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Zoom in, zoom out: Scalar politics, master planning, and environmental justice concerns

A case study connecting the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Masterplan to the small-scale fisherfolk and urban poor living along the coastline of Manila Bay

Thesis Report by: Lieke Brackel

ABSTRACT

Inhabitants of Metro Manila are confronted with challenges such as the overall congestion of the fast-growing city, ecological degradation, and aggravated exposure to natural hazards due to climate change. Stakeholders present in- and around Manila Bay have different interests and perspectives on how the coastline should develop, resulting in fierce competition.

This research focusses on two groups of stakeholders in particular: the urban poor and small-scale fisherfolk living along the waterways in Navotas. They express environmental justice concerns about decreased access to the bay and space for social housing (distribution), persistence of negative stigma and disregard for resource-based livelihoods (recognition), lacking representation, consultation, and information provision (participation), and the overall degradation of the Manila Bay ecosystem (ecological integrity). Most importantly, they experience distress as they are uncertain how their livelihoods and homes are influenced by development projects requiring land reclamations, construction of the dyke, and/or relocations.

The Manila Bay Sustainable Development Masterplan (MBSDMP) is initiated- and partly funded by the Dutch government. This consultancy project aims to advise decision-makers within the Philippine government to steer the development of Manila Bay into a more ‘sustainable’ and‘inclusive’ direction. The expectation has been raised, that the MBSDMP would be conducted in a ‘participatory’ manner, referring to the Dutch Delta Approach. Explicitly also including the small-scale fisherfolk and urban poor. And for that local view, you have to zoom in.

However, choosing to plan for the scale of ‘Manila Bay’ can (unintentionally) influence the rules of the game and/or be used as an active instrument to win that game. In line with political ecology, this thesis uses the theoretical frame of scalar politics to explore what the MBSDMP case-study could reveal about the main research question: ‘How does high-level, ecological delineated, and long-term planning relate to locally expressed environmental justice concerns?’

This qualitative explorative research project attempted to connect the local barangay level in Navotas with the high-level MBDSMP planning process: zooming in and out. Findings are based on a three-month fieldwork period in the Philippines including ethnographic observations of key events, document analysis, and 37 interviews. By literally jumping between these layers of governance, tensions and diverging expectations were encountered about the role of participation in- and the objectives and scope of the MBSDMP.

Moreover, this thesis describes how strategic master planning risks aggravating- instead of addressing environmental justice concerns as expressed by small-scale fisherfolk and urban poor. Issues most important to these groups can become sidelined by the choice for the bay-wide scale of governance. On the other hand, actors can try to use the created invited spaces of participation in the MBSDMP to bring back the human-perspective in strategic master planning. This is especially relevant considering the centralizing and militaristic trends in the Philippine planning context. Still, the high-level, ecologically delineated, and long-term orientation of the planning exercise does pose challenges for the practical organization of participation. Hence, it depends on the theory of change assumptions of actors involved whether (and if so, how) they believe the MBSDMP could be a useful instrument to address environmental injustices. This thesis does not draw final conclusions about the particular case of the MBSDMP, as the planning process was highly dynamic and still evolving when the fieldwork period ended. Yet, the dilemma’s described can inform and support general reflection by scientists and practitioners on the politics of choosing ecological boundaries as scale of governance, also in other strategic master planning processes. This thesis emphasizes the need to not only zoom out, but also zoom in.

View, read, and download the full thesis here.

As the Philippines enters La Nina season, public advisories help in preparing communities. Specific agri-weather advisories were presented in these infographics for each INCREASE area.

Please refer to the advisories per area below:

INCREASE or “Philippines – Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards” 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. The project will run from 2019-2021 in different parts of the Philippines, namely 36 barangays across 8 municipalities in the provinces of Cagayan, Mt. Province, Northern Samar, and Surigao del Sur. Its project components and activities include early warning systems, alternative livelihood, and climate and disaster governance.

This is an infographic of the latest public storm warning signal used by PAGASA. It aims to familiarize communities with the potential impact when any Public Storm Warning Signal Number is hoisted or put in effect in an area, and therefore make preparedness measures when a public storm hits.

Please use or access the file below if you would like to have it save a sot copy of the file.

October 1, 2012

By Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star)

This report was first published in print in issue on The Philippine Star on 30 September 2012.

Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte, Philippines – The Philippines is ahead of its Southeast Asian neighbors in disaster preparedness, according to European Union.

Ambassador Guy Ledoux, of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, witnessed the country’s progress in disaster risk reduction program here and has commended the collaborative efforts of the local government units, non-government organizations and communities to help save lives and lessen damage in times of disaster.

“There is now global recognition and importance of disaster risk reduction.”

Ledoux cited the country’s disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation practices.

The National Conference for Effective Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Practices was held here Friday with Ledoux as guest speaker.

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Asia remains the worst affected continent and nine out of 10 countries with the highest number of disaster-related deaths were in Asia.

“It has been demonstrated in many cases that a highly effective way of reducing the need for humanitarian aid is to invest in disaster risk reduction measures, including ensuring greater preparedness of people at risk. There is now global recognition and importance of disaster risk reduction,” Ledoux said in his speech.

The conference gathered more than 100 disaster risk reduction practitioners from high-risk communities from Regions II, V, XII, CAR and Caraga targeted by the EU disaster preparedness program.

(Photo credit to Gregorio Dantes Jr.)

To access a soft copy of this story, please click here.

October 1, 2012

By Tarra Quismundo, Philippine Daily Inquirer

This report was first published in print in issue in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on 30 September 2012

St. Bernard, Southern Leyte – When a 7.6-magnitude quake hit the Visayas and triggered a tsunami warning in the Pacific coast a month ago, some 7,000 residents from coastal barangays here evacuated to higher ground within 12 minutes.

In the fast and orderly retreat to safer ground, everyone was spared from harm.

Scarred by a deadly landslide six years ago, this fourth class town of 27,000 residents has emerged as a “flagship” example in disaster preparedness, response and mitigation, its early warning system and community-based readiness program now a model for other vulnerable towns to emulate.

“Where we fall, we rise.”

“Where we fall, we rise.”, said town Mayor Rico Rentuza in opening the national disaster risk reduction and climate change conference here on Friday.

“We are not a rich town, but we are rich in hazards. Name all the hazards, we have them.. We want to build a culture of preparedness. With all the things we implemented in St. Bernard, we are already experiencing the impact of more efficient emergency response and coordination,” Rentuza said before an audience of fellow government officials and civil society groups that gathered to learn about his town’s experience.

Once rendered “helpless” by a landslide that killed more than 1,000 residents in 2006, this town of survivors has integrated disaster risk reduction into their daily lives.

Early Warning Systems

Barangays on the town’s Pacific coast man state-of-the-art early warning systems round-the-clock, ready to immediately dispatch alerts through loudspeakers installed in hazard-prone villages. All around town are disaster preparedness posters and signs. Evacuation routes are marked.

Volunteers plant mangroves along the coastline to build a natural shield from flooding. Young people regularly go to disaster-preparedness camps. And the town government, supported by both local and international agencies, is in a constant state of readiness – that is, ready to sustain the program even when left to stand in their own feet.

“As a first-time visitor in Southern Leyte, it is rewarding to see how St. Bernard has been fully involved in community based disaster risk reduction project since the results of its investment are manifested in the successful outcomes of drills and actual evacuation,” said European Union Manila head of delegation Guy Ledoux, addressing the forum.

“I would say that regarding disaster preparedness, St. Bernard is certainly flagship. It is the most successful project and we are now [looking] to share the success in disaster preparedness of St. Bernard,” an impressed Ledoux later said in an interview.

He also noted how the Philippines has come a long way in disaster risk reduction efforts compared to its neighbors in the region.

“We are proud to recognize that the Philippines is ahead of its Southeast Asian neighbors as it has adopted a policy framework on disaster preparedness and local government units have been trained in implementing this framework,” Ledoux said.

International Assistance

Through a modest P10-million assistance over five years, the European Union and other partner agencies, including CARE Netherlands and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), have helped build the town’s capacity for disaster risk reduction.

International funding helped the town create its local disaster risk reduction office, which maintains a sophisticated, Filipino-made early warning system in eight high-risk barangays.

Designed and operated by Filippino scientist Reginald Juan Mercado, devices that detect multiple hazards such as flood, earthquake, landslide and tsunami, among others, are hooked to barangay stations that could readily issue warnings through loudspeakers whenever necessary.

While monitored by a nerve-center based at the town hall, this decentralized system makes for factor dispatch of information, Rentuza said. “They don’t have to wait for me to issue the warning,” he said.

“We have a long way to go. This should be a lifelong process and practice.”

Colorful Houses

The town has also designated evacuation sites in every sector. This way, residents already know where to run when emergency comes.

Incidentally, one such site is the uphill resettlement site for survivors of the Guinsagon landslide. Permanently relocated after the 2006 landslide, some 268 families (1,023 people) now reside in the new village, living in colorful concrete homes built by the Red Cross, Gawad Kalinga and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“I am proud to say that from tragedy, we are now host to evacuees from Barangay Tambis Uno,” said New Guinsagon village chief Beauty Omela Cabacungan, referring to one of the town’s vulnerable barangays.

“Our secret to still surviving is our faith in God and the prayer that whatever problem happens, we offer it to God, for we all know that God will provide,” said Cabacungan in welcoming Ledoux and other visiting officials to her village on Friday.

Lifelong Process

“The St. Bernard experience is a good example of how local communities with the support of civil society and organizations and collaboration with local government authorities can spearhead collective action along disaster risk reduction,” Ledoux said.

Much needs to be done, conceded Rentuza, as he gave assurance that the local government will not waver in disaster risk reduction efforts.

“There is still much to be done. And it requires commitment, focus, time… We have a long way to go. This should be a lifelong process and practice,” Rentuza said.

The European Union has been a steady humanitarian partner of the Philippines as part of its global effort to provide financial and technical aid to disaster-prone countries. Between this year and 2013, the EU has allocated P130 million for disaster-preparedness initiatives across the Philippines.

(Photo credit to Gregorio Dantes Jr.)

To access a soft copy of this story, please click here.

Strengthening BDRRMC capacities as a sustainable mechanism for IRM

by Brgy. Captain Edilberto Lacaba, Brgy. Badiangay, Sta. Fe

Barangay Badiangay is one of 20 barangays in the municipality of Sta Fe that is high-risk to flooding. It is four kilometres away from the town center, and situated in the interior part of the municipality. To reach Badiangay, one needs to ride a motorbike or “habal-habal,” the primary mode of transportation going in and out of the barangay. There are three sitios in the barangay namely Sitios Kamalig, Batoon and Proper. A total of 175 households or 710 individuals make up the whole barangay in which majority are children.

Both sides of the road leading to the barangay are bordered by rice fields, with a few houses dotting the sides of the road. Areas that used to be planted with coconuts have now been broken up to small patches of land planted with vegetables and root crops. Majority of the people work in rice fields as tenants or farm laborers. As farm laborers, they get paid P150-200 pesos for a whole day’s work. During lean months they work as laborers, house helpers or sales ladies in the neighbouring town of Palo or Tacloban. There is no water system that brings water into the homes directly. Drinking water in the barangay is delivered once a week by a truck from the Leyte Metro Water District (LMWD). The residents pay P5.00 per container of water. For bathing and washing, they fetch water from an open well near their houses. This has been the situation in the barangay for the longest time and is considered as normal for everyone.

Such is the situation of the barangay which Edilberto Lacaba calls home.

Edilberto Lacaba is the soft spoken and shy barangay chairman of Badiangay. Once you engage him in a discussion, however, he speaks with seriousness and sincerity. He explains that Barangay Badiangay is a low lying barangay surrounded by the Bobonon River from neighbouring barangay San Isidro and Dapdap and Malaihaw rivers from barangay Gapas, all in the eastern part of the barangay. Water coming from these rivers traverses their barangay thus with only a few hours of strong rain, flood is an inevitable hazard they experience. This constant flooding exacerbates the already difficult economic and physical conditions of the residents of Barangay Badiangay.

According to some elderly in the barangay, in the 1960’s they already experienced flooding. Back then they just stayed within the barangay and wait for flood waters to recede. They would only evacuate to the barangay proper or in some private houses that have second floors when water is knee or waist high. Flooding, at that time, does not reach the barangay proper. Only the two sitios (Batoon and Kamalig) were heavily flooded. Kap Edilberto says it’s different now. Flood waters reach up to 8 feet high, covering their roofs and also reaching the barangay proper. When Typhoon Senyang hit Leyte in the last week of December of 2014, it brought the worst flooding ever experienced in the barangay. The whole barangay was inundated. Left with no choice, they evacuated to the municipal gymnasium of Sta. Fe. Most of their belongings were left behind because they could only bring what they can carry. The fathers were left to take care of their farm animals and other valuables left behind. They built bamboo rafts and stayed on guard of their properties until the flood water subsided.

This was also the time when Edilberto, then the first Kagawad of Badiangay, was forced to act as the head of their barangay because of the untimely death of their Barangay Captain. He did not wish to be a First Kagawad in the first place. Being a Barangay Captain was farthest from his mind. His reluctance was based on his idea that being a Chairman is an enormous responsibility and this would require a 24-7 commitment from him. He was not sure then if he was up to that challenge. But he did heed the challenge after the people of Badiangay showed their support for him.

When ACCORD conducted the series of trainings on Disaster Risk Reduction as part of Promoting Recovery and Enhancing Resilience of the Most Vulnerable Communities that are Most Affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the barangay officials of Badiangay were not so enthusiastic to participate. Their initial reaction was the usual reaction ACCORD gets from almost all barangays and municipalities encountered for the first time. Flooding was a normal occurrence in their barangay and they have gotten used to it and besides, they have already attended numerous DRR trainings conducted by other organizations. But out of respect to ACCORD, the trainings pushed through.

As the series of trainings unfold, they started to see the difference. They observed that the activities during workshops are hands-on and based on their actual experiences. Every activity involved the community’s participation, and they can proudly claim every output as their own. Above all, the successive DRR trainings by ACCORD made them realize that they can do something to minimize the ill effects of flooding in their barangay, that they have capacities to improve their situation. After the community-based DRM training for barangay officials in Sta. Fe, Kap Edilberto surprised us when he made the commitment to accept the challenge posed by ACCORD. He will try to the best of his abilities to pursue the path towards resilience.

Indeed, because of the firm commitment Kap Edilberto made, and the changes showed by his fellow barangay officials, the BDRRMC of Badiangay evolved into a learning and responsible organization. Even Kap Edilberto said that BDRRMC officials and members were not active at first, but they showed they can change. Even the community members were not as participative at first. So much so that when ACCORD chose Badiangay to be one of two barangays to conduct a community flood drill, Kap Edilberto was worried if they could muster the support of the majority of the residents to participate in the drill. But he was challenged because this is what their community needs.

The community flood drill was nothing but successful. BDRRMC members and the whole community actively participated in all of the community activities leading to the drill. He was amazed at the seemingly unending stream of volunteers to do all the technical jobs required and all the public awareness activities that had to be done to ensure that everyone in the community was adequately informed. He also acknowledged that part of the strengthening process of the BDRRMC is the opportunity it provided to work with the MDRRMC. And they are happy to note that the MDRRMC has started to recognize its role in supporting the actions of the BDRRMCs.

When asked about his reflections of the project, Kap Edilberto said that what he appreciates most was the series of DRR capacity-building activities that aimed at strengthening their BDRRMC. He still could not believe that they were able to formulate their Contingency Plan and was able to test it through the community drill. Lessons learned were that if people are informed, they will participate. If the BDRRMC members understand DRR, and their responsibilities, they will eventually be active. Just like him, he said he also learned by doing. And what one does must be propelled by a sincere resolve to increase the capacities of a very high risk and vulnerable community.

To view and download a copy of this story, please click here.

INCREASE prioritizes vulnerable women in its activities to make sure that more opportunities will be accessible for them. This is published to show the selection criteria for female household heads who would be qualified to become part of the resilient livelihood activities of INCREASE.

To access a high-resolution copy of the file, please access the document by clicking on this link.

by ACCORD, Inc.

Building Back Better and Safer : Mainstreaming IRM in livelihood programming

Benidicto M. Cabilte or Mano Ben, as everybody calls him, is a frail man at 63. He is apologetic and quite shy when we went to see him in his house in Barangay Bulod, part of Sta. Fe municipality in Leyte. He lives in a small house together with his son, Junior. The father and son tandem cultivates a ¼ hectare of land owned by a relative residing in Palo. They plant rice and vegetables. Half of their rice harvest is given to the land owner as a form of rent, while the rest they keep for their consumption. Mano Ben used to work as a security guard in Tacloban and Samar. His wife and their children were the ones tending the farm. But when his wife got sick of tuberculosis, he stopped working as a security guard and took care of her. It was also during this time that Mano Ben went back to farming.

The couple survived Yolanda’s wrath, but unfortunately last year, Mano Ben’s wife died. The old man got so depressed that at times he turned to drinking to forget his pain. When he is sober Mano Ben continues to work in the farm together with his son Jun. The farm provides for their food and other needs and at the same time serves as therapy for Mano Ben. The daily toil keeps his mind off some problems.

Mano Ben came to know ACCORD through the livelihood assistance project for their barangay where he is a beneficiary. For the first tranche, he received P3,000.00 which he used to buy feeds for a piglet he already owns. For the second tranche, the livelihood group that Mano Ben was a member pooled part of the assistance they received and decided to buy a rice thresher and a carabao. They agreed this will enable them to expand their farms and increase productivity, thereby increasing their income.

Mano Ben consistently attended meetings and trainings facilitated by ACCORD. Most memorable to him is the sustainable agriculture training. He got interested upon hearing that the training involves actual demonstration on how to make organic fertilizer and insecticide. It was very appropriate at that time since he was having trouble with some insects and pests in his farm and commercial fertilizer was too expensive that he can’t afford to buy them.

Prior to attending the seminar on sustainable agriculture, Mano Ben used chemical sprayers and fertilizer in their rice field such as Superharvest and Restorer. He notes that it isn’t good for his health because of weakness and pains he endures after spraying. He also observes that chemicals harm the environment, and the plant stems are more infirm and shorter. However, like other farmers, he was used to it and had little knowledge on how to shift to organic farming, although he had heard about it in seminars he attended before.

Mano Ben shared that the trainings were very helpful because of the step-by-step process taught them. He was so enthusiastic during the training, he took pains jotting important notes and made sure to bring with him a copy of the recipes for organic concoctions. He wanted to share it with his son and try making some for their own use. Jun, on the one hand, was introduced to a 15-day course on gardening in high school. “Mabuti na lang nagturo sila tungkol sa gardening sa amin, napakahalaga ng kaalamang iyon.” said Jun. Aside from what he learned from high school, he also actively does research on useful techniques and supplements the organic farming knowledge his father learned during the Sustainable Agriculture seminar. For their first attempt, Mano Ben and Jun made fermented fruit juice and insect attractant. They applied the fermented fruit juice and insect attractant on their vegetable crops of squash, red chili, string beans, watermelon and eggplant.

Since then, they have observed a significant change in the quality of both rice and vegetable crops with convincing testimonies on the effects of organic fertilizers on production. They said that the crops were bigger than before, with firmer stems and greener in color, with increased yield and faster growth rate compared with crops using chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizers also do not cause acidity in the soil, thus, continuously producing good crops. Father and son also happily relate how effective the organic attractant they have concocted in deflecting pests off their crops. They also tried to mix the fermented fruit juice to feed the pigs and deworm them. At present, they are tending 6 pigs, a dozen chickens, and a few ducks.

Mano Ben was so proud when his neighbors noticed the difference in his vegetable garden that they started to ask what he applied to achieve such healthy-looking vegetables. He also adds that one of the big landowners in their barangay sought their help on how to make the organic concoctions. He boasts that he has convinced three farmers to go organic, too.

The passion of Mano Ben and Jun about practicing organic farming is very evident in the way they talk about their experiences. They are very proud of their practice that is more environmentally friendly and are very keen on encouraging their community to do the same. Jun plans to share his knowledge more extensively with the youth after proving the effectiveness of organic farming which they tested and practiced in their vegetable garden. Mano Ben continues to be busy throughout the day attending to the farm and their livestock. For both of them, life is simply getting better. Mano Ben at 63 is indeed still active and dynamic by going organic.

To view and download a copy of this story, please click here.

Integrated Risk Management Training Manual (4 modules) Contents:

Module 1: Community-Based Disaster Risk Management
Module 2: Community Risk Assessment
Module 3: Contingency Planning
Module 4: Mainstreaming DRR, CCA, at EMR sa mga planong pangkaunlaran

This manual is written for facilitators who will conduct training in communities that are vulnerable to various hazards.

It may also be useful for members of disaster risk reduction and management bodies in schools and at the community, barangay, city, and municipal levels; and other non-government organizations.

It is written in Filipino and presents the technical subject matter in terms that are easily understandable, and in a format that is easily readable. Among other resources, it contains tools to conduct community risk assessments.

This companion guide to mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation (CCA) and ecosystem management and restoration (EMR) in an integrated way is a product of many years of practice, reflection and learning. In 2012, ACCORD and CARE Nederland published a 3-volume Training on Disaster Preparedness and Contingency Planning manual. One session, on risk reduction planning, briefly touched on mainstreaming DRR, CCA and EMR in development plans. Today, we are transforming our accumulated knowledge on mainstreaming into this companion guide or handbook, with optimism that others will find value in, and learn from our experience.

CARE Nederland introduced to us the project cycle management approach to mainstreaming. The Bureau of Local Government Development of the Department of Interior and Local Government trained us on mainstreaming DRR and CCA in the Rationalized Planning System. For both, their support was crucial in the development of our mainstreaming practice. The local government units (LGUs) that have worked with us in the mainstreaming process are too numerous to acknowledge individually, but Saint Bernard, a municipality of Southern Leyte, and Calabanga in Camarines Sur deserve special mention. Led respectively by mayors Rico Rentuza and Evelyn Yu, Saint Bernard and Calabanga enthusiastically collaborated with us in our earliest attempt at mainstreaming. Equally valuable was our collaboration with the municipalities of Maragusan, Davao de Oro and La Paz, Leyte; the Metro Manila cities of Malabon and Navotas;

To view and download the full document, please click here.