and learning from the challenges.
Most importantly, it was a reminder that making livelihoods more resilient is more than a quest for profitability. The systems that make livelihoods more likely to be profitable, sustainable, and humane must also be improved. This requires allowing communities to fully participate in the process (thereby improving their social positions) and working hand-in-hand with local governments (as a result, helping create a more enabling environment). The gains from these efforts may not be as tangible and immediate as turning a profit, but they pave the way for the longer-term, systemic changes needed to help empower urban poor communities.
To bolster urban resilience, then, we must place people, rather than just profit, at the center of livelihood efforts.
Through the EU Humanitarian Aid, the Move Up Project has been able to reach out to the most vulnerable families affected by the social and economic impacts of COVID-19.
Cebu City, which has been under stringent community quarantine measures due to its increasing COVID-19 cases, is home to more than 900,000 people as of 2015.
To date, the Community Savings Groups which are established through the project, have been continuously finding ways to diversify their livelihood options given the uncertain circumstances.
Hear more about their stories in this Champions’ Vlog .
The MOVE UP Project is an urban resilience effort funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. It is implemented by Plan International Philippines, CARE Philippines, Action Against Hunger Philippines, and ACCORD Incorporated.
In the third installment of the Move Up Project vlog series, let’s get to know more about the journey of the Community Savings Groups (CSGs) in Cebu City. In one of the project training sessions, some key members of the groups were able to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats which are crucial to their enterprises.
Through the said exercise, the groups were able to plan ahead the mitigating measures and how to maximize solutions available given the existing threats to their businesses’ success.
CSGs are the entry point of the project’s Resilient Livelihood intervention. Using this social group, capacity building activities are made to diversify their livelihood options and help the existing ones become more resilient and sustainable.
The MOVE UP Project is funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid and run by a consortium of Plan International Philippines, CARE Philippines, Action Against Hunger Philippines, and ACCORD Incorporated.
From a public health emergency of international concern to a pandemic, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has continuously crossed intercontinental borders and has infected millions of people around the world. In four months, the United States has overtaken Europe as the pandemic’s epicenter. As of May 11, US has recorded the highest number of deaths at 76,916, followed by the United Kingdom at 31,855 and Italy at close 30,560. The global death toll has reached 280,000 while confirmed cases have surged to 4 million worldwide.
The pandemic has hit global north countries the worst despite their relatively functional healthcare systems and medical infrastructures. The United States confirmed the highest number of cases at 1.2 million followed by Spain (225,000), the Russian Federation (221,000), UK and Italy (219,000). Meanwhile, emerging, underdeveloped, and developing countries with dysfunctional healthcare systems have struggled to cope; analysts said the African continent is a ticking time bomb with its underfunded health programs and medical infrastructures. Governments around the world have sent millions of people into lockdowns and have forced tens of thousands of businesses and livelihoods to close indefinitely. The World Economic Forum projected that in the least developed countries, 900 million people are at risk from the COVID-19.
In the Philippines, just two months after Taal Volcano had spewed ashes in a phreatic eruption that paralyzed the Southern Tagalog Region, the authorities reported the first local transmission of COVID-19. President Rodrigo Duterte then imposed a 30-day Metro Manila lockdown, limiting travel in and out of the capital region until April 14. The rising number of cases and death toll resulted in a national state of calamity and an extended, enhanced community quarantine for high-risk areas until May 15, including the capital region. The government suspended all classes, mass transport systems, public gatherings, and other social activities to reduce transmission. The executive branches continued operations on skeleton staff and work-from-home arrangements; several sectors and other organizations followed suit. In March, the Senate passed the Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, authorizing the president to have additional emergency powers and access to funding in dealing with the pandemic, including accreditation of testing kits and facilities, distribution of cash aid, and deployment of added military interventions, among others. Near mid-May, 726 Filipinos have died and 11,086 have tested positive.
As of now, there are only 11 accredited subnational laboratories for testing in the country. The government admitted that limited testing centers pose challenges in determining the actual number of cases. To address this, 60 more laboratories are yet to be accredited by the government, which targets 13,000 to 20,000 testing a day starting on April 27. The testing will prioritize suspect and probable cases of COVID- 19.
In recent weeks, resource-challenged hospitals and medical facilities have encountered many gaps and challenges in fighting the coronavirus. Death among healthcare professionals and the infected ones’ inability to function during a mandatory quarantine period aggravate the long-existing shortage of healthcare manpower in the country. The scarce supply of personal protective equipment and other logistical needs exacerbate the crisis. Saturated COVID-19 centers cannot cater to the increasing number of suspect and probable cases, resorting to home quarantines. In urban settings with relatively high population densities, physical distancing and isolation seem almost impossible. At the community levels, health workers struggle to monitor the conditions of suspect cases due to a lack of facilities for the mandated self-isolation procedures. Besides myths and disinformation, social stigma has also aggravated problems on early detection, monitoring, and treatment. Family members’ prejudice and discrimination towards their presumptive positive relatives also add a burden to the position of the latter.
Given the context of continuously rising cases and the immediate need to address the hospitals’ surge capacity, the Moving Urban Poor Communities Toward Resilience (MOVE UP) Project, with its success in piloting and replicating alternative temporary shelter (ATS) systems as an urban resilience strategy, aims to propose solutions that will help address current gaps in providing adequate facilities for self-isolation and quarantine. The ATS System, originally intended to address the lack of dignified space and shelters for internally displaced families affected by disasters, can serve as base models for designing Community Quarantine Facilities (CQFs). MOVE UP, together with its technical partner for shelter United Architects of the Philippines – Emergency Architects (UAP-EA), intends to present replicable models built on practical design criteria (robustness, affordability, scalability, range of application, and speed of construction) for local government units (LGUs) and communities that need facilities.
To see the full concept note, please download the file below.