Compendium of Good Practices On Climate Change Adaptation

Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation |
Compendium of Good Practices

on Climate Change Adaptation
June 2012
2 | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS viii
INTRODUCTION 1
GOOD PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN THE COASTAL RESOURCES SECTOR
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Coastal Agro-Ecological Project Model for a Disaster-Resilient Community,
Barangay Galicia, Rapu-rapu, Albay
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Enabling Environment: Local Government Initiatives, Province of Albay
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Communicating Climate Change in Coastal Areas: A Community-based Adaptation

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GOOD PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN THE HEALTH SECTOR
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Good Practices for Safe Drinking Water

o Solar-based Water Purification Techniques

o Water Sanitation Program
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Clean Air Practices

o Walkable and Bicycle- Friendly City , Marikina City

o Control of Smoke Belching Vehicles: Sagip, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

o Green City Program, Pasig City

o Anti-Cigarette Smoking Campaign , Metro Manila
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Community-based Hazard Mapping Practices

o Promise: A Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation

Progran, Dagupan City

o Reducing Disaster Risk through the Purok System, San Francisco,

Camotes Island, Cebu

o Ready Project, 27 Provinces
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Education, Research, Academic Practices

o Education as a Strategy for Psychosocial Recovery for Children in Emergencies,

Save the Children

o School Building Design for Disaster Reduction: The Learning and Public Use School

Building (LAPUS Building) , Province of Albay

o NGO Involvement in Education: Rehabilitating Schools A Case by Plan in Albay

o Building a Safe Learning Environment: Safe School Project, UNICEF,

Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development

o School Hydrological Information Network, Bulacan
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Disaster Safety Practices

o Disaster-Resilient Housing Practices, Quezon City
o Safer School Resources Management, Department of Education
o Safe Hospital Manual, Department of Health
o One Million Safe Schools and Hospitals Campaign, International Strategy
for Disaster Reduction
o Occupational Health and Safety Compliance, Department of Education
Evacuation Center Health Practices
o Breastfeeding , Department of Health
o Rapid Assessment Tool for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
in the Philippine Health Emergency Setting
o Mental Health Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) Task Force
Flood Mitigation Good Practices
o Banning Use of Plastic
o Comprehensive Urban Planning, Naga City
Health Systems and Infrastructure Practices
o Health Emergency Management Staff ( HEMS ), Department of Health
o Health Emergency and Diseases Information System (HEDIS)
o Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters ( SPEED), Department
of Health and World Health Organization
o Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies (HOPE) Project, National Disaster
Coordinating Council and USAID-OFDA
LGU-based Disaster Response
o City Disaster Coordinating Council, Olongapo City
o A2C2 Project, Province of Albay
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GOOD PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

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Organic Agriculture in Dragon Fruit Plantation , Candon City, Ilocos Sur
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Co-Operation Venture on Organic Farming System , Sinait, Ilocos Sur
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Integrated Agro-forestry Project , Bacnotan La Union
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Sustainable Upland Farming through the Establishment of Barangay Sagip-Saka

Conservation Farming Villages (CFV): A Modality for Climate Change Adaptation
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GOOD PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN THE WATER RESOURCES SECTOR

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Hijo River Rechanneling and Accretion Development along Hijo River ,Tagum City
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Building a Disaster Resilient Community, Brgy. Banaba, San Mateo Rizal
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Journey Towards Security of Tenure, Tanza, Navotas
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GOOD PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR/

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
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Mt. Malindang Reinforestation Project , Misamis Occidental
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Climate Change Education for Empowering Communities: The Case of Bicol University
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iv | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
FOREWORD
In order to accomplish the broad objective of the MDGF 1656 project to build capacities for climate
change adaptation for selected higher education institutions (HEIs) in the various regions of the country, a major component was focused on the assessment of capacities of these institutions to deliver
to its clientele the concepts, principles and the documentation of good practices for climate change
adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) and management. This Compendium of Good
Practices falls in line with HEIs avowed broad mandates of instruction, research and extension, for
CCA/DRR especially, and therein the materials could prove most useful.
In this publication, we have attempted to bring together the good practices for CCA/DRR in one compendium for various uses in classroom teaching, and research and extension activities, where elaboration and application of concepts and principles could be better understood by students through
concrete examples. The good practices included in this volume documents those experienced or
encountered by the case writers as contributory to the deeper understanding of CCA/DRR within the
context of the sectors considered most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, namely coastal
resources, human health, agriculture, water resources and forestry. (CHAWF).
The value of the Compendium would be most appreciated by students, faculty members, researchers, extension workers, school administrators, local government units, policymakers and the general
public as they seek ways to contextualize CCA/DRR advocacies in their respective spheres of work
and influence.
We are proud to present this publication as a product of concerted efforts among our member institutions of PATLEPAM, through the case writers, who are experts in their own rights, and who are all
committed to the advocacy of mainstreaming climate change adaptation and disaster risk management as a strategy to reduce the felt impacts of the global phenomenon of climate change and the
concomitant disasters it usually brings along.
Chair, PATLEPAM Board of Directors
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude for those who have helped
us in compiling and documenting good practices in climate change adaptation in the coastal resources, health, agriculture, water and forestry sectors. We would like to specially thank the following case
writers from PATLEPAM:

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Dr. Christopher Ablan - Consultant, Silliman University

Mr. Jerry Bigornia - Professor, Bicol University
Dr. Roger Guzman- Executive Director, Philippine Federation for Environmental
Concerns, and Professor, De La Salle University-Dasmarinas
Dr. Fay Lea Patria Lauraya- President, Bicol University
Ms. Maureen Mamansag - Instructor, Bicol University
Dr. Carmelita Martinez- Director of Extension Division, University of Southeastern
Philippines
Dr. Leonora Ngilangil - Professor and Director of Institute of Environmental Science,
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
Dr. Olga Nuneza- Professor, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
Dr. Nimfa Peba - Professor, Bicol University
Dr. Helen Pondevida- Director of Research Division of the College of Governance,
Business and Economics, University of Southeastern Philippines
Dr. Helen Sigua- Professor, Ateneo de Manila School of Medicine and Public Health
Dr. Santiago Uturruzum- Professor, Silliman University
Ms. Rowena Zoilo - Assistant Professor, Bicol University
The following members of the PATLEPAM Board of Directors are also acknowledged:

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Atty. Mario Bernales, Ph.D. - President, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
Dr. Catalino Beltran - President, Eastern Visayas State University
Dr. Sukarno Tanggol - Chancellor, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute
of Technology
Ms. Gay Maureen Alagcan - OIC-Chief, Agricultural Commodities Division

of Agriculture Staff, NEDA
Ms. Katherine Firmeza - Program Manager of MDGF 1656 JP, NEDA
Mr. Jonas Almendrala - Program Assistant, MDGF 1656 JP, NEDA
Ms. Amelia Dulce Supetran - Portfolio Manager of the Energy and Environment, United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Ms. Imee Manal - Programme Assistant, UNDP
Likewise acknowledged are:

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Dr. Ruth Guzman - Professor, Rizal Technological University and Chair, PATLEPAM
Board of Directors
Dr. Anna Ma. Cordovilla - Professor, Far Eastern University
Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna - OIC-Director, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)
of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Ex-officio Board
Director of the PATLEPAM
Engr. Gilbert Gonzales - OIC-Assistant Director, EMB-DENR
Ms. Elenida Basug - Chief of EMB Environmental Education and Information Division
(EEID) and Coordinator, PATLEPAM Secretariat
Mr. Harry Quaioit - OIC-Chief of EMB Environmental Education Section, and member,
PATLEPAM Secretariat
Ms. Ma. Cristina Francisco - Information Officer of the EMB EEID, and member, PATLEPAM
Secretariat
Ms. Bernadita Bondoc of the EMB EEID, and member, PATLEPAM Secretariat
Ms.Alicia Sabater of the EMB EEID, and member, PATLEPAM Secretariat
Lastly, we would like to thank the Lord Almighty, for without Him everything would not have been possible.
Acknowledgement is also due to the kind facilitation to project technical and logistical requirements
from:

Ms. Sheila Encabo- OIC-Director of Agriculture Staff, National Economic

and Development Authority (NEDA)
Ms. Gina Aljecera - OIC-Chief, Environmental Services DIvision of Agriculture
Staff, NEDA
vi | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
vii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
A2C2
ACCA
AFP
AHEM
AIM
APSEMO
ARMRD
ASEAN
AUSAID
AWARE
BCARE
BDCC
BFAR
BFP
BRP
BU
BUCAF
BUCAL
CBFMMP
CCA
CC
CERP
CFV
CHD
CIRCA
CMDRR
CMU
CSC
DA
DBM
DBP
DENR
DEPED
DILG
DMMMSU
DOE
DOH
DOST
DOTC
DPWH
DRMO
DRR
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
DTI
DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
EDEN
EXTENSION DISASTER EDUCATION NETWORK
EMB
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU
EMR
EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS
ERU
EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT
ERUF
EMERGENCY RESCUE UNIT FOUNDATION
FFS
FARMERS FIELD SCHOOL
GIS
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
GLK
GALING LIKHA KALUSUGAN AWARDS
GO
GOVERNMENT OFFICES
GREAT - WOMEN
GENDER RESPONSIVE ECONOMIC ACTIONS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION

OF WOMEN
GTZ-KFW
GERMAN AGENCY FOR TECHNICAL COOPERATION - GERMAN PROMOTIONAL
BANK
HEI
HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
HEMS
HEALTH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF
HFH
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
HOPE
HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS FOR EMERGENCIES
ICS

INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM
IEC

INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION
ISIF-HEDIS
INFORMATION SOCIETY INNOVATION FUND

-HEALTH EMERGENCY AND DISEASES INFORMATION SYSTEM
IYCF
INFANT AND YOUNG CHILDREN FEEDING
LAPUS
LEARNING AND PUBLIC USE SCHOOL
LCP
LEAGUE OF CITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES
LGU
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT
LLDA
LAGUNA LAKE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
LPG
LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS
LTO
LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE
MASL
METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL
MCH
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
MDG
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL
MHPSS
MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
MISP
MINIMUM INITIAL SERVICE PACKAGE
MMDA
METRO MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
MMRNP
MT. MALINDANG RANGE NATIONAL PARK
MSU-IIT
MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY - ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
MTPDP
MEDIUM TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
ALBAY IN ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

ASIAN COALITION FOR COMMUNITY ACTION
ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES
ALBAY HEALTH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
ALBAY PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE
AGRICULTURE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT RESEARCH DIVISION
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
AUSTRALIAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATION OF WATER REFILLING ENTREPRENEURS
BICOL CALAMITY ASSISTANCE AND REHABILITATION EFFORTS
BARANGAY DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL
BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES
BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION
BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH PROGRAM
BICOL UNIVERSITY
BICOL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
BICOL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS
COMMUNITY-BASED FLOOD MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
CLIMATE CHANGE
CALAMITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
CONSERVATION FARMING VILLAGES
CENTER FOR HEALTH DEVELOPMENT
CENTER FOR INITIATIVES AND RESEARCH ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
COMMUNITY-MANAGED DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET MANAGEMENT
DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT OFFICE
viii | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
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NAPC

NCR

NDCC
NEDA
NGO

NSTP

OCCDC
PAMB

PASU

PATLEPAM

PSBP
PCA
PCARRD

PD
PEER
PHILRICE
PHP
PFEC

PNRC
PNTI
PO
PROMISE

PSGC
PSSN
RA
RAACC
SALT
SCA
SEAMEO-TROPED

SFAN
SHINE
SHON
SLM
SPEED
SRON
SSP
SVU
UNDP
UNICEF
UN-ISDR
UP-NCTS

USAEP
USAID-OFDA

USD
WHO
WQAP
WRS
ZRC
NATIONAL ANTI POVERTY COMMISSION

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
NATIONAL DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL
NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
OLONGAPO CITY DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL
PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT BOARD
PROTECTED AREA SUPERINTENDENT
PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF TERTIARY-LEVEL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT
PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS
PHILIPPINE COCONUT AUTHORITY
PHILIPPINE COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURE FORESTRY AND NATURAL
RESOURCES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE
PROGRAM FOR ENHANCEMENT OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE
PHILIPPINE RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
PHILIPPINE PESOS
PHILIPPINE FEDERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS
POLICE NATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE
PEOPLES ORGANIZATIONS
PROGRAM FOR HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL DISASTER MITIGATION
IN SECONDARY CITIES IN ASIA
PHILIPPINE STANDARD GEOGRAPHIC CODE
PHILIPPINE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF NATURE
REPUBLIC ACT
REGIONAL ACTION AGENDA ON CLIMATE CHANGE
SLOPING AGRICULTURAL LAND TECHNOLOGY
SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS
SOUTHEAST ASIAN MINISTERS OF EDUCATION ORGANIZATION REGIONAL
TROPICAL MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH NETWORK
SMOKE FREE ALBAY NETWORK
SCHOOL HYDROLOGICAL INFORMATION NETWORK
SCHOOL HYDROLOGICAL OBSERVATION NETWORK
SLOPING LAND METHODOLOGIES
SURVEILLANCE IN POST EXTREME EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS
SCHOOL RAINFALL OBSERVATION NETWORK
SAFE SCHOOL PROJECT
STUDENT VOLUNTEERS CORPS
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
x | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
UNITED NATIONS CHILDRENS FUND

UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES - NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION
STUDIES
UNITED STATES -ASIA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP
UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- OFFICE OF FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE
UNITED STATES DOLLAR
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES
WATER REFILLING STATIONS
ZONAL RESEARCH CENTER
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INTRODUCTION
The growing importance of climate change in the global landscape provides impetus to tackle the
problem by way of synergies from different approaches and strategies. Climate change is the variation
in the Earths global climate or in regional climates over time. The phenomenon of climate change
can be attributed to dynamic processes on Earth, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, and more recently, to human activities that are responsible for increasing the emissions of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
With the prospect of increasing human population, deforestation, heightened activities in both manufacturing and industrial sectors and more transport vehicles on roads as the country gears itself for
social and economic development, the Philippines has to brace itself for the inevitable adverse effects of a warmer planet and continuing climate change.
The government, however, has undertaken initiatives to reduce the negative impacts of the phenomenon especially on the more vulnerable sectors such as our coastal resources, human health, agriculture and food security, water resources and forestry and biodiversity or the so-called CHAWF. For
example, the Climate Change Act (Republic Act 9279) was passed to formulate policies, coordinate,
monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change.
The Act also enabled the establishment of a Climate Change Commission headed by the President
of the Philippines as Chair, and assisted by three commissioners. Additionally, President Benigno C.
Aquino III, has included in his contract with the Filipino people, embodied in Executive Order 43, the
fifth key result area to sustain our natural environment and ecosystems and to reduce the impacts of
climate change through appropriate coping strategies.
On the same vein, the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (2010-2022), professes a
vision of a climate risk-resilient Philippines with healthy, safe, prosperous and self-reliant communities, and thriving and productive ecosystem and with a goal to build the adaptive capacity of
communities and increase the resilience of natural ecosystems to climate change, and optimize mitigation opportunities toward sustainable development. Therefore, the overall goal is to build the
capacity of communities to adapt to climate change and increase the resilience of natural ecosystems
to climate change. Thus, this volume of outputs from the MDGF 1656 project of Building capacities
for climate change adaptation for relevant universities and colleges and their client communities in
the Philippines has undertaken efforts to showcase good practices on climate change adaptation for
the CHAWF sectors, as emulated in the foregoing pages.
We hope the greater majority of our citizenry will be able to benefit from these documented cases
and thus contribute to the larger vision of having a climate risk-resilient Philippines.
xii | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
GOOD PRACTICES
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
ADAPTATION IN THE COASTAL
RESOURCES SECTOR
COASTAL AGRO-ECOLOGICAL
PROJECT: MODEL FOR A DISASTERRESILIENT COMMUNITY
Barangay Galicia, Rapu-rapu,
Albay
Case Writers : Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, President; Mr. Jerry S. Bigornia, Professor;
Dr. Ninfa R. Pelea, Professor; Ms. Rowena Zoilo, Assistant Professor; Ms. Maureen B. Mamansag,
Instructor, Bicol University
THE PROJECT AREA

Covering 1,012 hectares, Barangay Galicia is the 4th largest barangay in the Municipality of Rapurapu, Albay in terms of area, but it is the 3rd largest in terms of population based on the 2000
census. It is a coastal barangay located in Batan Island (124-125 longitude, 13-14 latitude). It is
bound on the northwest by Barangay Buhatan and on the southwest by Barangay Mancao. It faces
the Lagonoy Gulf on the north east. It is accessible via motorboat from Tabaco City or Legazpi City
which are on the mainland of the Province of Albay.
Barangay Galicia is one the first fishing villages in Albay where seaweed farming gained popularity
in the 1990s. The technology was introduced to the barangay in 1995 to provide an alternative
livelihood or source of income. It also sought to address illegal fishing activities specifically blast and
cyanide fishing, by promoting responsible fishing. However, the seaweeds are prone to diseases
like the filamentous algae, bleaching or ice-ice disease. The occurrence of these diseases are exacerbated by the prolonged rainy season and extreme hot weather.
The corresponding effects of climate change to water current also pose a new challenge to the
seaweed farmers. The effects of climate change to the environment are increasingly being felt by
the community, especially on seaweed farming. Changes in season and the onset of monsoons and
trade winds have become less predictable, and have brought havoc to the planting calendar, forcing farmers to give up their livelihood.
As an island, Galicia has rich but limited resources, and is vulnerable to the regular occurrence of
strong typhoons and other natural phenomena. Through the years, the islands residents have adopted a lifestyle of limited initiatives and ventures to contain the destructive effects of calamities to
levels that they can easily write off as either bad luck or fate.
THE PROJECT
Recognizing past gains and learnings of Galicias seaweed farmers from their past farming projects,
it was identified as the partner-beneficiary organization of the BU Project Capacity 2015 Philippines: Building Capacities for Communities for Environmentally Sustainable Globalization. It is a
national project under the umbrella of the Philippine Association of Tertiary Level Educational
Institutions for Environmental Protection and Management (PATLEPAM), in response to the need
to capacitate local communities to meet the challenges of globalization within the framework of
sustainable development.
In this project, the effects of natural calamities were an important consideration. The BU-Tabaco
Campus was the lead implementer of the project and was expected to provide the project
with information, education and communication (IEC) materials for capacity building, starting from
core values development to science and technology, access to capital and marketing, among others. In addition, BU was also able to partner with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Region V, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippine Coconut Authority
(PCA) Regional Office, the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Bicol Region Branch, and
the Land Bank of the Philippines Region V, in implementing the project. The engagement of these
institutions came by way of providing resource persons for training programs, provision of funds
and resources and facilitation, among others. The capacity-building activities in Galicia came in
the form of Training and Technical Assistance on: 1) Seaweed Farming and Processing Technology;
2) Environmental Management; and 3) Solid Waste Management, that integrated climate change
concepts.
2. Train basic education teachers on concepts of climate change and disaster risk reduction
approaches;
3. Train teachers in integrating DRR concepts in basic and tertiary mathematics and science
subjects (in partnership with DOST);
4. Train the community workers on alternative land-based livelihood opportunities;
5. Package extension services for the LGU to build community resiliency;
6. Train local officials on climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness; and
7. Protect biodiversity resources.
IMPACT
Having experienced the direct and indirect effects of climate change to natural resource-based livelihood enterprises, the farmers have evolved adaptive strategies to manage the effects of the phenomenon on their farms. These include adopting a more flexible planting calendar and production period, relative to environmental changes. The growing unpredictability of seasons and spotty
weather conditions have forced the farmers to limit production period to a minimum to reduce
risks posed by the effects of sudden weather and seasonal changes. Essentially, the farmers have
developed an adaptive seaweed farming technology to optimize production within a limited period
and space, as a strategy for managing climate change.
Seaweed Farming
Seaweed farming is a natural, indigenous resource in the area and a fallback livelihood option after a
calamity. It provides supplemental income to the community. The technology is simple, easy to adopt
and gender-friendly. Majority of the seaweed farmers in the area are women. It is a fast-growing
species and therefore has fast turn-over, thus reducing the risk posed by the effects of typhoons and
other climate- related disasters. It addresses environmental problems as it provides an alternative to
dynamite fishing. When the effects of climate change caused precipitation to become unpredictable,
which affected the seaweed health, a more resilient seaweed species was introduced as an adaptation strategy.
This is a continuing activity that has become a part of the University Extension Program on Educating to Build Resilient Communities as a model of a disaster-resilient community in a Coastal Agroecological Zones. Other interventions aim to create total community development for a coastal zone
model. The first step towards adaptation is to accept that climate change is a reality and communitybased climate change adaptation is the most practical approach to addressing it.
The technical assistance required from BU were the following:
1. Revisit and climate-proof the LGU Development Plan;
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT:
LOCAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
Province of Albay
Case Writers : Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, President; Mr. Jerry S. Bigornia, Professor; Ninfa
R. Pelea, Professor; Ms. Rowena Zoilo, Assistant Professor; Ms. Maureen B. Mamansag, Instructor,
Bicol University
RATIONALE
The Philippines, particularly the Bicol Region, considers agriculture as a vital sector for its economic
sustainability. The average Bicolano family lives on rice, corn and coconut production, farm labor
and small-scale fishing. Bicols economy would have performed better if not for its vulnerability to
disaster and climate change. Industries in the Bicol region which are highly dependent on natural
resources are vulnerable to climate change. Increasing temperature, changing precipitation patterns and water resources availability, increasing levels of CO2 and ocean acidification will have a
large impact on the sustainability of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The province of Albay in the
Bicol region has been exposed to climate hazards such as tropical cyclones aggravated by natural
calamities such as volcanic eruptions, flash floods and mudslides, putting the lives of the Albayanos
at high risk.
ing a body that will take the lead in disaster response and rehabilitation was the leadership and
commitment of the executive and legislative branches of the provincial government. Support and
recognition by the concerned agencies of the national government such as the National Economic
Development Authority (NEDA), Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) led to the eventual creation of the DRMO of Albay, later renamed the Albay
Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO). During its evolution, it metamorphosed into a multi-faceted office following an existing disaster risk management framework
along the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters.
IMPACT
In 2008, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) declared the
Province of Albay as a global model for Climate Adaptation. The National Conference on Climate
Changing Adaptation (NCCCA) together with the Albay Declaration on Climate Change Adaptation
aimed to serve as a catalyst for mainstreaming climate change into local and national development policies.
The Province of Albay lies at the southern tip of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. The province is situated squarely in the path of strong typhoons emanating from the vastness of the ocean.
While Albay, enjoys a very pleasant climate that affords the luxuriant growth of vegetation, it is
frequently devastated by super typhoons, the most powerful as of recent history was Typhoon Reming on November 30, 2006, which claimed more than 1,000 lives and wreaked substantial damage
to property. Albay also is famous for its Mayon Volcano, with an almost perfect conical silhouette.
It is considered to be the most active volcano in the country. It has erupted numerous times since
its first recorded eruption in 1616, which caused fatalities, disruption of economic activity and loss
of property. Aside from threats from typhoons and the Mayon Volcano eruptions, the province is
also vulnerable to floods and landslides during the rainy season. It is also prone to earthquakes
owing to fault lines running along the western half of the province, exacerbated by movements of
magma during volcanic restiveness.
PROGRAM OPERATIONS
The Province of Albay, especially its local government unit (LGU), has been playing a pro-active
role in promoting climate change adaptation. As early as 1995, a Disaster Risk Management Office
(DRMO) was conceptualized by the Provincial Government of Albay. Central to the effort of creat8 | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
COMMUNICATING CLIMATE
CHANGE IN COASTAL AREAS:
A COMMUNITYBASED
ADAPTATION OPTION
environmental protection and rehabilitation to improve their social and economic well-being. Furthermore, the expediency of environmental and enabling policy advocacies as well as networking
and linkaging processes in order to catalyze and generate inter-agency and inter-institutional support
is embedded as part of the overall CC-adaptation good practices. More importantly, the institutionalization processes in the local government unit and the interests of external funding institutions to
assist in the development efforts are becoming potent sustainability mechanisms for emerging community projects.
Case Writer : Dr. Roger Z. Guzman, Executive Director, Philippine Federation for Environmental
Concerns, and Professor, De La Salle University- Dasmarinas
THE PROJECT SITE
RATIONALE
The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Foremost of the reasons
is its archipelagic nature, consisting of 7,107 islands. About 70% of the countrys 1,500 municipalities
lie within the 32,400-kilometer coastline. The Philippines also lies along the path of tropical storms.
About 20 typhoons pass through the country every year. Since climate change is predicted to cause
more intense and more devastating storms, the coastal communities are therefore at great risk.
Most people living in vulnerable areas along or near the coasts simply do not have better choices.
They just could not afford the cost of real properties in areas that are not exposed to hazards and
therefore have to contend with their conditions being mostly informal settlers along coastal zones.
Those who suffer the most are generally the poorest. Ironically, this poorest sector of society contributes least to the problem of climate change. And yet, they suffer much in terms of destruction of
properties and loss of lives which are at times massive, loss of livelihood and job opportunities, damaged farm lands and other sources of food. They then become more vulnerable to abuses of opportunistic individuals, groups, entities and even local government units, in some cases. Life therefore
becomes so difficult and the children suffer the consequences of deprived opportunities especially in
education that adds up to the level of illiteracy in the country.
The seeming neglected situation in some coastal communities and minimal economic development
opportunities contribute much to environmental problems as these people will put pressure on available natural resources within their reach that includes the terrestrial, coastal and marine resources.
The destruction and depletion of mangrove forests for instance which serve as protection and buffer
against massive tidal waves and spawning grounds for coastal and marine life are examples. Overfishing, fishing malpractices, coral reefs destruction and pollution compound the situation. But more
dangerously is the extreme vulnerability of coastal communities to the impact of climate change and
natural calamities.
This case therefore is a documentation of some social, institutional and bio-physical development
interventions undertaken in a climate change (CC) highly vulnerable and very remote coastal community in Southern Luzon. It demonstrates the positive responses of communities to cope with and
adapt to CC impacts and marshal them to mobilize individual and community actions towards coastal
This case study covers the municipality of Batuan, Ticao Island in the province of Masbate. Ticao
Island lies directly northeast of San Bernardino Strait, one of the 2 straits connecting the internal
seas of the Philippines to the Pacific. It is basically a 5th class municipality with a total land area of
5,341.40 hectares. According to the year 2000 census, the town has a total population of 12,038
people from 2,529 households. Majority of the household including their agricultural lands and infrastructures are concentrated along the coast. Therefore, any rise in sea-level will have significant and
profound effects on settlements, living conditions and the economy. The land area is subdivided into
14 barangays which are all within the coastal zone. Coastal fishing communities are, in general, highly
depressed due to very low income and lack of employment opportunities. The average household
income of fishermen in the region is Php1,529 per month which includes all sources such as fishing,
farming, part-time employment, etc. The coastal fishermen are basically considered part of the poorest of the poor considering that their level of income is way below the poverty line. As their number
increases, more competition for the same resources ensue, thus, stocks decline and more fishermen
resort to using unsustainable and illegal fishing methods. The consequence is depletion of resources.
Even the mangrove forest which serves not only as protective natural barriers for tsunamis, typhoons
and other natural calamities but also as ideal sanctuary of aquatic resources, are not spared of destruction as a result of poverty.
On the brighter side, however, a recent assessment of coastal and marine resources conducted by the
Philippine Federation for Environmental Concern (PFEC) indicated high potentials for the community
as variety of fisheries and other aquatic resources abound in the municipal waters of Batuan.
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Some of the serious impacts of climate change in this subject community include rising sea level,
continuous erosion of coastal and river banks leading to incessant recession community areas, excessive flooding that destroy crops and plantations as well as lives and properties especially homes and
dwelling places. These are as far as physical impacts are concerned. What is more serious is the CC
impact on the livelihood of coastal communities. Excessive siltation and pollution along coastal lines
lead to drastic impairment of important and high value coastal marine and aquatic life. The destruction of mangrove forests, for instance, lead to drastic reduction of fish and crustacean catch and limit
the spawning grounds for important marine and coastal life. Already, the communities report around
11
50% reduction of fish catch compared to about 5-10 years ago. The impact of climate change in terms
of reduced productivity in the coastal and marine ecosystems takes great toll on the quality of life of
coastal communities. They remain poor and even deprived due to the onslaught of CC and typhoon
frequency that batters the community year after year. Added to these, is the seeming neglect of authorities especially the local government unit in protecting and properly managing the marine and
coastal resources resulting to open and free access even of illegal fishers and big-time commercial
fishing vessels. Consequently, rapid depletion of marine resources, destruction of coral reefs, reduced fish catch for the community and continued unsustainable natural resource use significantly
impair efforts towards environmental protection and management.
The Climate Change Communication Strategy Towards CC Adaptation

There is such a broad spectrum of strategies to Climate Change adaptation considering that CC oftentimes limits or impedes development options contributing to lost opportunities for the great majority of poor coastal communities. Strategies may range from simpler methods such as restoration of
coastal forests and coral reefs, community-based conservation and aquaculture, protection and reconstruction of wetlands to more technical approaches such as coastal and coral erosion monitoring,
sea level and tide monitoring, coastal zone monitoring, impact assessment studies, light detection
and other wide-ranging studies. Because of the very wide range of technical expertise needed and
the varying absorptive capacity of the community, not all climate change adaptation interventions
can be introduced in a community, much less sustained by the target communities. Thus, careful attention was given in designing a combination of adaptation interventions to enhance the communities resilience. Most important of all, the communities capacity must be built to be able to sustain
these adaptation options.
This case therefore demonstrates an innovative model of community-based adaptation using a combination of biophysical protection through ecosystems approach and enhancing economic capacity
to adapt to changing living conditions. This was done after implementing a thorough Climate Change
Communications program that sought to develop adequate knowledge and awareness levels in the
communities. This is the gist of this paper which resulted to the implementation of the aforementioned innovative models of community-based CC adaptation. As the study is too broad, only two of
the several phases of the project will be highlighted in this case. These are the (a) Community-based
Climate Change Communication Strategy and the (b) Implementation of Some Adaptation strategies
as products or outcome of the CC-Com Strategy (item a above).
The Community-Based Climate Change Communication Strategy

The CC Com Strategy was designed to increase knowledge and understanding of the people of Batuan, Masbate on climate change and its relations to their day to day activities including their long
term survival. It also aimed to impress on the people the urgent need to act in response to the risks
of climate change related events emphasizing that even small initiatives to address climate change
can contribute in a way towards the solution of bigger challenges. The CC Com complemented the
main project by enabling appropriate and effective communication of its findings in the community.
The goals were: (a) to increase level the of acceptance of interventions that were introduced by the
main project by increasing the communities knowledge and understanding of the climate change issues; (b) to heighten the level of cooperation and involvement of various stakeholders in all CCA; and
(c) to enable the target audience to act accordingly in response to any given climate change issue.
To operationalize these, three community activities were introduced, namely: (a) film showing cum
game show; (b) community theater play; and (c) local video.
1.
Film showing cum Game Show
This communication strategy started with the introduction of Climate Change through film showing
of Panahon Na!, Ang Pinoy and Hamon ng Climate Change and were complemented by game shows.
Panahon Na! is a documentary on climate change in the Philippine context which discussed the basic
concepts of climate change such as definition, causes and effects and some adaptation measures.
The concepts were emphasized and important ideas and terms were clarified through games, multiple choices and word game called modified Pinoy Henyo (Filipino Genius). There were also further
explanations made on concepts, when appropriate, during the duration of the activity. The level of
difficulty of the questions and supplementary discussions were based on comprehension and baseline knowledge of climate change of the community.
A game show was adapted from a popular television show for which the target audience is familiar
with and widely viewed. The participants join as individuals. Questions that were provided have 4
possible answers. The participants choose the most appropriate answer. Their answers were used for
formulating basic concepts such as definition of climate change, global warming, causes and impacts
of climate change, to name a few. Another game show which likewise was adapted from another
popular television show that is widely viewed in the countryside was used as model. This time, the
participants are divided into pairs, guesser and clue giver. This was used for concepts with multiple
answers, such as causes and effects of climate change and adaptation strategies given specific climate
change effect.
To summarize, based on the survey conducted, majority of the community get their information
from television and radio programs but consider television a more credible medium since there is
a face behind the information being presented. Furthermore, the level of knowledge of the people
on climate change was very low. Hence the film showing being the first activity and the first level of
intervention of the CC Com Project, was a god venue to introduce climate change, discuss the basic
concept of climate change such as definition, causes, effects, and adaptation measures that can be
implemented. It was not expected beforehand that they will understand climate change in its entirety
but to create a venue for the community to start discussing climate change. The game show was used
as a tool to process concepts discussed in the documentary, Panahon Na!. It helped gauge how the
community understood the concepts presented in the film and identify the supplementary discussions that needed to be integrated into the activity. The Hep Hep Hurray games were used as ice
breaker. The Multiply Choice and modified Pinoy Henyo games were used to emphasize and clarify
important concepts. Since rewards were given to community members who were able to answer the
questions in the games correctly, it also became an incentive to listen more intently during the film
showing.
13
2.
Community Theater Play
This activity aimed to deepen the communitys understanding of climate change and awareness that
climate change is already affecting their community. It was designed to awaken the emotions and
make them move to action. The theater group or team is composed of residents of partner barangays
who were informally trained in theatre arts. They co-developed the script and co-produced the play
with the theatre director who is also a trained member of the community. The story line and script
were based on the actual experiences and changes seen by the family of selected group. The community theatre play in Batuan was entitled Sugo (Messiah) and was performed in Tagalog. A replication
of this activity in another barangay in Gubat (Sorsogon) was entitled Pagmangno (Awakening) and
was performed in their dialect Gubatnon.
The play provided the community a real and personal feeling and internalization of the effects of
climate change in their daily living. The participants on the other hand deepened their understanding and knowledge and have become advocates of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Seven
barangays watched the performance of the Community Theater Play, Ang Sugo and as a result,
majority of the residents signed up and participated actively in the Mangrove Training that was held
days after the presentation. In fact, there were more people who signed up for their participation in
the training than those who initially registered before the show. What is more interesting was that
the participants did not only join the training but also came out with concrete action plans with targets on how they will be restoring their mangroves or beach forests in their respective barangays as
CCA initiatives.
The facilitation of the workshop was a challenge because of language barrier and the newness of theatrical arts to most of the participants. However, the training was a learning experience and allowed
them to discover their potentials which made them interested and committed to performing to the
best of their abilities their respective roles. The participants have shown that involvement in a noble
advocacy for the environment could cut across age and gender which spells out the importance of
everybodys efforts young and old alike to make the world a safe and sustainable place to live in. The
theatre proved to be an effective tool to enlighten the audience on certain issues embodied in a play.
3.
Local Video
This third intervention was a video documentary of the changes happening in the municipality. The
residents were interviewed, which included the mayor, parish priest, barangay captain, fisher folks
and residents. They were asked to share their stories, the changes that have happened in their area,
impacts of these changes in their lives and livelihood and actions that they can do to minimize the
effects. Video footages were also taken on the changes that have happened.
The objective of the local video was to make the people aware that climate change is already in their
municipality and is affecting their lives, and putting serious toll on their properties and livelihood.
That, in order to address the problems of climate change, they need to work together to reduce its
impacts on their lives and for future generations. The local video documentary of Batuan was titled
Batuan and produced in two versions: Masbateno and Tagalog. A replicate of this activity in Gubat
was also entitled Pagmangno and produced in their language, Gubatnon and Tagalog.
With this local video documentary, it is hoped that the community and other neighboring municipalities will see the effects of CC in their localities, understand the causes, provide solutions and
become active advocates. After the production and roll out of the video documentary, the local resource speakers become advocates and those interviewed became active partners in their respective
barangays. And, more importantly, the municipal mayor and LGU officials became more engaged in
project activities. The Community-based CCA Training on Marine Protected Area (MPA) was actively
promoted by those who were interviewed in the local video. Furthermore, it was easier to get the
participation of other community members in the seven brangays because they have seen the need
for MPA given the effects of CC in their areas.
Adaptation and Coping Mechanisms, Responses and Opportunities

In summary, there is a lot of CCA options that a community can consider. Some of these perhaps have
been operational at the community level although they are sometimes unconscious about them. As
a result of the Climate Change Communication Strategy used in this case, the coastal community was
catalyzed to act together to address the impact of climate change, protect their lives and properties and improve their quality of life. Realizing that working together as a community and contributing each ones efforts for a common good will spell out difference in community development, the
constituents have initiated and supported various mitigation and adaptation interventions in their
municipality. This, coupled with the serious involvement, commitment and support of the Local government Unit, have generated external support (financial and technical) from various sectors. They
are now engaged in the following development work:

Restoration of coastal mangrove forests

Delineation, protection and management of Marine Protected Area
Restoration of coral reefs
Community-based conservation and aquaculture
Resource Inventory for livelihood options
Institutional, Policy and Regulatory involvement
Continued capacity building for community livelihood resiliency to CC
Already, the communities have started rehabilitating their extensive but almost depleted mangrove
forest through reforestation and intensive protection work employing the bayanihan practice (traditional voluntary community service). They are now in the process of developing a comprehensive
coastal and marine management plan for the municipality as a result of their successful initiative to
declare part of their site as Marine Protected Area. Included in the plan is restoration of coral reefs
and other conservation and protection measures. As technical assistance become available from the
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and academic institutions, there are now initiatives on engaging in aquaculture and other environment-friendly and sustainable livelihood options
for the community. Natural resource inventory in the marine, coastal and inland areas are being
undertaken to determine other potential livelihood and enterprise development options that the
community can engage to in order to further improve their quality of life. All these interventions are
designed to increase resiliency of the community to climate change.
15
On the part of the government, the LGU have institutionalized CC programs and started allocating
regular support funds. The provincial government at the same time is providing technical and financial support to the municipalitys Climate Change program. Line agencies such as DENR, DA, BFAR
DAR are now providing technical support. The academic sector is now mobilized, and some international support facility such as UNDP & WB are now coming in. The once small, remote, and obscure
community is slowly becoming a model in Climate Change mitigation and adaptation interventions.
It all started with the simple community-based climate change communication strategy to develop
awareness, increase knowledge and catalyze the communities and other stakeholders into action.
Therefore, the challenge of climate change adaptation and mitigation in coastal communities is great.
With all the attendant development potentials and prospects coming in, it is hoped that all efforts will
lead ultimately to sustainable development, sustainable livelihood for the local communities, and a
climate change resilient municipality of Batuan, Masbate.
GOOD PRACTICES ON CLIMATE

CHANGE ADAPTATION
IN THE HEALTH SECTOR
17
DOCUMENTATION
OF HEALTH-ORIENTED
GOOD PRACTICES
FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
Case Writer: Helen S. Sigua, MD, MHA,FPAFP, Professor, Ateneo de Manila University School of
Medicine and Public Health
Climate change has painted human health in a much more dynamic landscape than what it already
is. With altered patterns of disease and injury, we are now confronted with new challenges on how
to respond and behave in ways so that we can somehow reduce our vulnerability. There is this
need to adapt in order to minimize the threats of an environment that can vary either so subtly or
so slowly that we cannot even perceive it, or in ways too unsettling that whatever achievements
and successes we have gained can in an instant be dissolved.
Moreover, health is hinged on very basic elements of the environment like air, food and water, and
shelter, which global warming is also hugely altering. The population has to find a way to grasp and
understand for themselves the mechanisms of impact, in order to know and anticipate the risks we
are subjected to for the present and the future. This way, we may collectively take on the accountability and the responsibility to do something while there is still the opportunity.
This section will proceed along the lines of Preventive Health (along basic environmental services ,
i.e., water, fook, housing, toilet and sewage disposal) and Morbidity Reduction (for disease and disaster management and risk reduction).
The following, thus, are examples of existing current practices in the country, multi-sectoral and involving both government and private entities, with both local and foreign partners, all impacting on
health and climate change.
This is limited to documentation as far as available data can be gathered from current literature.
ranging from the most indigenous to the most sophisticated and academic research down to implementing ordinances; from one-day activities to protracted implementation of projcts; from success
stories to some ongoing ones that still have no definite measure of of its impact.
Good practices are cited in the areas of safe drinking water; clean air; community-based hazard mapping; education, research and academic; disaster safety; evacuation center; flood mitigation, health
systems and infrastructure, and LGu-based disaster responses.
In summary, the documented good practices for CCA are found to be quite robust and some have
co-benefits for health:reforestation & greening (clean air + flood prevention) or bicycle promotion
19
programs (clean air + healthy lifestyle of physical exercise). Some of the practices are more of the
reactive than the pro-active approach.
The CCA practices are spread out among the five adaptation options laid out by National Iinstitute
of Health conceptual framework, covering health systems infrastructure, pathogen and vector control, socio-economic factors, environmental factors, health and environmental policy and fall under
the four basic management/organizational strategies of infrastructure, capacity building, policy and
funding; rather very few for policy and infrastructure.
And most notably, the most recognized good practices are usually existing in the local communities
with strong leader-advocates and those which integrate the practices into source of livelihood. As
health is very socio-economically determined, such can be considered a co-benefit.
GOOD PRACTICES FOR SAFE

DRINKING WATER
SOLAR-BASED WATER
PURIFICATION TECHNIQUES
DOH has campaigned to boil drinking water regardless of its source during calamities to ensure
safety from water-borne diseases.
CASE 1 : SODIS
(WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION)
This is a sustainable, low-cost solution for people regularly consuming contaminated water or during calamities. It utilizes solar energy. The effects of radiation and heat synergize to kill
pathogenic microorganisms. This is ideal for small quantities of water with low turbidity. Place water
in transparent plastic bottles or glass jars for a recommended eight-hour exposure to sunlight. Water
with more than 50% cloudiness must be exposed for two days. Exposure is quickened if bottles
are exposed on sunlight-reflecting surfaces such as aluminum or iron sheets. Studies have found
that this method reduces the occurrence of infectious diarrheas.
CASE 2 : SOLAR-POWERED CLEAN WATER SYSTEM

(ATENEO INNOVATION CENTER)
The Solar Powered Clean Water System is recommended for a community where houses are still
being constructed. The rate of irradiation and ceramic filter is, at most, two liters per minute or 120
liters a day, and the duration of UV operation is at least four hours a day. Rainwater is collected using a receptacle. The Center provides training for the maintenance of the system and construction
through an independent contractor costs about PhP50,000.
Source: Maligalig, Rosary Diane. Solar-powered clean water system provides potable water for typhoon Sendong victims in
Cagayan de Oro City. Ateneo de Manila University. http://www.admu.edu.ph/index.php?p=120&type=2&aid=10676
SODIS - Safe drinking water in 6 hours. SODIS. http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN
21
WATER SANITATION PROGRAM

Nationwide
RATIONALE
In December, 2010, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department
of Health (DOH) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) agreed to jointly implement
President Aquinos Water and Sanitation Program particularly in waterless municipalities of the country, and signed a Memorandum of Agreement for closer collaborative efforts among the parties as
executing agencies of the priority water and sanitation program of the Aquino administration.
IMPACT
The government is implementing the Presidents Priority Program on Water (P3W) as part of the Medium- Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP), and to achieve the Millennium Development
Goal (MDG) of reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe potable
water and basic sanitation.
Source: DOH, DILG, NAPC tie-up on water and sanitation program. Department of Health. http://www.doh.gov.ph/doh_dilg
From the Philippine Water Supply Sector Roadmap, statistics showed that there are 432 waterless municipalities outside of Metro Manila, with more than 1.5 million households without access
to safe drinking water. Waterless municipalities is defined as municipalities with less than 50%
service coverage.
The breakdown of the 432 per region are as follows: 12 are located in Region I; eight in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); 29 in Region II; 10 in Region III; 18 in Region IV-A; 10 in Region
IV-B; 28 in Region V; 74 in Region VI; 36 in Region VII; 22 in Region VIII; 34 in Region IX; 28 in Region
X; 14 in Region XI; 19 in Region XII; 15 in Region XIII; and 75 in Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM).
PROJECT OPERATIONS
The NAPC shall serve as the lead coordinating agency for the implementation of the program,
and shall ensure that priority be given to the barangays in municipalities with the highest density
of poor households. Aside from monitoring the implementation of the program, the NAPC shall also
ensure that the target water and sanitation projects in beneficiary LGUs are implemented according
to the approved plan.
The DOH will provide the funding requirements for monitoring the implementation of the water
and sanitation facilities in the waterless municipalities, and shall approve the guidelines for the
utilization of funds for the implementation of the water supply and sanitation program. The DOH
will also provide the funding requirements of NAPC and DILG corresponding to the agreed upon
responsibilities and tasks under this joint programme for purposes of monitoring.
The DILG shall develop and implement capacity development interventions under the program,
and shall establish collaborative partnerships and network among relevant agencies, non-governmental organizations, academe and other institutions in the implementation of the capacity
development interventions.
23
CLEAN AIR CITY PRACTICES

WALKABLE AND BICYCLE-FRIENDLY CITY
Marikina City, Metro Manila
RATIONALE
The project aims to provide facilities for low cost, healthy and environment-friendly alternative
means of mobilizing ones self within the city. By establishing bikeways and ensuring the safety of
bikers and walkers, both walking and biking can become healthy alternative forms of movement
form one spot to another. Walking cuts down on cost. Biking cuts down on travel time and cost
for some busy segments of the populace for short-distance trips like going to school, workplace,
market, grocery store or malls. It is sustainable and even minimizes air pollution. It is also meant
to anticipate the projected increase of bike-users due to traffic congestion and the increasing cost
of automobile fuel. The use of bicycles is projected to increase by as much as 3.5% in 2014. In order
to accommodate walkers and bikers, the sidewalks must be walker- and bicycle-friendly.
This initiative was made feasible through a GEF grant from World Bank which financed 19 kilometers of sidewalks with a total funding of USD1.143M and as a counterpart to the LGU investment of
USD2M.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
The integration of the bicycle lanes in the citys transport network saw the emergence of Marikina
as a bicycle-friendly and walkable city with the improvement of its sidewalks and roadways.
Infrastructure, 2007
Total Length of Road, (including access road)

358 kms
Drainage and sidewalk improvement
296 kms
Cleared sidewalk
700 kms
Bikeways constructed
52 kms
Number of bridges 5
The construction of the bikeways along existing roadways and recovered waterway easements was
not an easy project. The bikeways are anchored on the discipline and order the city has relentlessly
imposed upon its public landscapes and residents. From 2002 onwards, the network was gradually implemented, adopting an experimental approach where the city engineers learned what was
workable and what was not. The intent was to allow opportunities for evaluation and adjustment in
the course of the bikeways construction.
The bikeway experience is a combination of the following:

1. The citys integration of the bikeways construction in its regular road improvement
or widening;
2. Consistency in the implementation of traffic rules and regulations;
3. Bicycle safety education, information, dissemination and advocacy campaigns; and
4. Continuous recovery of all public spaces to increase mobility and green spaces.
Currently, Marikina has 52 kilometers of bikeways network which connects the city residential
areas, particularly the low-income communities, to employment centers, markets, schools, government service providers, and the LRT2 Santolan Station in Marcos Highway. Of the 52 km, more
than 18 km were constructed along the citys riverbanks.
People-friendly strategies to encourage bike use are the following:
Constructing a bicycle station where people can park their bikes and take the LRT train to
Cubao and beyond;
Granting of bicycle loans (Interest free, 6 months to pay) for city employees;
Lending of government bicycles to Bantay Bayan volunteers for faster mobilization during
peace-keeping activities;
Holding of in-school bicycle safety education and Saturday Cycling Clinics for children and
laymen who want to learn how to ride a bike;
Disseminating bicycle safety information continuously;
Organizing and sponsoring annual cycling competitions and bicycle advocacy events
regularly to promote public support on air quality protection; and
Building more complementary bicycle facilities, such as better bicycle traffic and informative
signals, innovative design on cycle lanes pavement markings, and installing more bicycle
parking stations all over the city.
IMPACT
The traffic volume share of bicycle has increased from 4% to 10%. Although there was a decline
in bike use based on traffic data for 2007 to 2008, the bicycle traffic share was still higher than the
3% projected increase in bicycle traffic due to bikeways development. This means that the prediction
that the increase in traffic will cause the level of bicycle use to decline did not happen because of
the bikeways network. The prediction was based on the experience of other cities in Metro Manila
as studied by the MMUTIS. Based on the 2006 Bike Ownership Survey, one in every two families in
Marikina own a bicycle, use the bicycle daily and bike to work. This data implies that there are
about 50,000 users from among 101,782 households in the city. This practice was cited by the Galing Pook Foundation as one of the reasons for choosing Marikina as one of the Top Ten Outstanding
LGUs in 2005.
Source: Marikina City. Climate Change and Health in Cities. 2008. http://www.alliance-healthycities.com/PDF/WHOAward2008/ Good
Practice
25
CONTROL OF SMOKE-BELCHING
VEHICLES: SAGIP-HANGIN
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
RATIONALE
Air quality monitoring efforts performed by the DENR indicated that air quality in Puerto Princesa,
the capital city and economic center of Palawan, ranged from good to fair. There were observations
that as the city become more and more industrialized and an international tourist attraction, the
ambient air quality in certain areas was deteriorating. The deterioration was attributed to the increasing number of smoke-belching tricycles clogging the city streets during the rush hour, particularly along Malvar and Rizal streets. If not addressed, there were fears that this could have a serious
impact on the health of city residents, as well as the citys tourism-driven economy.
Thus, the reduction of emission from tricycles was prioritized. Tricycles constitute 60% of the
means of transportation in Puerto Princesa and serves as the principal means of transport for the
citys roughly 300,000 residents. However, City Ordinance No. 258 against smoke-belching was upgraded to cover four-wheeled vehicles as well as stationary sources such as commercial and industrial establishments, in order to:

Reduce hydrocarbon and CO2 emission from tricycles by 25% in 2005 and 50% by 2007;
Effectively implement the Clean Air Act of the Philippines at the local level;
Reduce traffic congestion; and
Address the adverse effects of air pollution.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
The programs five-point strategy included:
Inspection and maintenance;
Improved traffic management and infrastructure development;
Financing scheme for cleaner tricycle engines (e.g. buy-back scheme for old tricycles, shift
to four-stroke engines);
Public awareness program; and
Promotion of alternative livelihood among tricycle drivers.
The program partners included:
The Asian Development Bank who gave USD260,000 to develop alternative livelihood projects for tricycle drivers and their families;
The USAEP which provided air quality management experts and a grant of PhP900,000 in
2004;
The DENR City Environment and Natural Resources Office which conducted inspection
andmaintenance;
The Traffic Management Group from UP-NCTS;
The Environmental Legal Assistance Center which helped in the formulation of ordinances;
and
The TagBalay Foundation, an environmental organization that took care of the public
awareness campaigns.
City Ordinance No. 278 was passed implementing the 50/50 scheme, where all tricycles numbered
1 can only operate on Mondays, Wed, Friday and Sunday, and the ones numbered 2 take the rest
of the days. This led to a 10% decrease in the operators income but no significant reduction in the
income of the drivers. The scheme even gave them half of their week free to do other forms of
income-generating activities offered by the government. To solve the difficulty on the part of
the commuters, the 1,000 unregistered tricycles were given franchises. The initially planned phase
out of the two-stroke as they were more polluting than the 4-stroke engine is still on hold due
to strong opposition, and in anticipation of emerging cleaner technology options (electric engines,
ethanol gas).
The program is part of a six-point program called OPLAN LINIS, consisting of cleanliness, sanitation,
beautification and IEC.
IMPACT
The program resulted in the following:
Maintenance activities conducted by tricycle federations as part of the four-module maintenance program have reduced hydrocarbon and CO emissions by 4%-50%;
Traffic congestion was resolved, particularly along Malvar, Rizal, Fernandez, Valencia and
San Pedro Streets, as well as the national highway going to the central business district;
Based on interviews, the health of tricycle drivers improved and their lifestyle became more
restful, giving them more quality time for their families; and
The program became an inspiration and benchmark to many other cities for replication of
best practices.
LESSONS LEARNED
The following are the realizations from the program:
Stakeholder dialogue is crucial to the process. Tricycle drivers and their organizations were
highly critical at the start, but through step-by-step consultations, emerging problems were
addressed, and in the end, it was a win-win situation for every stakeholder.
27
Political will and foresight of the citys political leadership for the overall good is important. The 50/50 scheme was launched a month before the May election and a misstep could
have generated a serious political backlash. A less courageous politician would have waited
for the election season to pass before initiating a controversial policy measure. But the
mayor pushed through with the program as a way to gauge its impact and to reach out to
its critics. When the positive results surfaced, he pressed ahead to achieve consensus by
personally conducting extensive dialogues with all stakeholders. The faith of the people
in such leaders, earned through their past track record, also was a big factor why people
listen and follow.
Active participation by civil society gives the community a sense of ownership of government programs. NGOs can partner well with government initiatives, not only in increasing public awareness but tapping technical assistance and grants that speed up the
implementation of some of its components such as legislation.
The program was launched in a social context that was relatively well-prepared for such
an environment-oriented program. Puerto Princesa is one of the cleanest cities in the
country and has track record for sanitary landfills, forest protection and mangrove rehabilitation.
FUTURE PLANS
Future plans for the city include:
A bikeway system similar to that of Marikina City; and
Replication of the program. The League of Cities of the Philippines has recently created
an environment unit to explore the possibility of replicating the program in at least 10%
of cities nationwide. So far, San Fernando, La Union, Mandaue City, Cebu and Calbayog,
Samar are in various stages of implementing components of this program.
Source: US-Asian Environmental Partnership. Clean Air Quality Tool Kit for Local Governments Case Studies. http://cleanairinitiative.org
GREEN CITY PROGRAM

Pasig City
RATIONALE
Pasig City is one of the most highly-urbanized cities in Metro Manila. It is a venue for malls, office
building and residential condominiums which brings thousands of residents and visitors as well
as vehicles. As a result, the city is burdened with issues like solid waste management, flooding,
pollution, health problems and environmental degradation. To mitigate these issues, the Pasig City
Government, under the leadership of Mayor Robert Eusebio, formulated and implemented the Pasig Green City Program in 2007 to ensure that the citys urban growth will take a clean, green and
more sustainable path.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
The city government formulated and implemented an integrated, holistic and pro-active approach
in mitigating air, odor, water, land, noise and visual pollution. Among the strategies the Pasig
City Government implemented were the following:
Enactment of environmental and strict enforcement of laws requiring all establishments to
secure an Environmental Permit to Operate and to install anti-pollution devices
Trained 500 Green Police Volunteers from the 30 barangays as enforcers and implementers
of the Pasig City Green Program
Authorized the Green Police volunteers to apprehend violators of environmental laws and
ordinances
Allocated Php1 million for the production and distribution of ecobags to all sectors of Pasig
City as part of their call to action to ban the use of plastic bags in the markets
Women were trained in crafting products from water lilies and were hired in governmentsupported livelihood projects
Solar-powered lights were installed in the streets of Barangay Kapitolyo and within the Pasig City compound
About 1,140 Incandescent bulbs in the Pasig Mega market were replaced with compact
florescent lamps (CFL) as part of the Palit-Ilaw Project
Converted 81 government-owned gasoline vehicles into LPG-powered vehicles towards cleaner air and sustainable urban transport
29
RESULTS
Pasig has transformed into an environmentally-friendly city with its award-winning efforts, one of
which is its intensive greening program. More than 20,100 trees have been planted for their Carbon Sink campaign in the current year. The previous year, they planted 20,000 trees. The city has
its own Seedling Bank Nursery. They also started their Urban Garden Project, which turns vacant
lots into pocket oases for barangays. Each government has a master landscape with architectural
design. Most civic centers have open gardens and courts. An example is the Tanghalang Pasigueo,
a convention center and auditorium for cultural events which embellishes a large foundation with
an informal garden shaded by a beautiful, large landscape. The market has a city hall complex with
tree-lined roads and elevated pedestrian walkways. A large section was cleared for a sizeable park
complex with vine-covered trellises, fishponds and a cafe with a green roof.
Other results of Pasigs Green City Program are:
Commercial and business establishments have environmental policies and green management principles in place
Pasig City has been declared as a role model for intensified Smoke Belching monitoring
and apprehension in the country
Pasig citys air quality has been classified as one of the cleanest in Metro Manila
Pasig has turned the previously crowded, concrete-filled landscape into a green, peoplefriendly complex. Residents of Pasig and visitors alike notice and enjoy the new green and
airy look
Sources:
Alcazaren, Paulo. Pasigs green civic center. The Philippine Star, September 12, 2009. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?
articleId=504442&publicationSubCategoryId=8
Outstanding Local Governance Programs for 2010. Galing Pook Foundation. www.galingpook.org
ANTI-CIGARETTE SMOKING CAMPAIGN

Metro Manila
RATIONALE
Tobacco smoke is also a source of environmental particulate matter, whose suspension in air is
aggravated by climate change. A controlled study reported in Tobacco Control cites that air pollution emitted by cigarettes is ten times greater than diesel car exhaust. Thus, tobacco smoke, if not
regulated, whether domestic or in the workplace, is actually a major cause of indoor pollution, which
is now a major concern for health, especially for those with respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, the young, the elderly and pregnant women. Noxious gases not only cause cancer, but also
exacerbate respiratory symptoms of bronchitis and asthma. People with cardiovascular disease are
at higher risk of heart attack or other heart symptoms when exposed to nicotine. The unborn
child and young children are vulnerable to reduced birth weights.
Globally, second-hand smoke has been ubiquitous. There are restrictions on smoking in the workplace and recreational facilities, especially air-conditioned places, and homes. There is also a sick
building syndrome. Symptoms associated with working in an air-conditioned office environment,
consist of eye, respiratory and skin irritation, headaches and fatigue.
It is not only the smoking per se that harms the environment but the very process of production
which produce significant gases harmful to the earths ozone layer. They are also a big contributor to
the global greenhouse effect. It is actually the before-and-after-the-puffing that causes the most
harm. Tobacco belongs to a potassium-greedy plant, often sucking up six times the amount of nutrients from the soil. They get all the available nutrients in the soil until the land becomes barren.
Then they clear forests of trees to make way for more tobacco, and an annual 600 million trees
get cut down annually, depriving the earth of the ability to regulate over 22 million net tons of
C02. The leaves themselves must be dried, sometimes by exposing them to heat in wood burning
furnaces, which further aggravates the greenhouse effect.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
A ban on smoking in public places was imposed with a fine of P500 when caught. Campaign activities were also conducted such as a Fun Run to advocate against smoking.
31
IMPACT
The initiative produced the following results:
The campaign gained national prominence with the support of the Philippine Medical
Association, Health Justice, the University of the Philippines College of Law Development
Foundation, the Department of Health and the 17 LGU comprising Metro Manila. The MMDA
Chief clarified that the anti-smoking campaign also included enforcement of LTFRB Board 2009
Memorandum Circular banning smoking and the act of carrying a lighted cigarette or other
tobacco products in all public utility vehicles and public transportation terminals. Under the Tobacco Regulation Act, the absolute smoking ban covers public conveyances and public facilities
including transport terminals and train and bus stations;
After almost one month of enforcing this policy, there were a total of 2,906 apprehensions,
where 2,695 of the violators were male and 211 were female;
In May 2011, the DOH conferred the Red Orchid Award to MMDA for the strength of its
comprehensive effort to implement its no smoking campaign within its own office;
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino acknowledged the support of the DOH headed by
its Secretary, Dr. Enrique Ona, for bringing the anti-smoking campaign to the national
consciousness; and
Fun run was organized through the concerted efforts of various medical organizations (PMA,
PAPA, LCP, LGUs of QC, etc) on July 18, 2011.
Source: Quismorio, Ellson. MMDA drive nets 2,906 smokers. Manila Bulletin, July 23, 2011. http://www.mb.com.ph/
articles/327960/mmda-drive-nets-2906-smokers
COMMUNITY-BASED
HAZARD MAPPING
PROMISE : A HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
AND MITIGATION PROGRAM
Dagupan City
RATIONALE
The Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE)
is a project involving participatory risk assessment and the institutionalization of an early warning
system to foster a culture of preparedness and mitigation. Dagupan City was chosen as the pilot
city for the Philippines, along with cities from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Vietnam.
Dagupan City is a small city in Northwest Luzon, but it is a center of commerce, education and health
care. It is very prone to typhoons, floods and earthquakes because it is a water-saturated city. It
is located along the Lingayen Gulf and traversed by seven rivers.
However, the people of Dagupan have learned to deal with calamities, as a matter of course, despite the absence of a concrete program for disaster preparedness. The city government has no solid
structure for its systemic and scientific operations before, during and after disasters.
THE PROMISE PROGRAM

Program Goal
Reduced vulnerability of urban communities through enhanced preparedness and mitigation of
hydro- meteorological disasters in South and South East Asia.
Program Strategy
Increased adoption of private and public sector mechanism for community preparedness and mitigation of hydro-meteorological disaster risk in urban areas which will measurably alleviate human
suffering, prevent loss of life and reduce the potential for physical and economic damage.
33
Program Objectives
Adoption of specific hydro-meteorological disaster preparedness and mitigation measures to
manage hydro-meteorological disaster risk by by stakeholders;
Increased stakeholder involvement and further enhancement of strategies, tools and
methodologies related to community preparedness and mitigation of hydro-meteorological
disasters;
Enhanced coordination with USAID Missions to promote sustainability and ensure program
activities accord with USAID country and regional strategies.
Strengthen networks and regional links among relevant among relevant risk management institutions/organizations for improving potential capacity for application and dissemination of lessons learned.
COMPONENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hazard Vulnerability and Risk Assessment

Mitigation and Preparedness
Training and Public Awareness
Advocacy for mainstreaming risk management in urban awareness.
RESULTS
The activities conducted in relation to Participatory Risk and Capacity Assessment served as tool
to promote disaster risk management. The assessment enabled to community members to determine their level of preparedness and capabilities to deal with disasters. It also allowed them to
identify the vulnerabilities of their communities and create disaster risk reduction plans to address
these vulnerabilities.
Source: USAID-ADPC. Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE) Quarterly Progress
and Performance Report. 2007. http://www.adpc.net/v2007/programs/udrm/promise/MONITORING_EVALUATION/ Quarterly%20
Status%20Reports/2007/2007_4Q_PROMISE.pdf
REDUCING DISASTER RISK

THROUGH THE PUROK SYSTEM
San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu
RATIONALE
The Municipality of San Francisco is located more than 500 kilometers southeast of Manila, in
Camotes Islands. The inhabitants of this 12-village fishing municipality, earns just PhP5,000/month
on the average. They learned the hard way that natural hazards can snatch away what little they
have. In 1982 and 1990, tropical storms left shattered homes and agricultural losses across the area.
Many lost their homes in the blink of an eye because they were made of light-weight materials.
Their effort to develop a community-based disaster risk reduction initiative can serve as an example
that should be emulated across the nation. It is a home-grown disaster risk reduction initiative that
makes communities responsible for identifying areas of risk from environmental disasters like landslides. The community-based approach allowed the people themselves to determine that the town
was most at risk from fires, typhoons and El Nio. They put early warning systems and contingency
plans in place. Each purok was also tasked with keeping their neighborhood and tourist spots in their
area clean. This led to a boost in the number of households using a solid waste management system.
To encourage participation in the program, the municipal government put up a prize of PhP20,000
for the best purok.
The objectives of the project include:
1. relocating communities and key infrastructure that are prone to storm surges;
2. conducting regular clean-up drives along coastal areas;
3. planting trees;
4. putting-up of early warning systems;
5. strengthening of emergency response teams;
6. holding tourism and livelihood activities; and
7. training teachers and youth organizations on climate change and disaster risk reduction.
THE PROJECT
The project is a five-year plan with three components: disaster prevention, disaster mitigation
and disaster preparedness.
Under disaster prevention, the municipality aims to construct and strengthen infrastructure to withstand the effects of natural calamities. This entails assessing bridges and roads, enforcing building
35
regulations and installing rainwater receptacles at public buildings to conserve and help prevent
flooding.
Disaster mitigation involves educating all inhabitants about disasters, from the young to elderly.
This is in line with Department of Education lessons on disasters integrated into the school curriculum for elementary and high school students. The council is also organizing awareness sessions for
senior citizens. Farmers will likewise be given advice on organic farming and climate-resilient crops.
For disaster preparedness, early warning systems will be put in place. Volunteers have been trained
in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Plan International has provided rain
gauges that measure rainfall. When rainfall levels increase significantly, council leaders are warned
so they can prepare residents for a possible evacuation. Bells placed at strategic points in sub-villages
are rung to tell people it is time to pack up and go. Volunteers monitor the health and safety of
evacuees.
already struck. Now, San Francisco can allot as much as USD255,000 for its 2011-2015 Disaster Risk
Reduction Plan. The strategy was developed by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Council with
inputs from local leaders and capacity-building assistance from Plan International.
Fund-generation must be a continuing effort undertaken through building links with both national
and international organizations, especially anticipating that climate change will only worsen through
time.
Source: UNISDR. SASAKAWA Award for Disaster Reduction, Creating Local Solutions in Building Resilient Communities: The Experience of the Municipality of San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu, Philippines, Documentation Entry. Geneva: UNISDR. http://www.
scribd.com/doc/75188601/San-Francisco-Nomination-for-SASAKAWA-Final-1
RESULTS
The following are the effects of the project:
It was expanded to five years through the LGU who assists and evaluates all the categories
of programs against the standards and performance indicators of cleanliness, sanitation and
health, greening enhancement of the environment, creativity, artistry and aesthetic impact, appreciation, promotion and nurturing culture and heritage;
It gave economic opportunities to the people;
It won the 2009 and 2010 Expanded-Green Wholesome Environment that Nurtures (e-GWEN
- a project that aims to make Cebu an ideal place to live, work, play, invest and do business)
of the Province of Cebu in partnership with Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.; and
It won the 2011 UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction, garnering a grant of $50,000,
which will be used for: a) the towns Two Million Trees Project which aims to rehabilitate
the watershed of Camotes Islands and prevent landslides; and b) the Food for Work Project;
LESSONS LEARNED
Disaster resilience is everybodys business and it is essential that everyone in the community takes
part in the effort. Elected leaders have a moral obligation to the people. They have a duty to take
bold steps and empower their constituents to participate in addressing the communities concerns.
The lessons from past disasters have taken some time to distil. It was the passage of the 2010 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act that galvanized San Francisco LGU officials led by Vice
Mayor Alfred Arquillano to use disaster risk reduction measures, as a way to improve the socioeconomic status of the people. The act rectified a major flaw in previous legislation which only
allowed local leaders to access calamity funds (5% of the towns revenues) after the calamity has
37
READY PROJECT
27 Provinces, Philippines
EXECUTING AGENCY
RATIONALE
Component 1: Multi-hazard identification and assessment
Disaster events and/or societal circumstances became the driving force either for developing a technology or enhancing its practice. In 2004, the Philippines was hit successively by four
cyclones, which triggered floods and landslides together with associated strong winds destructive
to homes, crops, critical infrastructure and lifelines.
The READY Project is a Hazard Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community-Based Disaster
Risk Management. It is a collaborative effort of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines,
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian Agency for International
Development (AusAID), which was launched in 2009.
THE PROJECT
The strategies used by the project include developing a systematic approach to community-based
disaster risk management through:
1. scientific multi-hazard mapping as the first step to risk assessment;
2. facilitating community preparedness, and
3. initiation of mainstreaming processes towards risk reduction in to development planning
process of LGUs.
OBJECTIVES
To address the problem of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) at the local level. To achieve
this, both national and local level initiatives are necessary. First, at the national level, it aims
to institutionalize and standardize DRM measures and processes. Second, at the local level,
it aims to empower the most vulnerable municipalities and cities in the country to enable
them to prepare DRM Plans. It hopes to develop a systematic approach to community-based
DRM.
It is developed within the countrys national priorities and as a direct response to specific
assistance requested by the GOP on DRM to the UN Country Team after Flash Floods in December 2004.
Office of the Civil Defense- National Disaster Coordinating Council (OCD-NDCC).
1. Table top analysis of the study area, including aerial photo and topographic map interpretation, remote sensing data analysis, mathematical modelling (e.g. storm surge) and literature
research
2. Production of preliminary hazard data interpretation and maps of study areas
3. Field verification, which involves interviews with local residents to gather local knowledge
about the hazards, checking out the land forms and geologic features to verify initial table
top interpretation and conduct of surveys using various scientific geodetic and rock/soil
testing equipment
4. Transformation of findings into preliminary hazard maps (e.g. flash floods, rainwater and
erosions) that can be put into digital and paper form
5. Preview by the multi-agency mapping group with the executing agency
Component 2: Community-based Disaster Preparedness

1. Production of IEC materials such as posters and flyers, with standard design and format using simple language
2. Establishment of Community-based early warning systems - cheap, non-structural mitigating system that empowers the concerned community to plan and act in the event of the
sudden onset of floods and tsunami. In all these activities, memoranda or agreements are
forged between READY agencies and LGUs for sustainability. Under the said agreement
the LGU provides financial allocations for the operation and maintenance of the systems and
equipment, such as:
a. Flood warnings - the river basin approach is employed and a network of rainfall and
water level monitoring gauges are installed in the river basin. The communities occupying each basin are linked together in one system with strategically installed rain gauges
and water level monitoring systems. The warning set-up is based on source, path and
depositional area. The procedures entail site survey, installation of monitoring facilities,
measurement of the depth or carrying capacities of rivers to establish flood warning levels, on-site and formal training of servers and volunteers and dry run or pilot testing of
the system through a flood drill in the flood-prone communities; and
b. Tsunami warnings - hazards and risk assessment, evacuation planning, installation of
tsunami signage, IEC campaigns and drills are undertaken in pilot sites recommended by
the experts, in consultation with officials in concerned LGU. Preparatory activities involve
site suitability assessment, gathering of community maps, identification and evaluation
of evacuation sites and routes, and determination of signage location. IEC campaigns are
conducted a few days before the drill. It also includes preparedness activities that teach
the barangay basic tsunami information and the appropriate response to its hazards.
39
LESSONS LEARNED
The following are the realizations brought about by the program:

Nurturing of stakeholders at the local level by concerned agencies is vital;

LGU support is necessary for success;
Local expertise abound, they just need to be recognized and tapped;
Local experts are the best resources to tap for IEC campaigns, as they are more familiar with
the local needs and can relate better with the local;
It is important to tap NGOs;
Local politics oftentimes impedes the smooth implementation of a project; and
Natural disasters know no bounds and limits, but preparing communities for its ill effects is
the responsibility of the government, regardless of the ethnicity of the community.
Source: AusAID. Hazards Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community-Based Disaster Risk Management READY PROJECT
Annual Report, 2009. http://www.ausaid.gov.au/countries/eastasia/philippines/Documents/dcrm-ready-project- report-ipm.pdf
EDUCATION, RESEARCH,
ACADEMIC PRACTICES
EDUCATION AS A STRATEGY
FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL RECOVERY
FOR CHILDREN IN EMERGENCIES
Save the Children
RATIONALE
For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crises, Save the Children mobilizes rapid life-saving assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict
and natural disasters.
Save the Children has been working in the Philippines to make a difference in the lives of children
for the past 25 years. In the aftermath of Typhoon Reming, they conducted the Support for Child
Protection in Emergencies Program.
THE PROJECT
Save the Children sees the childrens access to education as one of the most reliable means of restarting routines towards psychosocial recovery. The program therefore aims to improve childrens
well-being, participation in, and access to, psychosocial, education and health services in the early
recovery phase of communities affected by Typhoon Reming.
The program objectives are:
To provide immediate recreational and learning activities for children that will assist in
their coping and psychosocial recovery;
To assist in the restarting and rehabilitation of education and health activities in the day
care centers, public elementary schools and barangay health stations/rural health units
of the communities; and
To facilitate child-led initiatives towards disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness
and contributing towards early recovery.
41
A step toward child-led disaster risk reduction is the Child First or Children Initiative on Local Disaster
Risk Reduction. It seeks to fully integrate risk reduction programming into school curricula and community emergency plans and ensures that learning environment are child-friendly and capable of
withstanding natural hazards. There is also the Child Craft or Creative Arts for Transformation which
is a psycho-social program for children and youth in emergencies.
RESULTS
The Support for Child Protection in Emergencies Program benefits an estimated 3000 children between ages 3-9. Adult community stakeholders include day-care workers, elementary school teachers and other educators, health service providers, parents and childcare-givers, and local leaders.
Source: Department of Education. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippine Education Sector. Pasig City: Department
of Education, 2008.
SCHOOL BUILDING DESIGN FOR DISASTER

REDUCTION: THE LEARNING AND PUBLIC
USE SCHOOL BUILDING (LAPUS BUILDING)
Province of Albay
RATIONALE
In the Philippines, school buildings are normally used as evacuation centers for families whose homes
are affected or destroyed by disasters such as typhoons, flooding and earthquakes. In 2011, Typhoon
Mina caused the evacuation of some 10,944 families or 51,674 individuals in the Bicol region. These
families and individuals used school buildings in the area as temporary evacuation centers. Unfortunately, these classrooms are ill-equipped to serve as evacuation centers. Accepting the reality of
the dual purpose that school buildings serve in a community, the Department of Education (DepEd)
decided to design and construct buildings that can meet these two purposes.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
The LAPUS building is a one-storey two-classroom building that can be utilized as an evacuation center during calamities and emergencies. The LAPUS building is the first hazard-resistant, all-concrete
DepEd structure in the Bicol region. It is expected to last for at least 50 years without need for any
major repairs or rehabilitation work. It is made of reinforced concrete walls and beams, waterproofed slabs for the ceilings, and steel encased glass windows and steel doors to prevent the
entry of water. It also has collapsible plywood panels for partitioning, tiled comfort rooms, and a
kitchen. Its ceiling is reinforced with 20-millimeter steel bars.
The building houses two classrooms that could each accommodate 63 students or at least six families
per room. The building is made of reinforced concrete and designed to be typhoon-and earthquake
resistant. It is elevated from the ground by one meter to protect those inside from flood. It can accommodate two classes during regular days and at least 60 people when used as evacuation center.
Each classroom also has a wide kitchen and two comfort rooms, the bigger of which is for girls and
the handicapped, and the smaller one for boys. The building has a floor area of 230 square meters,
divided into two classroom units. A unit covers 115 square meters, including the 63-square meter
classroom plus the kitchen and lavatory.
The all-weather Learning and Public Use School (LAPUS) school building is principal-led, which means
that it is the school principal who prepares the program of work, plans and specifications, and supervises the bidding for the construction of the building.
43
The project is funded under DepEds Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Efforts (BCARE),
which was established in the wake of super typhoons Milenyo and Reming. DepEd allotted about
PhP1.2 billion for the construction of new classrooms and the repair of damaged classrooms in
Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon.
RESULTS
The project has resulted in the following:
Construction of 545 new classrooms in the Bicol region that are expected to benefit
50,000 students and teachers;
Repair of 6,039 classrooms that are ready for use;
Construction of an all-concrete building in Legazpi City that was designed to withstand earthquake and typhoon.
Source: Department of Education. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippine Education Sector. Pasig City: Department of Education, 2008.
NGO INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION:

REHABILITATING SCHOOLS
A CASE BY PLAN IN ALBAY
RATIONALE
Barangay Mataas on Cagraray Island in Bacacay town is a tourist destination in the Province of
Albay. Unfortunately, in the wake of Typhoon Reming, this remote village suffered from the destruction of its elementary school, along with most other structures in the village. For 11 years,
Barangay Mataas had only one teacher for its entire elementary school. It also had only one concrete
classroom and a bamboo hut for its student population of 60. After Typhoon Reming, the bamboo
hut was rebuilt three times after strong winds would knock it down, so that classes could resume. The damage to boats and turbulent seas also isolated them from aid coming from the local
government units, as they an hours boat ride away from the mainland town of Bacacay.
The elementary school in Barangay Cawayan, on the same island, had a similar problem. Their classrooms had no partitions and were so dilapidated that these could not be used as evacuation
centers as the structure was too weak and may fall apart when subjected to strong winds.
Given their dire situation, PLAN Philippines chose these two towns for relief and rehabilitation.
PLAN Philippines is a Non-government Organization (NGO) that enables children and families to play
an active role in shaping their own future and developing their communities. PLAN works with children and their families to ensure access to essential services such as sanitation facilities, basic
education and health care. It also has programs in child protection, governance, and disaster risk
reduction.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
PLAN constructed the 12 by 16-meter school building at the Mataas Elemetary School in place of the
bamboo hut. The building is made of materials that can withstand strong winds and are impervious
to the corrosive effects of salinity in coastal villages. It was also designed to be typhoon-resistant, so
that it can be used as an evacuation center in times of calamities. They also repaired the threeclassroom school building of Cawayan Elementary School.
During the school rehabilitation, the parent-teacher associations of both schools contributed their
resources, constructing the comfort rooms at the Cawayan Elementary School and armchairs at the
Mataas Elementary School. PLAN also conducted capability-building training sessions.
45
RESULTS
Repair of 86 classrooms
Classrooms that are more conducive to learning there were no partitions between classrooms before, so classes distracted each other;
School building that can serve as evacuation centers during disasters; and
Distribution of relief goods, tents, tarpaulin roofing, school supplies, teaching materials,
chairs, chalkboards and textbooks to 58 schools in 59 villages in the island communities.
Source: Department of Education. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippine Education Sector. Pasig City: Department of Education, 2008.
BUILDING A SAFE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT: SAFE SCHOOL PROJECT
UNICEF, Department of Education,
Department of Social Welfare
and Development
RATIONALE
The education sector is greatly affected by disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes. When school
buildings are destroyed by disasters, the usual emergency response is to create temporary learning
spaces which are typically not conducive to learning. In the wake of the 2006 Typhoon Reming that devastated the Philippines, UNICEF Philippines decided to launch a more comprehensive
emergency package that supports the government in building more hazard-resistant school
structures and strengthening its capacity for emergency preparedness and response.
The Safe School Project (SSP) sought to improve the teaching-learning environment of pre-school
and school age children, day care workers and teachers and to enhance their capacity for emergency preparedness and disaster risk management. One of the main features of the BSLE Project
is the structural component or construction and rehabilitation work for damaged day care centers
and schools combined with non-structural components.
PROJECT OPERATIONS
The SSP was conducted with substantial financing support from the Netherlands and Sweden funds,
in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and concerned Local Government Units (LGUs). The project was a pilot test for the
ability of UNICEF Philippines to coordinate and manage large-scale construction work as part of its
humanitarian intervention. One of its main objectives was to build school facilities that are resilient
to disaster impact to ensure that children are protected from natural hazards.
The SSP adopted a DepEd approach known as Principal-Led School Building Program (PSBP).
Under the PSBP approach, school principals or school heads take charge of the implementation
and management of the repair and/or construction of the school building, with the assistance of
a DepEd project engineer. This approach ensures successful and timely project completion and empowers school communities to manage and eventually own and sustain the projects.
The SSP incorporates hazard-resistant features in the design of the buildings and classrooms, particularly against typhoons. They are also designed to double as evacuation centers that can accommodate a large number of people. Its features include accordion-type partition walls, beams or hooks
47
for hanging hammocks, improved/additional sanitation facilities toilets, bath/washing areas, water
points, cooking and waste disposal areas.
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Philippines also assisted in the school building construction using a
new technology but following DepEd specifications and standards. Recipient schools were also required to come up with an Operation & Maintenance Plan for sustainability and to foster a sense
of ownership for the school building.
RESULTS
The project resulted in the following:
Completion of repair work for 13 classrooms in 5 schools sites and new construction work
for 36 classrooms in 18 schools sites with disaster-resistant features;
Normalcy to the educational situation of over 2, 100 school children from 18 primary
schools and five secondary schools in the disaster-affected areas by making their learning
environment safe and functional; and
Enhanced quality of classroom repair and construction through close partnership with the
DepEd and the services of an independent engineering firm to strengthen quality assurance
monitoring.
Source: Department of Education. Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippine Education Sector. Pasig City: Department of Education, 2008. hems.doh.gov.ph/entries.php/trainings/page/1/article/12
SCHOOL HYDROLOGICAL
INFORMATION NETWORK
Bulacan
RATIONALE
In 2006, the School Rainfall Observation Network (SRON) was conceived by the Pampanga River
Flood Forecasting & Warning Center PRFFWC as a parallel activity to the Community-based Flood
Mitigation & Management Program (CBFMMP) of the Province of Bulacan which was conceived in
2004. SRON was eventually renamed School Hydrological Observation Network (SHON), and finally
School Hydrological Information Network (SHINe), in 2008. SHINe is a simple school-based program aimed at addressing issues on the effects of climate change, particularly on disaster awareness. Hydrological refers to rainfall, river stage, flood stage and tropical cyclone tracking, among
others. The project is a way of supporting the Department of Educations (DepEd) thrust towards
climate-change enhanced curricula. This is consistent with the underlying principle that disaster
awareness begins in schools.
The program aimed to strengthen the school and enable it to cope with disasters through:
Enhancing the disaster awareness of the school population through regular hydrological monitoring;
Coordinating and providing timely hydrological information to the Provincial Disaster
Risk Reduction & Management Office (PDRRMO) and the disaster councils at Municipal and
Barangay levels to properly operate the local flood warning system of Bulacan; and
Developing long-term strategies the provincial and national level based on the data and information collected from the network of observations by the SHINe school groups.
PROGRAM OPERATIONS
SHINE maintains the following to meet its objectives:
A school-based hydrometeorological-related disaster monitoring system (within their
area/ community) as part of its school disaster awareness program;
A school-based hydrological (rainfall, river stage and flood stage, and tropical cyclone tracking) observation network mainly for disaster preparedness and awareness;
A database early warning purposes, research purposes, and possible commercialization; and
A community-based (Local) Flood Warning System to support community information
and community disaster awareness programs.
49
They have also conducted Quiz Bees, essay-writing contests and conferences to enhance disaster
awareness.
IMPACT
Information from SHINe is used for flood advisories issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Office (PDMO) which helped save hundreds of millions in aquaculture products in
the towns of Hagonoy, Calumpit and Paombong, in western Bulacan, or the coastal area of
the province; and
In 2010, OXFAM International, a international funding agency, recognized SHINe as an innovative program and granted them financial support for their operations.
Source: Bulacan Shine Program. The Shine Program. http://bulacanshine.webs.com/shineprogram.htm
DISASTER SAFETY PRACTICES

DISASTER-RESILIENT HOUSING PRACTICES
Quezon City
RATIONALE
In this disaster era, there is a need to mitigate the effects of destruction caused by natural disasters, which contribute to the perpetuation of poverty as they result in loss of life and property. When
Typhoon Ondoy struck in September 2009, entire cities within Metro Manila were submerged
in deep flood waters for days. The damage was large-scale and widespread and that disaster underscored the citys increasing vulnerability to typhoons and freak weather occurrences caused by
climate change, thereby serving as a catalyst for this project.
The incumbent leaders of Quezon City believed the project will be helpful in designing a housing
and resettlement program that used a disaster risk reduction and environment management approach. Sustainable housing and environmentally-safe villages should not be the privilege of the
well-to-do alone, but should be accessible to the poor who are physically the most vulnerable. It
is considered a milestone that the global architectural community is collaborating on this disasterresilient community project for the Philippines urban poor. The first to benefit will be the marginalized families in Quezon City since the pilot village will be built for 500 marginalized Typhoon
Ondoy victims. Quezon City is also a pioneer in having a mandatory adoption of green building
principles in architecture and a fully operational and broadly-encompassing Disaster Risk Reduction
Management Program.
THE PROJECT
A competition called Design Against the Elements (DAtE) was held, which was open to all professionals and senior architecture students. Judges were composed of top architects, educators and environment experts from the US, UK, New Zealand, France, Mexico, Malaysia and the Philippines. The
winner would receive a cash prize of USD10,000 and the winning entry will be called the House
of San Miguel. It will also form part of an encyclopedia of architectural planning solutions for climate change, which organizers hope will serve as a reference for future designers and researchers
worldwide.
The objective of the competition was to create designs for homes and communities that can survive
for weeks in the severely restricted conditions of a post-disaster situation. Rather than spending
millions on expendable handouts after disasters, the organizers wanted to create a concrete proac50 | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
51
tive solution. In this context, the intention was to generate designs that will change the concept of
low-income housing. The green building designs should incorporate roof and pocket areas for urban
farming, use of solar panels, maximized natural light sources, and gray-water recycling.
RESULTS
The winning village concept, submitted by Johanna Ferrer Guldager of Denmark is designed around
elevated housing clusters. Each house employs green building technologies, such as sustainable materials like bamboo for the floors, walls and roof. Roofs are used as a rainwater collection
system leading to a water conservation tank, while a small garden between houses ensured food
production in times of disaster. Eleena Jamil of Malaysia who designed a school made of bamboo
won the Millennium School Design. Their works were lauded for their sustainability, practicality and
holistic approach.
Nikola Enchev and Stefan Vankov also shared their winning design in the student Green Design
Award category for the DAtE. Set in Manila, Philippines, the design addresses the disastrous consequences of climate change around the world, and proposed an architectural design that would end
the cycle of destruction and rebuilding that takes up so much time and resources in countries that
are most affected by extreme storms. The design focuses on affordable and resilient communities
that use modern technologies to thwart the effects of such storms.
The proposed design is an integration of technologies that produce a low-cost, easy-to-assemble
building. The design combines two main building materials, bamboo, a natural sustainable resource abundant in Asia, and concrete.
The external faade of the building is a low-tech bamboo fence with operable segments which
open and close to provide natural light or additional solar shading. The key purpose of the external
fence is to separate the enclosing wall of the dwelling units into two elements, so that in case of a
strong typhoon, only the external faade will be damaged. Since the fence is largely non-structural,
it can be easily and cheaply repaired. This solution prevents any major damage to the actual walls
of the apartments, thus reducing the burden of typhoons on the residents.
The houses are constructed with geometrical modules that can fit any program, any site, any landscape and any environment. The design is distinctly modern functionally, yet has a vernacular look.
It stands firmly in the ground yet can never be flooded, welcomes wind but shuts out typhoons. It
is easy and cheap to build yet can last decades and has features space to store food, water and
medicine when disaster strikes. It is universal because it can be built in any tropical community yet
still conforms to local needs by its ability to change size, shape and function.
The backbone of the design is a hexagonal geometry, which allows for infinite tiling without wasted
space. The hexagon is a strong geometry for a number of reasons. In terms of earthquake resistance,
triangular frames and hexagonal units provide better performance than orthogonal solutions.
The resultant unit can be repeated and mirrored along the sides of the hexagon in order to create
the basic structure of a residential block, which is uniquely suited to the varying topography on the
site. Because of this versatility, the buildings can be oriented freely on site. The radial layout of the
units combined with the external faade mean that any orientation is optimal, as there is equal
sun shading on each side of the building.

The interior planning of the apartments takes full advantage of the geometry. Because the Philippine standards for social and economic housing are very stringent (32-36 sqm. for a family of three
or four, under the rules of DAtE), a hexagonal internal layout is again better than an orthogonal
alternative. In such a small space, obtuse angles make the space feel larger and more welcoming.
The internal layout successfully manages to avoid acute angles and optimize use of space by subdividing the hexagon from the centre.
The apartment blocks are specifically designed to address disaster resiliency. The ground level
load- bearing structure of the residential block is the hexagonal reinforced concrete structure, which
provides strong support for the building, as well as earthquake resistance, flood resistance and protection of the bamboo superstructure from the harmful effects of moisture. The metal roof is designed to accumulate incoming rainwater and channel it to a ground level bunker where it is stored.
The reinforced concrete bunker is an integral part of the disaster resiliency of the building. The
concrete bunker is water and earthquake proof and accessible only from the first level, thus making it an ideal storage space for medical supplies, food and water. It is very often the case that,
after significant typhoons, people are often left without electricity, water supply or food, and the
bunker address all those needs. The bunker is also designed to provide additional support for the
structure in case of an earthquake.
The two structural materials, bamboo and concrete, were chosen to reduce the cost of the entire
complex and the future of the sustainable community. Concrete provides the strength and resilience, while bamboo supplies flexibility and openness. While reinforced concrete requires heavy
labor, formwork and very often professional oversight, the bamboo structure and infill walls can be
built and maintained by residents of the community. This increases the level of autonomy of both
the individual and the community. To facilitate this, the bamboo structure is designed in such a way
as to permit modifications and repairs to be carried out by the residents. All structural members are
doubled or tripled so that they can be replaced when necessary. Additionally, the upper bamboo
structure is kept separate from the infill elements to further facilitate maintenance and ensure
structural integrity.
The urban design scale of sustainability and communal living are addressed in the master-planning
of the community. The south ends are allocated for a communal bamboo plantation where materials
for maintenance can be grown, while also providing jobs for the neighborhood. A single street
and two roundabouts serve the community and create focus points where the residential units
are orientated. The roundabouts contain the community facilities necessary for the development: a
school, a community hall and a market, which are structurally and architecturally solved using the
hexagonal approach.
Source: Design Against the Elements. Press Kit. http://www.designagainsttheelements.org/downloads/DAtE%20022510.pdf
53
SAFER SCHOOL RESOURCE MANUAL

Department of Education
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific in collaboration with
the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Tropical Medicine and Public
Health Network (SEAMEO-TROPMED) organized a consultative meeting to develop a training
course for responding to health emergences in schools. Key experts from Cambodia, Lao Peoples
Democratic Republic and the Philippine laid down the groundwork for the training module on the
roles and function of school principals in Emergencies and Disasters.
Their primary objective was to provide school administrators, teaching and non-teaching staff with
a handy and ready reference on what to do before, during and after the occurrence of a calamity.
SAFE HOSPITAL MANUAL

Department of Health
In 2009, the Department of Health published a manual entitled Safe Hospitals in Emergencies and
Disasters: Philippine Indicators, under the leadership of former Health Secretary Francisco Duque
III. The manual seeks to serve as a guide: 1) to help assess the vulnerability and resilience of hospitals and health facilities; 2) to ensure patient safety and staff security, and 3) guarantee continuous
operation in times of emergencies and disasters.
Source: Banatin, Dr. Carmencita A., Dr, Marilyn V. Go, Arch. Ma. Rebecca M. Peafiel, Dr. Romeo A. Bituin (eds.). Safe Hospitals in
Emergencies and Disasters: Philippine Indicators. Manila: Department of Health, 2009.
ONE MILLION SAFE SCHOOLS

AND HOSPITALS CAMPAIGN
International Strategy
for Disaster Reduction
The One Million Safe Schools and Hospitals Campaign is a global advocacy initiative to make schools
and hospitals safer from disasters. This initiative is part of the 2010-2011 World Disaster Risk Reduction Campaign on Building Resilient Cities - My city is getting ready! The campaign encourages
individual, families, communities, organizations, governments, businesses and any other entity to
make a pledge for a school or hospital and make them safer from disasters. They define schools as
all educational institutions and hospitals as all health facilities. Pledges may be made and success
stories shared at www.safe-schools-hospitals.net.
Source: Philippines Commits to Safe Schools, Hospitals. Manila Bulletin, March 10, 2011. http://www.mb.com.ph/
articles/308477/ph-commits-safe-schools-hospitals
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
SAFETY COMPLIANCE
The Department of Education (DepEd) is boosting its disaster readiness, by requiring all their employees to take an Occupational Safety and Health Seminar, with follow-up sessions in smaller
groups. It is especially relevant to employees working in its Central Office in Pasig City where three
of their buildings are over 40-years old. They will also conduct earthquake and fire drills. The seminar
will teach life-saving skills and the proper steps to take before, during and after any hazard in the
workplace.
DepEd in partnership with the Project Alliance on Social Dialogue, has recently performed a workplace assessment to resolve issues and concerns on occupational safety and health of employees
in the Central Office, namely the Jose Rizal, A. Mabini and Bonifacio Building, all built in the 1970s.
During the seminar, disaster marshals were named for each of the buildings, who will be educated
and trained on how to identify hazards in the workplace.
Source: Ronda, Rainier Allan. DepEd works on disaster preparedness. Philippine Star, March 30, 2011, http://www.philstar. com/
Article.aspx?articleId=671170&publicationSubCategoryId
55
EVACUATION CENTER
HEALTH PRACTICES
BREASTFEEDING
Breastfeeding and the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Children Feeding (IYCF) Practices are
among the initiatives adopted by the Department of Health (DOH) to meet the commitment of the
Philippines to the Millennium Development Goals in the war against infant deaths and malnutrition.
Both UNICEF and WHO advocate exclusive breastfeeding for children up to six months of age, and
continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding until age two.
Source: Pia: Breastfeeding should be encouraged, supported in evacuation centers. July 30, 2011. http://senatorpiacayetano.
com/?p=506
RATIONALE
Despite breastfeeding being a naturally available resource, there is still low compliance as regards
to this practice.
The first problem is lack of awareness of its value. A recent spate of natural disasters, not only in the
Philippines, but in every part of the world has further underscored the importance of breastfeeding not only during normal times, but especially during emergencies. Following a series of deadly
disasters, from typhoons to earthquakes to floods and volcanic eruptions, hundreds of thousands
get displaced and are forced into evacuation shelters. But according to experts, during such disasters,
support for mothers to breastfeed is often overlooked and not given the priority it needs, despite
its life-saving function. In emergency situations, it is the infants and young children who are most
vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and death. Poor water and sanitation contribute to a heightened
risk of disease among children who are vulnerable to diarrhea, malnutrition and pneumonia. Practices such as using infant formula milk, when water may be contaminated and feeding bottles cannot be sterilized, and lack of water to clean feeding utensils, all contribute to the risk.
The second problem is lack of knowledge among donors about the potential harm of milk substitutes. Following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in West Sumatra last year, UNICEF had to work with
the Health Ministry of Indonesia to broadcast a request to stop milk substitute donations. Aid organizations need to have policies on infant feeding. A strong policy should be in place and all the staff
in that organization must know about this policy.
Besides the health benefits, breastfeeding advocates underline the psychosocial benefit of maintaining the activity during an emergency, which is traumatic for babies and young children. In an
emergency, keeping the baby on the breast gives them security and proximity to assuage their fear.
The third problem is lack of enablers of the practice. According to UNICEF and the World
Health Organization (WHO) private spaces for breastfeeding should be made available in evacuation
centers, along with one-on-one counseling and mother-to-mother support. Also, as part of
emergency preparedness, hospitals and other health services should have trained health workers
who can help mothers establish breastfeeding and overcome difficulties.
57
RAPID ASSESSMENT TOOL

FOR MENTAL HEALTH & PSYCHOSOCIAL
SUPPORT IN THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH
EMERGENCY SETTING
T H E P R O J E C T
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an important aspect of emergency and disaster patient management. It covers a wide-range of interventions and services and should be preceded by careful assessment and planning within the local context, which include: 1) local perceptions of distress and illness; 2) coping mechanisms; and 3) mapping of the communitys capacity
to cope and give support.
This is especially critical for vulnerable sectors of the population such as women, children, elderly,
extremely poor, internally displaced persons, rescue and relief workers, armed groups, survivors
of sexual violence and indigenous groups. This form of support must be given during the first 24
hours, which includes critical incident stress debriefing and requires a whole gamut of coordinated
action from both government and non-government entities. The tool was based on the inter-agency
guidelines created by a collaboration of the Department of Health, local experts and concerned
stakeholders. It was designed to allow planners and service providers to easily identify priority
areas and provide sufficient information to rapidly design appropriate interventions and programs.
P R O J E C T I M P L E M E N T A T I ON
Identify those who need MHPSS services and necessary interventions by:
Checking previous MHPS provided; and
Assessing MHPS resources available in the affected area within the first 24 hours based on
the following information:
a. brief description of the event or disaster;
b. identification of at risk groups or affected population;
c. inventory of services and interventions already provided;
d. MHPS resources available;
e. priority issues, concerns, and problem areas;
f. recommendations and suggestions; and
g. assessor details.
I N V E N T O R Y O F S E R V I CE S
A N D I N T E R V E N T I O N S
A L R E A D Y P R O V I D E D
CATEGORY
SAMPLE ITEM
Basic services and security
Re-establishment of security
Provision of basic services (food, water, shelter,
and basic health care)
Family tracing and reunification
Assisted mourning and communal healing
ceremonies
Mass communication on constructive
coping methods
Supportive parenting programs
Formal and non-formal education activities
Livelihood activities
Activation of social networks
Briefing/disaster orientation
Debriefing
Defusing
Crisis counseling
Grief counseling
Stress management
Assessment and referral
Psychotherapy
Hospitalization
Community and family supports
Focused, non-specialized supports
Specialized services
Source: Laurel, Walter. Development of the Rapid Assessment Tool for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in the Philippine Health Emergency Setting. Manila: World Health Organization-Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2009. http:// www.
tm.mahidol.ac.th/seameo/2009-40-spp1/12-09-002.pdf
The tools to conduct this assessment must be user-friendly and comprehensible to all health providers and allied professions, and layout is mostly in checklist and inventory format for ease in
data collection and assessment.
59
MENTAL HEALTH PSYCHO-SOCIAL

SUPPORT (MHPSS) TASK FORCE
RATIONALE
In 2009, several devastating typhoons hit a great part of the country, leaving thousands of families
homeless and destroying livelihood and properties. These effects linger long after the flood waters
have ebbed. Psychologists explain that tragedies tax the human mind and spirit to the point of causing severe mental and emotional breakdown. The loss of loved ones and properties cause tremendous grief. Timely assessment and intervention are essential to initiate the victims risk for impairment due to psychiatric illness.
RESULTS
The MHPSS Task Force conducted psychosocial training and orientation, psychosocial and psycho/
spiritual processing, and critical incident stress debriefing for roughly 8,770 adult-victims of Typhoon Ondoy in different evacuation centers. They also facilitated play therapy sessions with 3,075
children- victims and 704 service providers and disaster relief workers.
These activities are especially important to children because people have different coping mechanisms when faced by calamities and tragedies, thus the approach used by the volunteers is critical
in helping the victims to recover.
Source: Mental Health Psycho-Social Support Task Force. Typhoon Ondoy: Bringing Hope and Comfort to Victims and
Survivors. Philippine Information Agency, November 27, 2009. mhpss.net/.../group.../1310572778-...
Then Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral explained that
psychological first aid is an early intervention which is mean to reduce initial distress and foster adaptive mechanism for survivors of all ages, if implemented in the immediate aftermath of disaster.
Effective intervention accomplishes the following:
restores function and enhances recovery;
creates a safe and secure environment;
reduces uncertainty, fear and anxiety; and
mobilizes family and social supports.
P R O J E C T O P E R A T I O N S
A task force on Mental Health Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) was formed to address the psychosocial concerns of the typhoon victims. The members of the task force came from national
government agencies, academe, NGOs and faith-based private sectors, with mental health and
psycho-social support programs.
The Scandinavian Childrens Mission was one of the volunteer NGOs which conducted play therapy sessions to the children-victims of typhoon Ondoy. Some of the members of the MHPSS Task
Force visited the children in evacuation centers in Marikina, Philippine Sports Arena (formerly
ULTRA) and Bagong Silangan. The children listened to Bible stories told by the volunteers, learned
songs and played games. Likewise, the volunteers encouraged the children to play with toys and
draw pictures of their experiences.
61
FLOOD MITIGATION
GOOD PRACTICES
BANNING USE OF PLASTIC
RATIONALE
Twelve towns and cities in the Philippines have passed similar ordinances banning the use of plastic
bag including: Antipolo City; Batangas City; Bian, Los Baos and Luisiana, Laguna; Burgos, Pangasinan; Carmona and Imus, Cavite; Infanta and Lucban, Quezon; and Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.
Private companies discourage the use of plastic

Retail companies across the country have also pledged to charge customers whenever they use plastic bags while grocery shopping every Wednesday.
NGOs call for plastic ban
Five hundred billion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. Nearly 200 different marine species
die due to ingestion and choking from plastic bags. Plastic bags usually end up as litter that makes
its way to landfills, drainages and bodies of water. It takes decades to decompose and damages
marine life when dumped into the sea. This issue of pollution is further aggravated by natural hazards, which have come unpredictable due to climate change. Typhoon Ondoy, clearly showed that
plastic bags severely worsened the flooding in Metro Manila and made post clean up very difficult. Data from EcoWaste Coalition showed that in 2009, plastic bags made up 25% of the solid
waste polluting Laguna Lake.
Ecowaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and Greenpeace Southeast Asia
have issued a joint statement supporting the move of the Laguna Lake Development Authority
(LLDA) to rid Laguna Lake of plastic garbage. Data from the EcoWaste Coalition showed that in
2009, plastic bags made up 25% of the solid waste polluting the Laguna Lake. They also explained
that biodegradable plastic still emits C02 as it decomposes, hence still damaging the environment.
They advocated the development of a consumer culture of using reusable bags as a more sustainable
solution to the problem of the environment with plastic.
P R O G R A M O P E R A T I O N S
Source: Casayuran, Mario. Total ban on plastic bags pressed. Manila Bulletin, April 6, 2011. http://www.mb.com.ph/
node/313055/total-ban-pla
Ban of plastic bags and styropor materials in Local Government Units

The City of Muntinlupa has banned the use of plastic bags and styropor materials through City Ordinance 10-109. It is a landmark local legislation that aims to lessen air, sewage and water pollution and boost environment protection. The ordinance gives business establishments a one year
reprieve to prepare for its implementation. The ban covers disposable food containers, cups and
plates, among others. Alternative reusable bags such as bayong, cloth bags, paper bags and other
similar materials are encouraged. It seeks to promote a bring-your-own-bag culture among the residents.
The city government will also conduct a massive information campaign to educate residents and
business establishments on the use of alternative packaging materials. Violators of the ordinance will
be fined from P500 to P2,500 depending on the courts decision. It has even totally abandoned the
use of plastic hangings (banderitas) during fiestas.
The Province of Nueva Ecija also passed the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Nueva Ecija
Chapter (LMP-NE) Resolution 003-2011 prohibiting the use of plastic bags in the 27 municipalities
of the province. Each of the member municipalities will convene its respective municipal councils to
enact ordinances parallel to the league resolution.
63
COMPREHENSIVE URBAN PLANNING

Naga City
Relocation is not only done with informal settlers along coastal areas, but also for people or institutions that find themselves in flood-prone areas. The government acquires the abandoned properties,
elevates them and transforms them into commercial or recreational facilities.
RATIONALE
The city also provides relocation sites for displaced residents. They are also given housing assistance
from the City Social Welfare and Development Office. This strategy was tested by the city government, and found to be effective as a long-term mitigation strategy. An example of this strategy is the
Panganiban Upgrading and Beautification project where the property was previously owned by the
Philippine National Railways and The Central Business District II where relocation, elevation and
development were done;
Naga is a riverine city in Camarines Sur, the biggest province in the Bicol peninsula which is fast
becoming a tourism sport hub among local and foreign sports enthusiasts. It is one of the oldest cities in the Philippines which has preserved its rich religious and cultural heritage. It became the first
model city in the Philippines to develop and implement disaster mitigation standards and practices,
primarily aimed at mitigating measures for typhoons and flooding. These initiatives incorporated
disaster risk reduction for all potential hazards in city planning, and measures to facilitate recovery
from disasters.
The citys Geographic Information System (GIS) is an effective tool for determining the parts of the
city that is most likely to get flooded. Through community survey and hazard mapping, coupled
with data on the rate of increase in water level provided by the Weather Bureaus Flood Forecasting Division, the city has the capability to forecast flood-prone areas with relative accuracy to help
LGUs target specific populations for evacuation. On a long term basis (5-year plan), it is also useful
for systematically planning land use and conducting urban planning, such as which areas should
be prioritized for watershed development.
Other possible long-term mitigation measures are:
Shifting the center of economic activity from high risk lowlands to relatively elevated areas of
the city. This is done through growth centers where incentives are given to attract locators.
Example is the Panganiban Diversion Growth Triangle where service roads and residential
districts are intentionally directed;
Drawing up its own building ordinance by picking up key components of the National Code
and supplementing it with regulations unique to the situation in Naga. As a result, the city
government on its own can prosecute violators with dispatch without need for the invention of any national bureaucracy. This has dramatically improved compliance with building
regulations and the safety of these structures in compliance with UNHabitat Guidelines
on Settlement Planning;
Implementing Kaantabay sa Kauswagan Program. This socialized housing program, relocates
informal settlers from high risk areas, to relocation sites with provisions for basic amenities
and facilities. For example, eight relocation sites have on-site elementary schools. To date,
more than 12,500 have been transferred to resettlement sites.
Putting up the Metro Naga Development Council. The council is a partnership among
14 neighboring municipalities which define the Bicol river basin area. This group collectively pursues flood-control technical studies, which are helpful guides to planning. This
translates to less migrants flocking to the city and dwelling in high risk areas, especially with
increased density in population;
Placing concrete patch walks along the Naga River. These patch walks help in checking
for signs of river erosion, solid waste disposal and prevention of informal settlements. It can
also become a venue for leisure like a cafe or a boulevard;
Developing a systematic waste management through a partnership with USAID and the Metro Naga Water District. The Naga River will be rehabilitated through desilting and dredging
dead creeks and other tributaries of debris from previous flooding and soil erosion. This
includes building a new water impounding system to minimize excessive water run offs from
the slopes of Mt. Isarog;
Developing an Integrated Emergency Management System. The system will be a comprehensive program defining activities before, during and after emergency situations. This entails periodic hazard inventory, followed by capability assessment and medium-term planning
which measures total internal and external resources.
Disaster planning is conducted by initially laying down a clear implementation framework, in which
the disaster itself is broken down into its cycles and incorporated into existing developments, in
preparation for the next disaster. In other words, disaster is always considered a factor so that
resilience is also a part of the plan. It ensures the safety of: a) lifeline facilities (communication,
electricity, hospitals/clinics, airports, evacuation centers, warehouses); and b) lifeline infrastructure
(roads leading to these facilities, the levees, water systems, waste disposal systems).
Source: Elcamel, Ernesto. Managing Urban Disasters The Naga City Experience on Mitigation and Planning. Naga: Naga City
Disaster Mitigation Project. http://www.adpc.net/audmp/rllw/themes/th2-ph.pdf
65
HEALTH SYTEMS AND

INFRASTRUCTURE PRACTICES
HEALTH EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT STAFF (HEMS)
RATIONALE
The Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) is the division of the Department of Health
that manages emergencies and disasters in the health sector. It was initially composed of 11 members from various government and non-government agencies and a number of private institutions
when it was organized by the DOH in 2001. One of the commitments of the stakeholders was to
share resources in responding to emergencies and disasters.
Department of Transportation and Communication

Philippine Hospital Association
Philippine League of Government and Private Midwives
Philippine Medical Association
Philippine Nurses Association
Philippine Red Cross
UP-Manila
In 2011, a set of reference materials developed with support from the World Health Organization
(WHO) was launched. The series of books aimed to serve as reference materials for health professionals and other program implementers involved in alleviating suffering and managing illness
during emergencies. One of the books Beyond Data compiles experiences and lessons as told by
hospitals employees on providing, addressing and sustaining the medical needs of its clients and
patients. These materials help raise awareness and enhance knowledge for communities to understand its crucial role in health emergencies and disasters.
A website was also launched containing data on health emergencies across all regions as well
as schedules of trainings on health and emergency-related activities. Health advisories can also be
viewed in the website including seasonal diseases like dengue, leptospirosis, and other typhoonrelated illnesses.
Source: Manongdo, Jenny. Reference materials for disasters launched. Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/node/328879/
reference-material
It aims to do the following:

Organize and coordinate the health sectors efforts in health emergency preparedness
and response;
Develop protocols, guidelines and standards to have a more efficient and effective response to emergencies and disasters; and
Assist the LGU in systems development to effectively manage health concerns during
emergencies and disasters.
On July 20, 2011, DOH Secretary Enrique Ona and Undersecretary Teodoro J. Herbosa renewed
multi- sectoral collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Agreement with the following institutions:
Department of Interior and Local Government
Department of Justice
Department of National Defense
Department of Science and Technology
Department of Social Welfare and Development
67
HEALTH EMERGENCY & DISEASES

INFORMATION SYSTEM (HEDIS)
RATIONALE
The Philippines has poor internet infrastructure in the rural areas, good mobile infrastructure and
disaster- prone which make decision-making and resource allocation critical. Thus, it is important
to make use of currently available communication facilities to gather information during disasters
such as details of the situation or facts about certain interventions. The objective of the Health
Emergency & Diseases Information System is to provide faster communication for effective disaster
management.
The following infrastructure IT systems have been in place to meet the project objective:

GSM modem gateway for the receipt of text messages/SMS;

Online application for health emergency information field report;
SMS gateway application for receipt and transmission of SMS;
Google maps interface for display of geographical information;
Human resource mapping (complete with contact information database and training data
base); and
Reference library for distribution through CD and installation on PC.
This project is also intended to be integrated with:
Comprehensive Integrated Information System Plan
SPEED Project (Surveillance In Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters)
RESULTS
The project has been very relevant and sustainable because of the process of integration with existing stakeholder communication resources.
Source: Center for Health Market Innovations. Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters. 2010. http://healthmarketinnovations.org/program/surveillance-post-extreme-emergencies-and-disasters-speed#close
SURVEILLANCE IN POST EXTREME

EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS (SPEED)
Department of Health and World Health
Organization Philippines
RATIONALE
Typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and Santi hit the Philippines in 2009 and resulted in severe flooding and
massive devastation. One of the main challenges that faced the country was the largest outbreak
of leptospirosis. Decision makers and disaster response coordinators needed comprehensive and
timely information for optimal response during emergencies to reduce the rate of preventable
mortality and morbidity.
To address this need the World Health Organization Philippines implemented the Surveillance
in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (SPEED) Program. Its objectives included developing
a national health monitoring and disease surveillance system during emergencies. Specifically, it
aimed to develop and design data collection tools, software for the system, field manuals, standard
operating procedures and training manuals. Interactive versions of these manuals were eventually
distributed among various regions.
The pilot testing of the program was conducted in June 2010 and was launched and implementated
in August 2010.
The information architecture of the Information Society Innovation Fund-Health Emergency & Diseases Information System (ISIF-HEDIS) was the prescribed information architecture for the WHO
SPEED, particularly the collection and transmission of data using SMS and the display and use of
Google Maps as a Geographical Information System.
Software modules such as the SMS gateway application for receipt and transmission of SMS messages
and Google Maps interface for display of geographical information were also used in the program.
The strategies employed by the program that contributed to its success include:

Initial weekly meetings and output reports that eventually became bimonthly meetings;
Project documentation;
Rapid prototyping of systems;
System pre-visualization using user stories and screen mock-ups;
69
Integration with existing Department of Health technical infrastructure, such as the use of
open source software (Linux, PHP and MySQL) and Philippine geocodes (PSGC) to minimize
change management and ensure maintainability by the DOH Information Management Service group; and
Minimizing the required project documentation to address initial project delays due to the
additional workload of project documentation and output reports.
The following program activities were accomplished:

Document review (policies, guidelines, reports);

Engagement of all stakeholders including UN agencies and NGOs;
Field assessment to determine system requirements (human resource and logistics); and
Development of operation guidelines.
RESULTS
SPEED has been utilized in evacuation centers, health centers and hospitals in the NCR, Regions III
and IVA during major disasters in the Philippines to report on the health conditions of populations
affected by the floods.
In 2012, the program won the Award of Merit from the Galing Likha Kalusugan (GLK) Awards, besting
50 other health innovation programs in the country.
Source: Center for Health Market Innovations. Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters. 2010. http://
healthmarketinnovations.org/program/surveillance-post-extreme-emergencies-and-disasters-speed#close
HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS
FOR EMERGENCIES (HOPE) PROJECT
National Disaster Coordinating
Council and USAID-OFDA
RATIONALE
The Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies (HOPE) course is one of the three courses being implemented by the NDCC under the USAID-Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID-OFDA) Program
for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER). The two other courses are the Medical First Responder Course and the Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue Course with the National Society for
Earthquake Technology.
The partner agencies of NDCC in PEER are OCD, DOH, Bureau of Fire Protection, AFP, MMDA, PNRC,
FNTI, ERUF, Cebu and Amily Public Safety Academy, and Bacolod.
HOPE aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills in identifying and mitigating structural and non-structural vulnerabilities as well as organizational concerns of health facilities and
ways of enhancing preparedness and response capacities through the development and implementation of hospital emergency response plans.
It was originally developed in 2002 by a group of five medical doctors and two engineers from
Nepal, Philippines, Indonesia and India, and later by John Hopkins for International Emergency
Disaster and Refugee Studies. Its objective is to enhance hospital-based preparedness, initially
for earthquake emergency. It has now been re-oriented to multi -hazard situations with improved
pedagogical quality.
Hospitals must remain functional after disasters. Often, hospital leaders adopt an evacuation policy
after an earthquake. Hospitals are not like schools, offices or hotels. They must function even after
calamities. Structural engineers and doctors with vast disaster experiences in Asian health systems
developed a training module for hospitals during disasters. In 1998, the USAID developed the
course for six countries at risk for earthquakes. It is an enhanced hospital preparedness and emergency response, both structural and functional. The first course conducted in 2008 was earthquakeoriented, but it was adapted to multi-hazard training. The course was offered to both government
and private hospitals in identified high risk areas of the country. It is an intensive 32-hour course
conducted over a four-day period.
Its objectives include training hospital staff on rapid assessment tools for structural damage. The
course includes an Overview of Disasters and Health Disaster Risk Management Seismology Concepts
and Structural and Non-structural Assessment of Hospitals, including:
71
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Operational and Functional components;

Emergency Department Concepts;
Mass Casualty Management Triage;
Resuscitation and Disaster Medical Care Hospital Disaster Planning;
Management of Dead Bodies;
Psycho-social Issues Management of Resources;
Return to Normal Operations;
Exercises/Tabletop simulations/Role-play.
Performance objectives include participants being able to do the following for each disaster scenario:
1. Conduct vulnerability assessment of the hospital;
2. Develop a hospital preparedness and response plan; and
3. Conduct disaster response.
Source: Hospital Preparedness in Emergencies (HOPE) Training of Trainors. Health Emergency Management Staff. http://
LGU-BASED DISASTER RESPONSE

CITY DISASTER COORDINATING COUNCIL
Olongapo City, Zambales
RATIONALE
For several years, Olongapo City served as a major US Naval base until 1992. Located in the western
region of Luzon, it is commonly hit by typhoons coming from the east, prone to flash floods and
landslides. It is not exempted from experiencing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions including the
historic Mt. Pinatubo eruption of 1991. The citys initiatives in developing disaster-preparedness
program dates back to as early as the 1980s, through the creation of the Olongapo City Disaster
Coordinating Council (OCCDC). Resolution No. 91 empowered the council to undertaking plans for
disaster management. To further strengthen this initiative, the Disaster Management Office was created to develop disaster preparedness among the people of Olongapo covering mitigation, preparedness, response and rehabilitation.
Olongapo City used the following strategies to facilitate disaster preparedness:
Use of a three-tiered approach in planning and managing its performance;
Creation of the Olongapo City Disaster Management Plan;
Creation of inter-agency disaster preparedness plan, where every member agency has a
plan concerning their area of expertise, the lowest level being the barangay;
Creation of Olongapo Contingency Plans, which deal with emergency situations involving
evacuation, search and rescue, relief and particular emergency scenarios.
Disaster preparedness practices include:
Conduct of IEC campaigns to communities, schools and offices;
Creation of an official publication, the Guardian, to educate the public on disaster preparedness;
Implementation of structural mitigation programs such as annual desilting of city rivers,
road concretization, drainage construction and reliver slope protection;
Implementation of non-structural mitigation programs including safety drills and community- based flood early warning systems;
73
Completion of flood and landslide susceptibility and vulnerability maps; and

Use of all hazards approach in the creation of the emergency response plan.
SUSTAINABILITY
The success depends on engaging people with a high level of willingness and commitment, and
ensuring that rescue facilities and systems are constantly updated and tested to guarantee their
functionally.
Source: Partnership for Democratic Local Governance in Southeast-Asia (DELGOSEA). Best Practice Olongapo: Olongapo City
Disaster Coordinating Council.
http://www.delgosea.eu/cms/Best-Practices/Thematic-Area-3-Inclusive-Urban-Public-Services/13-City-Disaster- Coordinating-Council
A2C2 PROJECT
Province of Albay
RATIONALE
Albay is a province that is highly exposed to various climate risks such as tropical cyclones
and storm surges. There are many communities living along the coastline and in the uplands. It is
the only province in the Bicol region with an operational management office that has successfully
implemented sustainable disaster management program. In July 1994, the Albay Provincial Safety
and Emergency Management Office was created by virtue of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution
No. 155-94. The office is an independent department that serves as the technical secretariat and
administrative arm of the provincial government for public safety and disaster management. The
provincial government of Albay is implementing a pioneering prototype for local climate change
adaptation called the Albay in Action on Climate Change (A2C2) that aims to embed disaster risk
reduction and to enforce climate- proofing and disaster-proofing practices.
The project has three main components:
1. Policies. The provincial legislative board has passed several resolutions in support of
the provincial agenda on mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation through LGU action, an example of which is the SP Ordinance 2007-51 updating and reviewing the
Comprehensive Land Use Plan for disaster risk reduction and CCA;
2. Programs and projects. The Provincial Government of Albay, having proclaimed Climate Change Adaptation as a governing policy, has created programs and projects
involving stakeholders to help address climate change.
Among these projects are:
1. LINIS Kalog or the Linis Kanal at Ilog (clean up of rivers and creeks) aimed at promoting environmental conservation while functioning as a food for work program for Legazpi, Tabaco
City, Ligao City, Daraga and Polangui; and
2. The Albay Integrated Agricultural Rehabilitation Program which establishes farm clusters to
assist farmers;
3. Institutional initiatives. The Provincial Government of Albay established the Center for Initiaves and Research on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) in collaboration with the Environmental Management Bureau, World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) and Bicol University. Its
75
goal is to strengthen the capacity for research, and project and program implementation
in sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy and eco-cultural tourism in the light of
climate change. The main objective of CIRCA is to enhance the ability of Albay residents,
in particular, and Filipinos, in general, to cope with climate risks brought about by climate
change.
CIRCA specifically aims to:
1. Enhance the awareness of various sector regarding climate change threats;
2. Enhance the capabilities of farmers and fisherfolk to adapt to climate change;
3. Promote Climate Change Adaptation by enhancing the resilience of the most vulnerablegroups;
4. Mainstream Climate Change Adaptation in the basic academic curricula of all levels,including
vocational and technical;
5. Enhance the interdisciplinary knowledge base on Climate Change Adaptation; and
6. Conduct and explore concrete policy studies that will support better climate risk adaptation
and support mitigation projects and initiatives.
2. the establishment of the first academy called Climate Change Academy which will serve
all vulnerable groups from all over the country;
3. the barangay level composting project that aims to reduce the volume of garbage
dumped at landfills by processing compost into organic fertilizer, thus reducing CH4 emissions from agricultural lands; and
4. the establishment of ten hectares of mangrove plantations in the coastal areas of Manito
which buffers storm surges.
Source: Lasco, Dr. Rodel D., Rafaela Jane Delfino, Dr. Florencia B. Pulhin, and Manuel Rangasa. The Role of Local Government Units
in Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in the Philippines. Melbourne: RMIT University Global Cities Institutes Climate
Change Adaptation Working Group, November 7, 2008. http://202.46.9.39:8889/attachment/book/Role%20of%20
LGUs%20in%20CCA.pdf
RESULTS
In 2007, the Provincial Government of Albay spearheaded the first ever National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation. The output of the conference included mainstreaming climate change into
local and national developmental policies, including the following resolutions:

Prioritizing Climate Change Adaptation in local and national policies;

Promoting climate proofing development;
Advocating for the creation of oversight bodies in the government;
Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation through local and regional partnerships for
sustainable development;
Conducting IEC campaigns and research and development on Climate Change Adaptation;
Sourcing funds for activities and programs that will directly benefit local communities; and
Promoting environmentally sustainable practices, which include:
1. the use of the customized SIMCLIM software, a computer model system for examining
the effects of climate variability and change over time and space. It is an open framework modelling system to:
a. assess baseline climate and current variability and extremes, present and future
risks;
b. investigate present and future adaptation;
c. create scenarios of climate and disease level change;
d. conduct sensitivity analysis, impact and others;
77

CHANGE ADAPTATION
IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR
79
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
IN DRAGON FRUIT PLANTATION
Candon City, Ilocos Sur
Case Writer : Dr. Leonora Ngilangil, Professor and Director, Institute of Environmental Studies,
RATIONALE
Candon City is the first city in the first district of Ilocos Sur. It is dubbed as the tobacco capital city
of the Philippines. It is bounded in the north by the Municipalities of Santiago, Banayoyo, Lidlida and
San Emilio; in the east, by the municipalities of Galimuyod and Salcedo; in the south by the Municipality of Sta. Lucia; and in the west by the China Sea. It is comprised of 42 barangays; four barangays
are urban and 38 are rural. The total land area of the city is about 10, 328 sq. km.
The city with its growing population has been experiencing a problem on water supply. This problem prompted local government units to source funds for a watershed rehabilitation and development management project.
Through the initiative of the City Mayor and the members of the council, a 130-hectare agroforestry reserve was established in Barangays Palacapac and San Andres. An inter-agency convergence of
the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Education (DepEd), and
the state universities and colleges came together for the same objective; to develop the area into a
water reserve with people empowered to make a living in the midst of scarcity.
P R O J E C T D E S C R I P T I O N
The project site is located in Barangay Palacapac, Candon City, Ilocos Sur. The barangay is composed
primarily of agricultural land that is ecologically fragile, the conversion of which will result into
serious environmental degradation. Based on the soil mapping conducted by the DA-BSWM, Brgy.
Palacapac is susceptible to soil erosion as its land area is described as gently sloping to undulating sedimentary hills to rolling. The present land use and vegetation covers are mixed fruit trees,
shrubs, grasses, bamboo, agroforest and forest. (SAFDC-CLUP Integration Project BSWM 2010)
To remedy the problem, government agencies such as the DENR, DA, DWPH and DepEd together
with the state universities and colleges, peoples organizations and community stakeholders worked
together to operate the project starting in 2005. A Memorandum of Agreement was forged between and among the line agencies and stakeholders.
81
E N V I R O N M E N T A L
P R OB L E M S E T T I N G
Barangay Palacapac constitutes 299.9 hectares with a 2.9% slope of the total area, has low soil
fertility, and based on the erosion map, is severely eroded. This means that the availability of water
is temporal. In general, during wet season, when rain water is abundant, the surface water bodies are replenished and ground water storage is increased to produce an adequate water supply.
However, during dry season, water supply is inadequate and groundwater may run dry.
INTERVENTIONS
This premise challenged a farmer-adopter to invest in a drought-resistant crop, the dragon
fruit. Because of the low soil fertility, he considered applying vermicasts on his crop. Applying the
knowledge learned from Farmers Field School and with the able guidance of the agricultural technician, he learned the different aspects of organic dragon fruit production. To solve the problem of
soil erosion, sloping agricultural landscape technology (SALT) was adopted. These two technologies
in combination with others led to reducing the environmental impacts of soil erosion and extreme
water run-off. It helped rehabilitate the project area converting the marginal grassland into a productive land.
Organic Agriculture
Based on research, organic agriculture can be a mitigation and adaptation process. Soil absorbs
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus increasing soil organic carbon in agricultural systems. Further, organic agriculture can be considered as an ancillary benefit to its primary goal of sustainable
land use. Aside from the potential of organic farming for green house gas reduction, there is also
the increased water holding capacity of the soil, thus reducing the impacts of water scarcity.
Rain Water Storage

The development and promotion of technologies for water use efficiency in the uplands is also
an adaptation practice. In this project, rainwater storage was constructed to store water when it is
adequate, to be used during summer when there is a shortage of water. The infrastructure has also
been used as storage for harvested cogon, which is abundant in the place.
Community Participation
It has been observed that in the project site, every home has a dragon fruit plant in front of their
houses. This strategy has proven to be beneficial to the community stakeholders because of the
increased production of the crop. The Dragon Fruit in Every Home is a strategy to replicate
the project in neighboring barangays. The participation of community stakeholders to the existing
project is also an indicator of the sustainability of the adaptation practices.
L E S S O N S L E A R N E D
1. Planting droughtresistant crops is a viable investment when water supply is inadequate.
2. Organic farming systems can contribute to soil fertility, reduce the effects of soil erosion,
increase soil carbon, reduce GHG emissions and improve the water holding capacity of the
soil.
3. Rainwater technology is a potential option to areas lacking in water.
4. Capability-building, community involvement and participation are important factors in upscaling climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture.
In this project, the application of organic fertilizer to dragon fruit exemplifies soil and water conservation practice. It gives three-fold benefits: 1) increased soil fertility; 2) less toxic environment; and
3) safer food products.
The farmercooperator produced his own organic fertilizer through vermiculture. He constructed
his vermin project through the technical assistance of BSWM. The vermicasts are brewed (brewers
tea) and applied through foliar application to the dragon fruit.
Agro-forestry
Similarly, agroforestry can be a mitigation and adaptation measure. In the area, different trees
were planted alongside banana, coconut and other crops that could sequester carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere.
83
CO-OPERATION VENTURE
ON ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEM
Sinait, Ilocos Sur
Case Writer : Dr. Leonora Ngilangil, Professor and Director, Institute of Environmental Studies, Don
Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
E N V I R O N M E N T A L S E T T I N G
The Municipality of Sinait is the gateway of Ilocos Sur to the next province, Ilocos Norte. It is comprised of 44 barangays. Majority of the population are engaged in farming. The main crops are rice,
garlic, onions and vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant and pepper. The municipality is vulnerable
to drought and flooding.
Prior to 2010, the farmers were using inorganic fertilizer in their farm, however, they found out that
their crop yield is decreasing every year possibly due to the excessive use of inorganic fertilizer
which has led to land degradation.
INTERVENTIONS
After realizing that the decrease in crop productivity was due to low soil fertility, the local government unit, particularly the Agricultural Office initiated the program on Organic Agriculture. The
Municipal Agriculturist encouraged interested farmers to enrol in the Farmers Field School (FFS). In
cooperation with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), the farmers came to realize
the importance/ significance of organic farming. Their interest was stirred further upon BSWMs
donation of one unit of waste shredder and 15 kilos of vermiworm, the African night crawler. A
series of meetings were conducted among farmers. The Catholic Church supported this environmental endeavour as well.
Mr. Eliseo Aurelio, a farmer-adopter in Barangay Binacud, Sinait formulated an effective microorganism to enhance the production of vermicompost, when he became aware of the positive impact of
organic farming. In his set-up, he was able to produce a vermicast with a 15-day decomposition period compared to 90 days without the effective microorganism. The farmer who is a religious leader
in the town shared his accomplishments during their weekly meetings.
Mr. Jerson Inovejas, an eggplant farmer and also a farmer adopter, in Barangay Pacis, Sinait, greatly
appreciated the results in his crops due to the farming inputs he utilized. Before transplanting,
he incorporates organic fertilizer in the soil through broadcast. He uses four sacks of organic fertilizer for about .25 hectares of rice land, and the same amount in eggplant. His set-up of vermicompost
was uniquely located under a shady area near his place. He was able to produce four sacks in one
month which is extraordinary. He is an active member of the Pacis Vegetables Growers Association.
Both farmer-cooperators are confident that their crop production will increase in the years to
come because of organic farming.
The important realizations brought about by the project are the following:
1. Vermicomposting can be enhanced by the addition of effective microorganisms. Putting
the vermibeds in shady areas can lessen moisture evaporation, thus retaining moisture content making the vermibeds more ecologically-friendly to the earthworms;
2. Crop rotation could be a viable climate change adaptation variability;
3. Organic agriculture can be a mitigation and adaptation process to climate change; and
4. Organic farming may be a slow release process but it is an environment-friendly practice.
Acknowledgement
The case writer documenter wishes to thank the following people who in one way or the other helped and contributed
to the completion of the documentation: Mr. Freddie Yadao, Mr. Regie Yadao, Mr. Jerson Inovejas, Mr. Danilo Valmores
and the DMMMSU research staff. Special thanks are given to Dr. Zosima Tadina, Dr. Jaime Manuel Jr., and Mr. Samuel
O. Olivar.
Vermiculture as a strategy to produce organic fertilizer has been widely accepted by the farmers
in the municipality. They underwent several trainings. Other key partners such as PHILRICE came in
as other technologies were also introduced. Along with their knowledge on carbonized rice hulls, effective microorganisms were added to enhance vermicomposting. Other conventional practices were
modified as well as in order to cope with past failures in crop production.
Increased climate variability greatly affected their garlic production. Many farmers have shifted to
other crops such as tomatoes and onions and other vegetables, which have shorter production
cycles (45 days compared to 120 days).
85
INTEGRATED AGROFORESTRY
PROJECT
Bacnotan, La Union
Case Writer : Dr. Leonora Ngilangil, Professor and Director, Institute of Environmental Studies,
E N V I R O N M E N T A L S E T T I N G
The project is located in Barangay Paagan, Bacnotan, La Union. Brgy. Paagan has a total land area
of 162.77 hectares (97% plain and 3% mountainous). Agricultural land covers 102.40 hectares, the
residential area covers 16.27 hectares while the rest is forest area. Eighty percent of the population
are engaged in farming and their main crops are rice and tobacco.
P R O J E C T D E S C R I P T I O N
In the vegetable production component of the project, particularly in papaya production, plastic
mulch was used. Mulching slows down the rate of evaporation of soil moisture. Sex pheromone traps
were also installed to lessen the need for spraying insecticides/fungicides, to make the project area
more environment-friendly.
RESULTS
The presence of water storage and the practice of drip irrigation in the project area showcased water and land conservation. The application of soil and water conservation technologies is expected
to have a positive impact on the environment, by preventing erosion and run-off, retaining water
on the site, or improving the soil condition gradually to enhance growing conditions.
The existing agro-forestry technologies are a combination of technologies which could help mitigate
and adapt to climate change as well.
Acknowledgement
The case writer wishes to thank Dr. Jaime Lucero, Ms. Arly Licay and the DMMMSU- Research and Extension Staff for
their support.
The project site is situated on a rolling to undulating terrain slope, covered with shrubs and trees
mostly kakawate or madre cacao. To maximize the utilization of the land, the farmercooperator
sought technical assistance from the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU)
to make the marginal land productive.
Specialists in the field of agroforestry, agriculture, agricultural engineering, environmental science
and agribusiness came up with a proposal for the project with the aim of promoting the farm
as model in agroforestry development and adoption. Agroforestry technologies that were tested
through research in the DMMMSU were extended to the farmer-cooperator, to demonstrate mature
technologies while also demonstrating other technologies adaptive to climate change.
INTERVENTIONS
To maximize land use, the farmer-cooperator, Mr. Bernard Arreola, solicited technical assistance
from DMMMSU and a project proposal for an integrated agroforestry systems project was prepared.
The farm land was planted with papaya (Red Lady), eggplant and other vegetable crops like tomato,
baguio beans, pechay, sponge gourd and even bitter gourd. The undeveloped portion of the farm
was converted into a rambutan plantation, which is intercropped with ginger and ube. The kakawate
or madre de cacao trees in the project site were cut, leaving only the main trunk per tree as live post
for black pepper plants.
87
SUSTAINABLE UPLAND FARMING

THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF BARANGAY SAGIP-SAKA CONSERVATION
FARMING VILLAGES (CFV): A MODALITY
FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
Case Writers: Dr. Santiago B. Utzurrum, Jr. , Professor, and Dr.Christopher A. Ablan. Consultant,
Development Division, Silliman University
INTRODUCTION
The Relationship between Land Use Change and Climate Change
Land-use change is related to climate change as both a causal factor and a major way in which the
effects of climate change are expressed. As a causal factor, land use influences the flux of mass and
energy, and as land-cover patterns change, these fluxes are altered. Projected climate alterations
will produce changes in land-cover patterns at a variety of temporal and spatial scales, although
human uses of the land are expected to override many effects. Humans will change land use, and
especially land management, to adjust to climate change and these adaptations will have some ecological effects. (Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038 USA)
The Soil as a Contribution to, and Recipient of, the Impacts of Climate Change
In the interplay of the soil and the atmosphere, the soil can be both a contributor to, and a recipient of, the impacts of climate change. In the past, land management has generally resulted in the
considerable depletion of soil organic matter and the release into the atmosphere of such radioactively active gases as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Global climate change, to the
extent that it occurs, will strongly impact all soil processes. At this time, the task of soil management should be to restore soil organic carbon in order to enhance soil structure and fertility and to
help counter the atmospheric greenhouse effect (Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Hillel, Daniel).
Addressing the problems: Land degradation, desertification, and drought

A staggering 75% or 22.8 million hectares of the Philippines total land area already suffers from
slight to severe erosion. Soil erosion affects 70% of the 13 million hectares of alienable and dispos88 | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
able lands, with 13 provinces having more than half of their areas eroded. There are about 14.3
million hectares of sloping lands (16%-50%) in the country. The high influx of farmers to the uplands
compromises the stability and sustainability of these fragile landscapes. It is expected that with the
rapid growth of the population and the apparent lack of livelihood opportunities in the lowlands,
migration into the upland communities will continue. Consequently, the degradation of the uplands, due to erosion facilitated by unsustainable farming practices, will remain unabated, causing
sustainable losses in ecosystem services emanating from the uplands with negative consequences on
the lowland, coastal, and marine, environments.
The government, through the leadership of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM),
launched the National Action Plan (NAP) to combat densification and land degradation in the country. This plan hopes to accelerate the implementation of programs that will combat land degradation, desertification, and drought, and subsequently poverty, in the most vulnerable areas of the
country. One of its crucial objectives is to improve upland farming systems by providing site-specific
packages of technologies to address the declining productivity and deterioration of the fragile upland environments. It is within this framework that the Conservation Farming Villages (CFV) Program
was conceptualized and implemented.
Mobilizing Upland Village Residents:

The Conservation Farming Villages (CFV) Project
The Conservation Farming Villages (CFV) Program is a strategy to catalyze the transformation
of traditional upland farming systems into sustainable upland production systems that will address
upland degradation and stimulate upland community development.
The Project Over-all Goal

The over-all goal of the project is to improve life in communities living in marginal land areas through
better livelihood, agricultural productivity and environmental security. It aims to help farmers
improve their economic conditions by strengthening their capacities to manage natural resources thereby protecting their communities against environmental degradation while sustaining their
sources of livelihood.
The CVF project in the Visayas: Location and Characterization

The Municipality of La Libertad, Negros Oriental was chosen as the pilot area for the implementation of Sustainable Upland Farming through the establishment of Barangay Sagip-Saka Conservation
Farming Villages for the Visayas area.
La Libertad is a third class municipality in Negros Oriental located in the northern part of the province. It is bounded by the town of Guihulngan in the North, Taon Strait in the east, the municipality
of Jimalalud in the south, and by the municipality of Binalbagan of Negros Occidental in the west. It
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belongs in the First District of the province and is divided into 29 barangays. The town is accessible
by land transportation from the provincial capital, Dumaguete City, which is 105 kilometers away.
CFV Sites in La Libertad

The CFV sites, Barangays Elecia, Pitogo, Aya and Nasunggan, are situated in the upland communities
of La Libertad. These barangays were identified as project sites based on the need to rehabilitate
the upland farming areas and to improve their local agri-based economy.
The project sites were selected based on the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
It is an upland barangay and most of its land area is above 18% slope;
The barangay has a reliable source of water;
It has a problem with soil erosion;
The barangay is within the critical watershed;
The barangay has active agricultural production;
The barangay is accessible to land transportation;
The LGU is willing to support and assist in the implementation of CFV project;
The LGU is supportive of the proposed technological interventions; and
Few or nonexistent national programs have been implemented.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
An analysis of data gathered and validated during the various stakeholders meetings conducted revealed that the critical problems undermining the development of the upland communities of La
Libertad are extensive deforestation, forestland degradation and soil erosion.
These problems result in low land productivity and subsequently, low farm incomes of upland farming communities. It also affects lowland areas through downstream flooding and siltation. During
the occurrences of El Nio events, water shortages may also occur.
E S T A B L I S H M E N T
O F C O N S E R V A T I O N F A R M I N G
V I L L A G E S F R A M E W O R K
Conservation Farming Villages is a modality for enhancing the transfer of conservation farming
technologies and practices anchored on participatory planning, monitoring, and evaluation at the
community level. Specifically, the program aims to:
1. Enhance farmers adoption of Sloping Land Methodologies (SLM) through model Science
and Technology-based farming in the uplands, thereby enhancing their productivity and
farm efficiency as well as conservation and protection of fragile upland resources;
2. Capacitate key groups and stakeholders in the community to better manage the fragile
upland resources on a sustained basis;
3. Conduct sustainability exercises to ensure that upland community development in general, and adoption of model farmers, in particular, are on a sustainable basis and are
incorporated in the local planning and implementation process; and
4. Establish linkages among research-extension agencies and organizations for capacitybuilding and provision of support systems for the conservation farming communities.
Thus, the CFV Program adopts a community-based participatory approach to technology development, promotion, and utilization wherein researchers, extension workers, farmers, development
workers, and other stakeholders learn and work together. It gives importance to the integration of
efforts into local planning, monitoring, and program evaluation processes to sustain the life of the
farming system and the commitment of the various stakeholders.
Under the CFV concept, sloping land farming models are identified through participatory approaches, integrating the basic elements of on-farm research, training, capacity development and
technology diffusion. Profitability and environmental management strategies are incorporated
in farm planning processes. The experiences of practicing farmers are documented and used to encourage other farmers to duplicate their practices. Farmers trainings, across-visits and field days are
among the activities that are conducted to allow farmers to observe and experience.
S T R A T E G I E S T O C O M B A T
T H E E F F E C T S O F C L I M A T E
CH A N G E , B I O D I V E R S I T Y L O S S ,
LAND DEGRADATION
A N D D R O U G H T
A participatory and bottom-up system of selection of the most appropriate technologies in the area
is one of the major deliverables of the project.
This includes a combination of the technologies and approaches that have already been proven or
tested for increasing land productivity and promoting land conservation and rehabilitation, as modalities to combat the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and drought.
This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Sloping Agricultural Land Technologies including livestock component
Contour farming
Alley cropping/use of hedgerows
Use of natural vegetative strips/grass breeds
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Composting/vermi-composting
Multi-species cropping
2. Conservation Tillage
Minimum tillage
Cover cropping/green manuring
Mulching
3. Construction of physical barriers to erosion
Bench terracing
Contour rack walls
Canals and soil traps
4. Water saving technologies/water management
5. Change in crops, Cropping patterns, and market matching
P R O J E C T I M P L E M E N T A T I O N
On October 27, 2008 an Inception Meeting attended by representatives from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and National Resources Research and Development-Agriculture Resources Management Research Division
(PCARRD-ARMRD), Silliman University, members of the LGU, La Libertad Technical Working Group
(TWG), and representatives of the proposed Barangay CFV sites in La Libertad was held at Silliman University, Dumaguete City. During the meeting, the participants were oriented on the program
goals and objectives, mechanics for implementation, and program expectations or deliverables.
Development of Sloping Land S and T based Farms

Through the partnerships among FVs, change agents, scientists and experts, specific training programs were undertaken to increase the awareness and knowledge of village farmers in participatory
approaches to Sloping Land Methodologies. Farmers were trained on the scientific way of sustainable farming in managing their own farms. They are expected to practice what they learned
through a demonstration farm which they established.
The S and T based model farm establishment is a simple process, as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
the identification of the CFV farm;

the identification and assessment of the interventions needed;
the application and testing of the interventions; and
the eventual promotion of said interventions to adjacent farms once confidence on the positive performance of the interventions has been achieved.
The S and T base model farms serve as a showcase of a package of technologies that demonstrate
the profitability and productivity of the farm components, as well as its importance in combating
land degradation and other adverse factors occurring or yet to happen due to climate change.
The marketability of products is a major concern as this area is oftentimes mentioned by farmers.
To address the issue, Supply Chain Analysis (SCA) was employed on the intervention. This means
that interventions are not only limited to the production system of the FV farm but includes factors
that are related to marketing and other points in the supply chain. The establishment of S and T
based model farms will show the farmers the benefits gained from adopting scientific best agricultural practices.
S U C C E S S I N D I CA T O R S /
COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY
INDICATORS
The CFV program which started in October 2008 to October 2011 has set modest expectations/
targets as indicators of success. These include the following for the CFV La Libertad, Negros Oriental:
Three (3) Conservation Farming Villages established;
1,995 farmers and other stakeholders trained on SLM/Conservation Farming Technologies
and other relevant topics;
Ten (10) trainings on relevant topics conducted;
162 hectares adopting SLM/Conservation Farming Technologies;
15 S and T based model farms established;
30% rate of adoption for conservation farming technologies/approaches;
Three (3) trading posts/CFIS established;
Ten (10) relevant IEC materials produced/translated into the vernacular and distributed to
beneficiaries;
Ten (10) Trainers from collaborative groups and institutions identified and trained on SLM
concepts and approaches;
Three (3) farm field days to showcase CFV achievements;
One (1) farm cross-visit for farmers-volunteers and change agents;
One (1) Peoples Organization or Farmers Association formed and organized;
Reduction of soil loss in project sites to ten (10) tons/hectare/year, at least 20% increase in
farm income;
At least 20% increase in yield of various crops;
One (1) relevant program in the project site;
Two (2) related program/governance policies formulated and advocated; and
One (1) mainstreaming activity (institutionalization) in the LGU
R E S U L T S O F T H E I N T E R V E N T I O N S
Although a final impact assessment is yet to be undertaken, preliminary results gathered are
very encouraging. Assessed against expected target outcomes, the project on the average is running at 80-85% accomplishment of targets. The interventions implemented by the community (CFV
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Barangays) have instilled an increased consciousness of the fragile nature of upland resources. As
a modality for climate change adaptation and to combat land degradation/soil erosion, the interventions have resulted in the over-all well-being of the natural resource environment leading to
improved socio-economic parameters in the community. However, much more needs to be done.
This is the challenge.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
AND COPING MECHANISMS
A program rarely achieves its intended objectives without running into problems, issues, and difficulties. In the case of the CFV La Libertad implementation the following problems were met in the
course of implementation.
1. Occurrence of El Nio lasting from the 4th quarter of 2009 and lasting until the 2nd quarter of 2010. This event impacted on activities that were implemented as this resulted to
the death of approximately 30% of the Agro-Forestry species already planted on the site.
The farmers had to rapidly set-up and grow replacement planting materials on top of what
was yet to be site-planted in areas that were still not planted. The SPMT then embarked on
the establishment of Barangay Agro- Forestry Nurseries in the CFV sites instead of having
one centralized nursery. In retrospect, this proved to be a boon to the project as the FVs
were trained on Agro-Forestry Nursery Management that enabled them to produce their
own planting materials.
2. Delay in the release of funds due to bureaucratic requirements sometimes affected the
delivery of necessary interventions. The project was able to overcome this concern through
linkages and tapping the resources of both NGOs and GOs with relevant or related programs, or program partners.
achievements of the project. However, in the ultimate analysis, it is the sense of ownership by
the community and the LGU of the project, the control by the stakeholders over events that have
happened or are about to happen, impacts greatest on the sustainability of a project even after the
life of a project is over.
P R O J E C T P A R T N E R S
The project achievements would not have been possible without the generous support in terms
of resources, technical assistance, and financial assistance from informal and formal partners as follows:
1. Provincial Agriculture Office;
2. Philippine Coffee Board;
3. Department of Agriculture, RFU-7;
4. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources;
5. Philippine Coconut Authority;
6. Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
7. NORSU-CVCIRRD 7;
8. Plan International;
9. PhilDHRRA;
10. Provincial Environment Natural Resource Division (ENRD); and
11. GTZ-KFW Project.
In the course of the project implementation, valuable insights and lessons were gathered that greatly help or facilitate the delivery and accomplishment of the intended objectives/outputs.
1. The communitys (stakeholders) actual realization, and identification of the problem besetting their situation and that they can do something about the problem and are willing to be
involved in the solution to their problems is of primary importance; and
2. The strong functional support of the LGU to the communitys initiatives and undertakings to empower itself to solve its problems, and in the process, improve its socio-economic
well-being.
The strong partnership forged between PCARRD, Silliman University, LGU La Libertad, and the CFV
community with strong support from other sectors such as GOs and NGOs, contributed much to the
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GOOD PRACTICES
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
ADAPTATION IN THE WATER
RESOURCES SECTOR
97
HIJO RIVER RECHANNELING

AND ACCRETION DEVELOPMENT
ALONG HIJO RIVER
Tagum City
Case Writers : Dr. Carmelita Martinez, Director, Extension Division, and Dr. Helen Pondevida,
Director, Research Division,: University of Southeastern Philippines
RATIONALE
Tagum City is the capital of the province of Davao del Norte which is composed of 23 barangays
nine are urban and 14 are rural. It is located about 55 kilometers north of Davao City and occupies
a total land area of about 19,580 hectares. It was created into a component city on March 7, 1998.
It is one of the fastest growing component Cities in Region XI. The results of the study of the Asian
Institute of Management (AIM) ranked Tagum City among the 20 most viable component cities for
business in the country.
Geographically, Tagum City lies between 713 38 and 7 32 23 north latitude and 125 43
30 to 125 53 13 east longitude. The city is generally flat with rolling portions in the northern
side and coastal roads in the Southeastern portion. It is sandwiched by two major water bodies
Hijo River on the east and Liboganon-Tagum River on the west which is about 700 sq. km and 3,064
sq. km respectively. These two rivers are the primary channels of run-off water from upland areas
and drains to Davao Gulf.
The City of Tagum is typhoon free and based on seasonal rainfall distribution (TRRC-DOST Agromet
Station of PAGASA, Twin Rivers Research Center), it falls under the fourth type of climate in the Philippines based on Corona system of classification. The rainfall in this type of climate is more or less
evenly distributed throughout the year. The average annual rainfall is 2,034.58 mm. or a monthly
average of 169.60 mm. July has the lowest precipitation of 127.66 mm., while January has the highest precipitation of 204.3 mm. High precipitation which starts from November to January causes
high discharge of the Tagum-Liboganon and Hijo Rivers. The average number of rainy days is 11.42,
with the month of January having the highest number of rainy days at 15, while April has only eight
rainy days.
Tagum City is also called the Gold City, where gold from Monkayos Mt. Diwalwal is brought to
Tagum City for processing. The waste water for processing gold is thrown into the Hijo River. Through
the years, people flock near the river to retrieve the little amount of gold that they can collect from
the river. Thus, the population along the Hijo River has increased.
Hijo River is one of the two major water channels of Tagum City which traverses Pandapan village to
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the north, and cuts along the villages of Magdum, Magugpo East and Apokon, before emptying
to Davao Gulf in Madaum village. It is located in the eastern portion of the city and covers about 700
sq. km. It lies between latitude 0715-0732N and longitude 12550-12605E. The Hijo River watershed occupies approximately 58,200 hectares. The headwater of Hijo River is located in Masara,
Compostela Valley.
Hijo River is the source of income for the residents along the river bank. It is a part of the life of
the residents and their families depend on it. They cannot leave the river for their future depends
on its resources and it is their treasure. For the past decade however, heavy rains caused Hijo River to
overflow and the flash floods that it brought, posed danger to the people living near the river bank.
This prompted the Local Government Unit of Tagum City to forge partnerships among academe,
industry and other government agencies to address the hazardous situation of the residents along
the Hijo River.
This paper documents the case of the rechanneling and accretion development along Hijo River as
one of the good practices on climate change adaptation. Before, the flow of the water of Hijo River was relatively stable throughout the year because of the even distribution of rainfall. But now, due
to climate change, rainfall has become heavier and the La Nia phenomenon is more pronounced
and extreme. Rivers like Hijo occasionally swell and flash floods occur. Aside from this natural catastrophe, the flow of the water has been altered due to rampant mining activities (small and large
scale) upstream, causing bank erosion and siltation of the downstream portion of the river.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The river bank and the accretion area along Hijo River are already inhabited by people whose
main source of income is the river (fishing, sand, gravel and gold panning). Gold panning has become
one of the main sources of income of the people living in the accretion area along the river, as Hijo
River is the outfall of mining wastes.
Flooding is the major natural hazard confronting the residents every year. The City government of
Tagum has been spending thousands of pesos to help them during flood incidents. The flood in
2009 was the worst with water reaching about ten meters high. This catastrophe brought fear to
residents, because this event brought casualties as it claimed lives, farm animals and diminished
farm production. This incident prompted the city officials to take actions to mitigate the adverse
effects of flood in the area.
The environmental issues associated with climate change that Tagum City is presently facing are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Erosion of the river bank of Hijo River;

Dumping of solid waste in open spaces and in the accretion area;
Degradation of marine life and the coastal area of Davao Gulf; and
Vulnerability of the people living in the accretion area to flooding.
The general objective of the project is to reduce the risk of flooding and to adapt environmental
changes brought about by climate change. Specifically, the project aims to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop the 150 hectares of accretion area along the Hijo river;
Protect the people from flooding;
Protect the Hijo riverbank from soil denudation and erosion; and
Mitigate the adverse effects of the flooding of Hijo River to the people living in the area.
Since the City Government of Tagum cannot force the residents to vacate the river bank of Hijo, the
city government of Tagum conceptualized a project to solve the environmental issues and to help the
people living in the accretion area with the following assumptions:
1. The lives of the people living along the river bank and in the accretion area are endangered;
2. The residents along the river bank and in the accretion area do not have any other source
of income except gold panning; and
3. Adaptation for climate change is the key to mitigate its effect.
The Climate Change Adaptation project of Tagum has four components, namely; 1) relocation of
the affected families, 2) rechanneling and dredging of the river, 3) development of accretion area
into forest eco-park; and 4) the stabilization of the river bank.
The project started with Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signing and identification of partners. The local government officials of Tagum City forged a Memorandum of Understanding between the City Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to
establish a forest plantation within the 150 hectares of accretion areas along Hijo River covering
Barangays Apokon, Magugpo East, Magdum and Pandapan. Other partners were also identified,
namely:

Tagum City Water District;

Rotary club of Tagum City;
MINEX Corporation;
HEXAT Mining Corporation;
USePApokon Campus;
SMARTCo;
Religious groups;
University of Mindanao;
NCCC Cares; and
LYR Group of Companies.
After the MOU signing, a Task Force was created in order to implement the different activities relative to the project. The Task Force is meant to ensure proper implementation of the project. It is also
responsible for the delineation of the accretion area, survey and tagging of households within the
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accretion area, relocation of the affected households and the implementation of other activities such
as river rechanneling and de-silting. Memoranda of Agreement with the partner institutions/establishments were signed and their commitments to sustain the project were concretized.
Other participating organizations who committed to help in reforestation and give counterpart funds
are:

Brgy. Council of Apokon

DENR XI, Davao City
PNP
Philippine Army
Army Reservist
Rotary Club of Tagum
Rotary Club of Tagum Golden Laces
Rotary Club of Tagum North
Mother Buttler Apokon Chapter
Sacred Heart of Jesus Quasi Parish Apokon
University of Southeastern Philippines, Tagum Campus
University of Mindanao Tagum College
SDAI Golden Kris 2010
Tagum Tourism Council
Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountant
Provincial Agrarian Reform Office
Accretion Association of Apokon
DENR Region XI, Forestry, ERDS, Bureau of Lands
Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers
Bohol Bikers
Kiddie Math
Pilot Alumni Batch 88
Sto. Nio College
Lady Local Legislators League
Iglesia Ni Cristo
City Disaster Coordinating Council
To implement the objectives of climate change adaptation, the following activities undertaken are
as follows:
1. Delineation of Accretion Area, Survey and Tagging of Affected Households
The Task force conducted a survey of the accretion area with the help of the community and
the 150 hectares was delineated. This area will be developed into a forest eco-park. Mahogany,
G-melina and other deep rooted tree species will be planted in order to improve soil infiltration and
prevent soil erosion. Existing houses within the delineated accretion area will be relocated.
The Task force also conducted a house-to-house survey and tagged every household in order to prevent the entry of other interested parties. A total of 37 households were surveyed and tagged. These
are the number of households considered in the relocation program of Tagum City in relation to the
Climate Change Adaptation project to be implemented.
Profile of Affected Families
Household Size. On the average, a household in the project site is composed of six (6) members. The
largest household is composed of fourteen (14) members and smallest has only one (1) member. Income Information. Before the implementation of the project, the sources of income of the residents
are gold panning along Hijo River, vegetable gardening and piecemeal jobs in neighboring barangays.
Their income ranges from PhP150 to about PhP600 weekly.
Residency Classification. Majority of the affected families have been residing along the river bank
for more than 39 years. Some has been staying there for thirteen (13) years and few just migrated in
the area six (6) years ago. They consider themselves permanent residents in the area.
Housing, Sanitation and Utilities. Most of the households in the project site are renting the lot
where their houses were built. Very few owned the lot. All houses are made of light materials such
as nipa, amakan and salvaged materials. The houses are small with floor areas ranging from 9 sq.m.
to 12 sq.m. Each household has a water sealed toilet. Their source of potable and domestic water
suppy is the river and there is no electricity.
2. Preparing the Affected Community
The Task Force conducted an extensive information education campaign about the project and explained to the community the need to relocate them to higher ground.
3. Demolition of Houses
Having understood the project, the community voluntarily demolished their houses and transferred
to the relocation area which is on high ground. The relocation area is located about 100 meters from
the river. Before they were relocated, their houses were situated five (5) meters from the water.
4. Community Organizing
The Task Force assisted the community in organizing themselves. They formed a federation and
elected leaders to represent them permanently in meetings with LGUs and other government agencies.
5. Livelihood
In order to help the community, the City government of Tagum implemented livelihood programs
such as Gulayang Bayan and cut flower production. The city government provided technical assistance and seeds for vegetables and cut-flowers.
The vacant lots near the relocation area served as common plots for their vegetable and flower
gardens. They formed into different groups and each group was assigned plots. Every morning,
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the residents helped one another in tending their gardens. Vegetables and cut flowers were sold at
the nearby market or to churchgoers. Proceeds from their garden are divided equally among the
members of the group.
6. River rechanneling and Dredging
The rechanneling of the Hijo River was done in order to improve the flow. At the same time, the
river bed was also de-silted/dredged. The City of Tagum provided technical personnel like engineers
and the labor force, while the Department of Public Works and Highways provided the equipment
for this job.
7. River Bank Stabilization
The riverbank of Hijo River will be stabilized. This project component is still for future implementation after the re-channeling is completed. The plan is to riprap the river bank with boulders and
stones.
SUSTAINABILITY
RESULTS
The adaptation project implemented by the City government of Tagum has produced the following significant results:
1. Secured the community from the flooding of Hijo River - the relocation of the residents to
higher ground farther from the river, has secured the community from fear of sudden flash
floods. The residents now live peacefully and happily;
2. Provided the community with livelihood in the form of a regular daily income - the vegetables and flowers produced from their gardens provide the residents with additional
income. According to the residents, even if the income from these gardens is meager, it is a
good resource to meet the familys needs like simple viands and the allowance or fare of
their children to school.
3. Reduced the flood water from 10 meters high to 4 meters high - since 2009, or three years
after the great flood of the Hijo River, there was no recurrence of great flooding. More trees
were planted near the river bank and its surroundings. The flood water was reduced significantly to lower level.
The re-channeling and de-silting/dredging of Hijo River are still in progress. After its completion, it is
expected that flooding of the adjacent areas will be eliminated.
The following measures were taken to ensure the sustainability of the project:
1. Financial
In order to make the project financially sustainable, the City Government of Tagum enacted City
Ordinance No. 23, S 1999 otherwise known as the Reforestation, Conservation Environment Protection Fee (RCEPF) imposing fees in support of the city governments program of reforestation and
environmental protection. This was amended in 2007 through Tax Ordinance No. 07- 001. This ordinance legalized the collection of PhP20.00 annually from any person, establishment and business
for every transaction with the City Government. Other sources of funds are the monetary pledges of
partner institutions like NCCC Cares.
2. Institutionalization
The City government organized a Task Force to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the
Accretion Project. The task force is chaired by the City Mayor. The members are representatives from
the partner organizations, the City Planning Officer and the City Environment Officer.
3. Maintaining the Outcomes
The partner institutions and the city government ensure that the activities are continuous and
implemented in accordance with the objectives of the project.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
AND COPING MECHANISM
The following are the challenges encountered in the course of the project and the steps taken to
address them.
1. Resistance of the lot owners adjacent to the relocation site - the lot owners refused to sell
their lots which are being occupied by the relocated residents of the Hijo River to the
City government. The City government requested special consideration from the lot owners
to allow the Hijo residents to occupy these vacant lots for as long as they are not using it yet
With the help of the City Government, the residents come to terms with the lot owners. They
are allowed to stay in the place as long as they pay in the form of renting the place. However,
the terms are very temporary since this negotiation is only up to the time when the lot owners do not need the place yet.
2. No potable water supply - The problem of the residents is they have no supply of potable
water. Their source of water is from collected rain water or nearby barangay.
Through coordination with the Tagum City Water District, they agreed to cater to the needs
of the residents for their potable water supply. However, the residents will be the one to
provide for pipes from their houses to the nearest water supply.
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3. House and lot ownership - the residents do not feel secure in the relocated sites as their
occupancy of these areas is still very temporary. They are renting the space they occupy from
lot owners. They wish to own house and lots for their family.
4. The Local Government Unit of Tagum City included the residents of the Hijo River relocation
site in their plan for a Pabahay Program. However, this plan will take time to realize as
there are lots of requisites needed to implement it.
5. Market for cut-flower is not good - cut flower is not very popular in Tagum City. Unlike Manila where sampaguita flowers makes for good business as church goers or other
people offer it in their altars at home. Cut flowers are hard to sell unless there are occasions
where people come to their gardens to order available blooms, but this rarely happens. This
challenge remains unmet.
P O S I T I V E I M P A C T S
The following are the positive impacts of the project on the community:
CONCLUDING STATEMENT
The case of the great flooding of Hijo River in 2009 posed a challenge to everyone concerned, who
promised to prevent this catastrophe from happening again. The joint effort of the LGU, residents, government agencies, academe and other private organizations, through planning and initiating strategies for disaster risk reduction generated a number of good impacts. In order to continue
to address the problem, there should be a continuous dialogue, planning and education campaign
with the community and its partners.
The most important result of the project is the decrease of flood water to 50%, as this indicates
that the effect of climate change can be reduced. The reduction of flood water height is due to
the combined effect of: planting more trees; decreased activity of residents in the upland area of
Hijo river for gold panning because of the provision of alternative livelihood; and the engineering of
Hijo river re-chanelling. To date, there are 126,640 hills of forest trees planted in open spaces and
river banks, including the accretion area.
With this experience, there are also lessons learned and these are: a) the city government should
have land for relocation so problems with existing lot owner can be avoided; and b) the market for
livelihood products such as cut-flower should be created prior to relocation.
1. Increased income - the residents are not solely dependent from the resources of Hijo River
anymore. Their minds are now preoccupied with taking care of their vegetable and cut
flower gardens. They keep themselves busy with other means of livelihood. They are ready
to reside away from the Hijo River. During the focus group discussion conducted, the residents averredthat they are now earning a monthly income ranging from about PhP2,800.00
to PhP5,000.00. The income from gold panning, piecemeal jobs and gardening has been
augmented with the proceeds of the sale of cut-flower, vegetable gardens and root crops.
2. Improved Quality of Life - The fear of flood can cause sleepless nights during heavy rains.
The residents are now in a safer place and they continually meet, plan and communicate
ways to help one another in case floods as big as the 2009 floods recur. They are now
more prepared to face the eventuality of flooding in their areas. Also access to social services
such as medical/health services and education is now available due to the opening of the
access road that connects them to the city proper.
3. Fifty percent decrease in the height of flood waters - the effect of climate change is
unavoidable. The best way to face this challenge is to adapt to it or mitigate it. The rechanneling of the Hijo River and the dredging of the mouth of the river has improved the flow of
the river.
4. Improved access to social services - the federation of residents of Hijo River has paved the
way for them to get access to more social services from the government and even from
NGOs. Their organized status has facilitated easier communication with agencies to request
for assistance.
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BUILDING A DISASTERRESILIENT COMMUNITY

Bgy. Banaba, San Mateo, Rizal
Case Writer: Dr. Maria Antonia Tanchuling, Associate Professor, University of the PhilippinesDiliman
3.
4.
5.
RATIONALE
Of the approximately 3,000 hectares of San Mateo in Rizal, 75% is mountainous. Run-off from the
mountains cascades down to Marikina River and Nangka River. Barangay Banaba is situated where
these two rivers meet, making it highly vulnerable to flooding. Almost yearly, the two rivers swell
and flood the community of Bgy. Banaba. The bank embankments are also prone to erosion, thus
endangering the communities who live by the banks.
To protect lives and property, an organization based in the barangay has developed a good program to manage the disaster risks. Buklod Tao is a peoples organization which has been in existence
since
1995, and formally launched in February 1997. When it was organized, its primary advocacy was
to oppose a cement batching plant which was to be built in the area. In June 1997, after taking the
Disaster Management and Preparedness Seminar, they formed three rescue teams to be able to respond to flood events, effectively starting their program on Disaster Risk Reduction. Through funds
that they raised, they were able to buy flashlights, batteries, ropes, megaphones and first aid kits,
among others. A priest gave them a mold for a boat, which they used to fabricate three boats.
Prior to the formation of the organization, there was no organized effort for disaster risk reduction. Through the years, they added other activities to improve their disaster preparedness.
P R O J E C T O P E R A T I ON S
The main program implemented to address the risk of flooding is the Community-Based Disaster
Risk Management (CBDRM) Program which consists of the following projects/activities:
1. Formation of rescue teams - there are currently eight rescue teams in the community. The
team has been trained to rescue people and move them to a safer location. They are
also trained to apply first aid treatment;
2. Water Level Monitoring and Early Warning System - Buklod Tao closely coordinates with
the Metro Manila Development Authority Effective Flood Control Operation System (MMDA
EFPOS) to monitor the water level at the gauging stations. They have devised a correspond108 | Compendium of Good Practices on Climate Change Adaptation
6.
7.
ing response depending on the level of water shown in the marker. The warning level may be
alert level, alarm level or critical level;
Protection of Riverbank - with the assistance from professional engineers, they were able to
design a slope stabilization scheme using gabions to protect the riverbanks from erosion. The
gabions are made on-site. The training for making gabions was conducted by the De La Salle
University (DLSU).
Post-disaster assessment - a post-disaster assessment is conducted by the organization after a flood event to evaluate the damage brought about by the flood. This is used as a basis
for the distribution of relief goods and improvement of response to future flood events.
Fabrication of fiber glass boats - the organization realized the necessity of having boats ready
for deployment during flood events to evacuate people. They are fabricating their own boats
to be self-reliant. They are in consultation with the Department of Science and Technology
Region 4 which provides them with the necessary assistance in testing the reliability of their
boats. As of now, they have eight boats which are instrumental in saving lives and property.
Relief Assistance - the office of Buklod Tao is used as a relief operations center in times of
disasters. It is centrally located, and quite conspicuous. The chapel and a nearby elementary
school are also used as evacuation centers.
Evacuation and Livelihood Training Center - in the pipeline is an evacuation and livelihood
training center to be funded by Christian Aid. It is going to be situated around one kilometre
away from the riverbank, and on a higher elevation than the present office. The proposed
location has never been flooded by previous flood events. The livelihood training center is
envisioned to house boat-making activities. The evacuation center will mainly cater to the rescue teams and their families, while the rest of the evacuees will be sheltered in the present
site for evacuation, which is the basketball court.
Other related programs to complement the program on disaster management are the following:
1. Urban Gardening - Buklod Tao has also cultivated an urban garden, where vegetables are
planted in pots which made by their members using compost they produced from kitchen
waste. The vegetables are for sale although apart from the occasional trade fairs of supportive organizations, Buklod Tao rarely goes out to market them. Visitors come to buy the
vegetables. In times of disasters, the vegetables are also cooked and served to the evacuees.
Urban gardening is a laudable practice in many respects. It provides a ready, healthy and
cheap source of food for the community. The use of compost provides nutrients to the soil
without harming the environment, as compared to using synthetic fertilizers. It is also
cheaper since there is no need to purchase synthetic fertilizer. Composting is also a good
practice in waste management to minimize the amount of waste to be disposed in landfills.
2. Bag-making - Although a disaster does not discriminate against economic classes, it is usually
the poor who are more vulnerable. With very little income, coping with disasters and recovering from them is more difficult for the poor. Thus, a livelihood program is a good complement
to any disaster management program.
Buklod Tao invited a trainor from an organization in Pasig who taught them to use waste
materials to produce bags. This gave them the skills to embark on an income-generating
venture of making bags from used tetra pack containers. Today, different kinds of wallets,
109
pouches, bags and envelopes are fashioned from used tetra pack containers. They get their
supply of used tetra pack containers from waste pickers who deliver them clean and dry. The
production center is adjacent to the office of Buklod Tao. Business has been brisk, and has
provided additional income for the womenfolk of Buklod Tao. Aside from bags, the tetra
pack containers are also made into pots which are being used in the garden. The bagmaking activity is a two-fold solution. Not only does it provide additional income, it also
helps in reducing the amount of wastes that would have been dumped in landfills.
RESULTS
Buklod Tao is successful in its Disaster Risk Management Program for the following reasons:
JOURNEY TOWARDS
SECURITY OF TENURE
Tanza, Navotas
Case Writer: Dr. Maria Antonia Tanchuling, Associate Professor, University of the PhilippinesDiliman
RATIONALE
1. It was able to gain a good reputation through its projects which were directly felt by
the community. They did not stop at advocacy and trainings but had concrete activities
whose impact was directly felt by the community.
2. It enjoyed the support of many partner organizations and institutions which provided
them with assistance. This can be attributed to its good reputation.
3. Although it enjoyed the support of many organizations, it was self-reliant. It acted on its
needs by directly going to the concerned agencies, and not merely waited for benefits to
fall on its lap.
Navotas is one of the low-lying cities situated very close to the Manila Bay. It has a total land area
of 10.69 square kilometers, almost half of which is composed of tidal flats and fishponds. The city is
known as the fish trading capital of the Philippines making it attractive for people looking for better
jobs. With environmental decay and ground subsidence, it is prone to floods with some areas being
perennially flooded. Flood control and road widening projects pose a threat to the informal settlers occupying its 12.5 kilometer coastline and river system. Although resettlement sites are being
offered to affected families, these are in the distant sites of Norzagaray, Bulacan and Calauan, Laguna. The only space available in the city is the five square kilometers of fishponds in Barangay Tanza.
Buklod Taos experience is worth emulating since it has been successfully managing the risks
brought about by floods, on an almost yearly basis. Despite the frequent floods, there has been
no reported casualty related to the floods. Their case illustrates that for a disaster risk management
program to be successful, it should be led by the community itself.
The residents formed an organization called MASAGANA in June 2009, after a split between members of an old organization whose leaders were involved in financial mismanagement issues.
The communities living in the fishponds had to cope with life in a perennially flooded area. Houses
are on stilts, while make-shift rafts made of waste Styrofoam materials collected from the sea or
washed ashore in their community are used as their mode of transportation.
Previously, the Technical Assistance Organization (TAO), assisted the community in building a model house suited to a perennially flooded area. Due to organizational problems, the model house
was not replicated. Houses have been reinforced with bamboo to withstand strong winds. Columns
were also strengthened with bamboo poles.
However, members of MASAGANA have decided that they can have a better environment by moving
out of the flood prone area. They have chosen a relocation site in Angat, Bulacan due to the low
cost, and relative proximity to the city. The area is only about one hour away (24 kilometers) from
Navotas and was being sold at PhP71 per square meter, ten times less than the price of land in
Tanza.
T H E P R O J E C T
With the assistance of the TAO, the 73 members of MASAGANA was moved Angat, Bulacan. As of
111
May 2011, a total of PhP260,640.00 have been saved by the families. Savings mobilization will continue not only to support the communitys housing needs but also for livelihood and emergencies.
The savings will also be used as a collateral in order to access a loan from a program called Asian
Coalition for Community Action (ACCA).
To address the current needs and problems in Tanza, the community is undertaking several projects, namely:
1. Botika Binhi - a community-based generic pharmacy to provide for the medicinal needs of
the community.
2. Water supply connection - the community was able to secure Maynilad Water services to one
house, which becomes the source of water for the other houses. A five- gallon container is
sold at PhP5 pesos. Usually, the children who collects the water which they transport using
the rafts.
3. Urban gardening - an urban garden within the fishpond was developed to augment the
nutritional needs of the community. The fertilizer used for the garden is from the compost
produced by the community from its kitchen waste.
To prepare for the eventual relocation to Angat, Bulacan, the following activities are being undertaken:
The lack of livelihood opportunities is one of the main reasons why relocation programs fail. Without access to income-generating activities, resettled families go back to the city to earn a living.
With this project, the community is ensured that there is potential source of income which had
resulted from participatory planning for potential livelihood activities, such as malunggay capsulemaking, and micro- concrete roof tiles production.
All the activities can only be carried out if there is a strong community organization with members
fully participating in all aspects. In this way, members will have a sense of ownership over their program, and not mere recipients of a program implemented by a third party.
The relocation program is in the process of being realized, with transfer to the new site scheduled
late this year. With the necessary ingredients in place, it will indeed be a model for a good resettlement program.
Sources: Abueva, Menelo and Marginela Brucelo. Masagana of Navotas Story: The Search for Security of Tenure. HSE Update,
November 2011-January 2012. http://hse.tao-pilipinas.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/HSE-Update_112011to012012.pdf
Marcelo, Rosalyn-Frances. BuklodTao: Halimbawa ng Sama-Samang Paghahanda. TAO Shelter, November 2006-April 2007. http://
www.tao-pilipinas.org/files/taoshelter/issue2/2-full.pdf
1. Savings mobilization program - all members of MASAGANA are automatically members of

ACCA. Members save to access a loan from ACCA. Each member has to save a minimum of
PhP5,000 in at least 6 months. The community started saving in August 2009. More than
50% of the members have already reached a savings of USD116.28.
2. Livelihood development - a successful resettlement program should be able to provide
adequate livelihood for its residents, to ensure that the resettlers do not return to the
city. Options for livelihood are already finalized and implementation is scheduled so that by
the time they move to Angat, it will be ready for operation. Identified activities include
herbal medicine production, production of alternative construction materials and organic
farming.
3. Planning for lay-out of community and design of houses - the plans for the community including roads, and other common areas are being mapped out. The design of the houses is
also being finalized as of this writing.
RESULTS
With the problem of mushrooming informal settlers in any city, this project would hopefully show
that it is possible to have a successful relocation program. A crucial element on the success of this
project is active community participation in all aspects of the relocation, including siting, lay-out
of community, design of houses and choice of livelihood.
Another lesson that can be drawn from this experience is that the urban poor have a capacity to
pay for their own house and lot, with some assistance or access to loans. Poor communities can be
trained to save money which can be used to fund for their houses, thus avoiding dole-outs.
113

CHANGE ADAPTATION
IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR/
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
115
MT. MALINDANG
RAINFORESTATION PROJECT
Misamis Occidental
Case Writer : Dr. Olga Nuneza, Professor, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
RATIONALE
Mt. Malindang was designated as a National Park and Watershed Reserve through Republic Act No.
6266 on June 19, 1971. It is the highest mountain on the Zamboanga Peninsula in western Mindanao and the major source of water for the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del
Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur. The park has 24,500 hectares of forest and 14,300 hectares of
open cultivated lands (Mallari et al. 2001).
In 2003, the Biodiversity Research Programme (BRP) for Development in Mindanao was launched
in Mt. Malindang and was successfully completed in 2005. It was a collaborative, interdisciplinary
research program jointly undertaken by Filipino and Dutch researchers using the participatory and
landscape approach. Amoroso et al. (2006), who studied the floral resources, reported that the lowland forests had mostly disappeared and the lower montane forest became the most important
source of non-timber forest products such as wild food plants, firewood, building materials, round
wood and medicines for the local people.
The Almaciga forest which abound in the area helped in protecting the soil from erosion and stabilizing the local microclimate. However, it had become greatly threatened due to the cutting of
old Almaciga trees for house construction and heavy collection of resins from the trunks. The
sub-montane forests which had been logged in the past were converted to agricultural farms and
plantations. The secondary forests were further reduced in area due to logging, kaingin, and shifting cultivation. Forest products such as firewood, building materials and timber were continuously
extracted from the forest causing the deterioration of the remaining habitats. The only remaining
patches of forests were observed on very steep, impracticable slopes. The agro-ecosystems have
gone upwards from 150 to 1,400 meters above sea level.
The study concluded that among the nine vegetation types in Mt. Malindang, the most important habitats are of high priority for conservation due to the presence of 14 endangered species,
a very high percentage of endemism, and the prevalence of destructive farming activities in the
montane forest in Barangay Lake Duminagat, and the almaciga and dipterocarp forests in Barangay
Sebucal.
Results of the study of Nueza et al. (2006) on faunal diversity in Mt. Malindang indicated very
rich species richness and endemism but habitat loss still remains a major threat to the survival
of the animals. They identified the submontane dipterocarp forest, almaciga forest, montane forest
117
and mossy forest as priority areas for conservation as results have clearly shown that these forest
sites are highly significant to the continued existence of vertebrate species with critical populations.
The findings in the Biodiversity Research Program motivated Aart Van Den Berg, a Dutch collaborator, to submit a rainforestation project proposal to Trees for Travel to address environmental issues
and help adapt to, and mitigate climate change. The main goal of the project is to rainforest a
substantial area of deforested land. Rainforestation means restoring the original rainforest by planting indigenous species of trees. Erosion especially on steep slopes and habitat loss were felt needs
earlier addressed by some sectors like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, army
forces and some NGOs, but the efforts were not enough to provide a long-term solution.
In July 2008, a contract was signed between the funding agency, Trees for Travel, from the Netherlands and the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of Mt. Malindang. The contract stipulates the planting of 40 hectares of forest land with indigenous species of trees and 10 hectares with
fast-growing trees called village forest to supply the local needs for timber and fuel.
The second contract for Phase Two of the project was signed in 2009. It called for the planting of
another 40 hectares of indigenous tree species and another 10 hectares of village forest. The objectives of the project were to: 1) sequester carbon dioxide by creating plantations of indigenous trees;
2) sustainably manage the project through a guaranteed yearly payment scheme for at least 30
years; 3) safeguard biodiversity by creating buffer zones (plantations of near natural forests) around
the old-growth forests and providing alternatives for fuel and timber wood in village forests for the
local communities, 4) protect the watershed and safeguard the water supply by planting on steeply
eroding slopes, 5) improve the livelihood of local people by providing employment opportunities
such as nurseries, planting, tree tending, ring weeding and maintenance, and 6) promote the project
as an example of sustainable development in the area and in the Philippines.
PROJECT LOCATION
AND KEY PARTNERS
The rainforestation site of about 330 hectares is in Barangay Old Liboron which is completely devoid
of residents, being a strict protection zone. The families that lived in this area were relocated by
the PAMB long before the rainforestation project started and even before the start of BRP so
as to remove any disturbance to the fragile ecosystem. The participating barangays are Mansawan,
Gandawan and New Liboron in the buffer zones and Barangays Sebucal and Lake Duminagat in the
strict protection zone of the Mt. Malindang Range National Park (MMRNP).
Sebucal is the most remote of the participating barangays but nearest to the rainforestation site.
The long hike to this barangay starts from barangays Mansawan to Gandawan and steep slopes with
a rough and winding trail from Barangay Lake Duminagat.
Barangay Lake Duminagat is called the navel of Mt. Malindang for it is found below the other barangays at 400-800 masl. This is the only barangay which is part of Oroquieta City. All the other barangays
are part of Don Victoriano, Misamis Occidental. Barangay New Liboron, located south of Mansawan
is a relocation site for families from Old Liboron. Of these barangays, only Sebucal has electricity,
made possible by the mini hydropower project in the site. Workers in the rainforestation project
come from these five barangays. Two hectares of village forest were also established in each of these
participating barangays.
The project started by Aart Van Den Berg as a spin-off of the BRP has now become multi-stakeholder. Key players are the PAWB, DENR, PAMB of Mt. Malindang, LGUs and barangays, academic institutions like MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) and Central Mindanao University (CMU) and
NGOs. CMU is in charge of the vegetation monitoring while Drs. Roxas, Bracamonte and Ponce of
MSU-IIT monitor and evaluate the socioeconomic aspects of the project.
M O D E O F I M P L E M E N T A T I O N
The project is already in its second year of implementation. Roxas et al. (2010) reported that in the
first year a nursery was set up to propagate seedlings and young trees of indigenous species. The
seedlings (approximately 120,000) were cultivated for 3-4 months and subsequently planted on
cleaned squares of 1 m2 each (2500/ha). All the five barangays involved provided many workers for
nursery, strip brushing and planting activities. About 40% of the available labour capacity is employed in the project. Daily payment in these remote areas is only PhP150 (Euro2.50) a day.
A form of co-financing by the Philippine government is through the provision of a full-time
project leader in the person of Protected Area Superintendent (PASU), Mr. Eden Pito, plus some
financial and administrative support. The maintenance of the forest money will be stored in a Dutch
Green Fund to pay the local communities a certain amount of money annually for 30 years. While
awaiting the establishment of the Green Fund (end of 2009), Trees for Travel paid the first
amount for forest management in advance. The total project cost for 50 hectares was Euro144,000
divided into two parts: Euro72,000 for implementation (including ring weeding) in the first three
years, and Euro72,000 for maintenance, stored for 30 years in a Dutch fund for a yearly payment of
approximately Euro3,000.
Barangay Mansawan is the entry point to the other barangays. It is the most accessible and the
most populated of the five barangays and it can be reached by vehicles. It has an elementary school
and a high school. This barangay has become an agricultural area after forests were logged commercially. It is the center of trade where agricultural products of the neighboring barangays are traded.
RESULTS
Barangay Gandawan is a crater valley that was intensively logged and is now mainly agricultural. At
a higher elevation of 2,199 meters above sea level (masl) is Barangay Lake Duminagat, a crater valley
with residential houses and a primary school. Farms and gardens abound in this barangay. Barangay
Inspection by representatives of Trees for Travel revealed that the target of 40 hectares of near
natural forest for the first year was realized. A total of 100,000 seedlings of 38 endemic/indigenous species dominated by Family Lauraceae (Cinnamomum mercadoi), Myrtaceae (Syzygium
119
spp.), Sapotaceae (Palaqium indanense) and Rutaceae (Micromelum compressum) were planted.
The mortality rate among the young trees was about 10%. Plantation workers replaced the dead
saplings. In the village forest, 10 hectares of rubber and falcata were planted in every barangay, but
due to the high mortality rate of rubber, it was replaced with abaca.
Another important result of the project is that the attitude of the local people towards the oldgrowth forest is changing. They are becoming more aware of the need to protect these resources
for future generations and for stabilizing the watersheds to deliver a high quality of drinking water in
the barangays. The project is an important stimulus in upgrading the livelihood of the local people.
A surprising spin- off of the project is the involvement of a religious group of idealistic young
men (Adventist Community Services), who offered their help and know-how to improve the basic needs for water and electricity for the nursery bunkhouse. They installed a ram pump for the
water supply and a simple generator for electricity using hydro power or green energy (Roxas
et al. 2010).
Along with the rainforestation project, village forests were set-up where people can also grow vegetables and annual crops aside from the fast-growing trees. One economic consequence is employment generation. Roxas et al. (2010) reported that the gathering and growing of wildlings/seedlings in the nursery, and the replanting and nurturing of the seedlings in the forest plantation and
village forests provide employment to the local people. Hiring is on a 15-day rotation basis, with 30
to 32 workers per batch. The participatory nature of the project is evident in the barangay officials
authority to hire based on the outcome of community consultations. Those hired were required to
attend an orientation on the rainforestation project and the nature of their work assignment.
The rainforestation project also spearheaded the vermiculture project in coordination with the
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office. This has increased environmental consciousness to grow organic vegetables and to lessen dependence on fertilizers. The project also provided
scholarships to two students in the first year, and another three students in the second year, of the
project to take-up a two-year Forestry Technology course in MSU Lopez Jaena. The contract cites the
role of the grantees in ensuring the sustainability of environmental and biodiversity management in
the Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park long after the rainforestation project ends.
A higher survival rate of wildlings in nurseries and trees planted was noted in Phase Two compared
to Phase One. This was attributed to increased commitment of workers as well as a growing experience and enhanced skills in tending nurseries.
Socio-economic monitoring of Roxas et al. (2010) showed that local residents have acquired means
of communication like radio and mobile phones. Focus group discussions (FGDs) reveal that income
from the rainforestation project has allowed a number of households to purchase radios and are
happy to be in touch with the world outside Mt. Malindang. A few household heads also plan to
purchase mobile phones. The acquisition of a sing-along/karaoke for entertainment by ten households in the Park was also noted. Taking stock of the recent ownership of durable items and plans
for new purchases is a good indicator to measure socioeconomic improvement of the households.
Mansawan benefits the most from the income flows from the rainforestation project as money
earned by the workers is generally spent in Mansawan, the center of commerce. This capital infusion has stimulated micro investments in the community.
Roxas et al. (2010) also reported that the rainforestation project appears to have caught the attention of, and triggered action from, the local government unit and other sectors as repairs and
establishment of community infrastructure have been observed to take place in the short span
of time after the 2009 monitoring. For instance, the dirt road from Mansawan to Gandawan was
repaired by the engineering battalion of the Philippine Army, making the walk from one barangay to
another easier. The construction of Phase One of a Day Care Center, funded by the Department of
Social Welfare and Development, is now underway in Lake Duminagat. The dilapidated barangay
elementary school building in Lake Duminagat is undergoing repairs, charged to local government
unit (LGU) funds. LGU funds are also being used to construct a barangay hall, as well as a sanitary
community rest room, in New Liboron. Community initiatives, meanwhile, include the putting up
of handrails made of vines and bamboo on the footpath to the nursery.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED/
C O P I N G M E C H A N I S M S
The following are the challenges encountered in the course of the project and the steps taken to address them.
1. No access to safe drinking water in the nursery site. In the initial phase of the rainforestation project, many workers had diarrhea due to the absence of safe drinking water. This
was solved with the help of the SDA Mountaineering Club who used a ram pump to carry
water from a spring in Sebucal to the nursery site.
2. The rainforestation site was very far from the barangays where the workers lived. This
was solved by providing sleeping quarters for the barangay workers in the project site.
Moreover, a bunk house was built for project meetings.
3. Inadequate supply of vermicompost for the village forest of the participating barangays.
The solution was the provision of a vermichamber for each village forest.
4. Lack of commitment of some workers. These workers were not rehired and the committed
ones were made team leaders.
Climate change adaptation/mitigation is possible and could be successful through the inclusion of
the human well-being and the involvement of the communities in the implementation of these initiatives. Environmental sustainability as well as sustainability of climate change adaptation efforts
have to consider the food security and livelihood security of the people living in the communities.
Source: Amoroso, Victor B., Belen O. Daba , Eden O. Pito, Aart Van den Berg, Anton Stortelder, Alita T. Roxas, Bobby Alaman & Fulgent
P. Coritico. Mt. Malindang Rainforestation Project: From Research to Development. Central Mindanao University, October 2011.
121
CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION

FOR EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES:
THE CASE OF BICOL UNIVERSITY
Case Writers : Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, President; Mr. Jerry S. Bigornia, Professor;
Dr. Ninfa R. Pelea, Professor; Rowena Zoilo, Assistant Professor; Ms. Maureen B. Mamansag,
Instructor, Bicol University
RATIONALE
Bicol University (BU) is one of the higher educational institutions in the country. Its mission is to
bring the University closer to the community. Hence, it can contribute much to forward its desire
to educate and build resilient communities amidst disasters. The greatest vehicle for social transformation is education, thus, BU has developed several interventions in its three mandates: instruction, research and extension, wherein climate change adaptation (CCA), disaster risks reduction
(DRR) and sustainable development are incorporated.
BU is ranked as SUC level IV and, as such, is mandated to pursue research and development and
extension focused on key economic sectors in the region, namely: agriculture and fisheries, socioeconomic, management, entrepreneurship, science and technology, education, health and
policy- studies. As the leading academic institution in the Bicol region, it is incumbent upon the
University to respond to the challenge by providing leadership in building resilient communities in
the face of disasters and adapting to changing climate.
BU has revised its institutional vision to integrate education towards sustainable development and
embraced the strategy Green University for the whole BU system.
BU, through its extension mandate, continuously innovates and promotes appropriate approaches
that address community development, more particularly along disaster risks reduction management, climate change adaptation and mitigation towards community resiliency. Thus, the University adopted the extension paradigm Educating to Build Resilient Communities and prioritized
climate change adaptation as a research agenda.
P R O G R A M O P E R A T I O N S
Education Strategies for Behavioural Change Instruction
and Curriculum Development
BU, cognizant of the emerging needs for DRR and CCA, has made strides within its basic mandates
as its contribution to developing a coherent and dynamic DRR and CCA program led by the Provincial Government of Albay.
Integration of CCA and DDR Concepts in curriculum. BU has re-structured its curricular offerings to
integrate the concepts of sustainable development and education for sustainable development and
climate change. It has also integrated DDR and CCA concepts, as well as environmental protection,
in Mathematics, Science and other basic, tertiary and advanced education subjects.
The integration of environmental education in the subjects was reflected in the course syllabi,
student activities and papers, among others. Faculty cooperation in the environmental education
initiatives of the school was also implemented like the practice of waste segregation, water and energy conservation, among others. As key figures in education, teachers play an important role in the
development of the knowledge, skills and values of students. Thus, teaching by example motivates
the students to cooperate in the environmental education programs of BU.
The students are actively involved in environmental outreach through membership in environmental clubs, networking, acting as trainers and developing IEC materials. Some of the award-winning
projects of BU students are: Green Page, 2008 finalist, Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (Green Roof
Life); 2009 Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (Lung Wall), 2010 finalist, Bayer Young Environmental
Envoy (Earth Bank), and 2010 Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (RadyoBerde: Information Gateway
to Environment). Two student-proponents of these projects were given an all-expense paid study
tour to Germany. In terms of impact, they will likewise give more, considering the creativity and
dynamism of the students.
Masters in Public Administration, Major in Health Emergency & Disaster Management. The BU
Graduate School in response to the felt need of the Province of Albay in particular, and the Bicol
Region in general, offered a formal graduate education program focusing on the very real problem
of health emergencies. As early as SY2007-08, it offered a Masters in Public Administration Major
in Health Emergency and Disaster Management. Eventually, the university entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Health (DOH) extending the curricular offering to the
DOH Central Office, Manila, catering to 36 DOH staff as scholars.
Albay Health Emergency Management-Emergency Paramedics Training Unit (AHEM-EPTU). In response to the initiatives of the Provincial Government of Albay, the university entered into a multipartite agreement with the province, the DOH-Health Emergency Management Staff, DOH V and
the Bicol Regional Teaching & Training Hospital to create the Emergency Paramedics Training Unit
at the BU College of Nursing. With a PhP10.6 Million joint funding from the Province and DOH
HEMS, the BU-EPTU was equipped with specialized training equipment to undertake training of 450
volunteer paramedics from all municipalities and cities of the province. The university developed a
training curriculum with the following modules: 1) Core Modules such as First Aid and Basic Life
Support; 2) Introduction to Public Health & Emergency; and 3) Emergency Medical Responders
(EMR) Basic and Mass Casualty Management & Incident Command. Additional modules were also
developed such as Water, Gender Sensitivity and Operation Center Management.
Emergency Management Response Training. The EMR training was conducted in three batches of
roughly 100 participants per training. Trainors were provided by the DOH-HEMS from its pool of
EMR Trainors and the 1st batch of EMR trainees. Of the original target, 300 successfully completed
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the rigorous training course. Within the duration of the training program, BU-EPTU received a training facility and various EMR training equipment from the AECID which will be used for the conduct of
future training programs on First Aid, Basic Life Support and EMR.
All EMR volunteers are committed to serve the Province of Albay and their localities in times of disasters and emergencies. Successful trainees are currently deployed to their respective municipality/
city ready to respond during emergencies and disasters. They are frequently mobilized as volunteers
during mass evacuation of vulnerable communities operating under the district hospital-based Operations Centers (OpCen) of the Albay Health Emergency Management (AHEM) under supervision of
the APSEMO/PDCC.
Manpower Mobilization
Formation of Volunteers. Instilled with the values of the environment, the students are organized
and actively involved in addressing environmental issues and problems. The knowledge and competencies taught inside the classroom serve as a driving force for students to be actively involved in
caring for the environment.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Food, Security and Poverty Alleviation;

Enhancing the Competitiveness of Business and Industry;
Environment and Natural Resources Management;
Gender and Development;
Improving Basic Social Services;
Policy Studies and
Climate Change Adaption.
There are completed/on-going researches. The University serves as the Zonal Research Center (ZRC)
in the Bicol Region. As a ZRC, BU periodically assesses the research capacity of HEIs in the zone,
based on identified indicators. Through the BU Research and Development Center, BU has developed a well- defined policy on research projects. It has increased the number of faculty involved in
research and has provided both external and internal funding. It has presented research outputs
in local, national, and international journals. Considering research as a function, it complements the
instruction and extension mandates.
Extension and Building Resilient Communities
Bicol University Emergency Response Unit (BU-ERU). BU in partnership with the Bureau of Fire
Protection, Philippine Air Force and Philippine National Police train volunteers on emergency
response. BU abides by Republic Act 10121 which mandates the strengthening of the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework and institutionalizes the National Disaster Risk
Reduction at the national, regional, city/municipal and barangay level of government and private
agencies.
The Extension Service Center completes the threefold functions of BU. In its commitment to bring
the university closer to the community, BU is initiating multifarious extension programs in the Bicol
Region. These undertakings are delivered in various components, namely: 1) Development Action Research; 2) Continuing Education; 3) Communications Media Technologies; and 4) Consultancy,
Linkages and Other Support Services.
BYEENIHAN. A regional environmental event organized by student volunteers which is supported by

165 organizations successfully implementing 165 simultaneous activities all in one day. Among the
activities conducted were community and campus clean-up, tree planting, exhibits, seminar-workshops, quiz bee, pet show and other related activities. It started with the Lakad and Pedal Para
sa Kalikasan, Luntiang Almusalan with no less than the Green Economist Governor of Albay, Joey
Salceda, joining the students advocacy.
Developed Modalities for Community-based Climate Change Adaptation Approaches
Research and Knowledge Generation in Support of CCA
Project EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network). Project EDEN is a collaborative multistakeholder effort by institutions across the region involving extension educators, and multi-disciplinary practitioners and stakeholders to share education resources to reduce the impact of natural
and man- made disasters. The project seeks to provide learning opportunities to improve the lives
of the people in the community and the delivery of services to citizens affected by disasters. Project EDEN links extension educators from across the US and the Philippines in extending researchbased information and learning opportunities from food safety to field safety, from physical to
psychological, and from government to community development, through disaster education and
messaging to help people and communities recover from disasters.
Project V-DAWN (Values-based Development Alternatives for the Welfare of the Needy in Albay
Project). Project V-DAWN is a joint engagement of the Heifer International-Philippines (HPI), Bicol
University College of Agriculture and Forestry (BUCAF), Bicol BIDANI Foundation (BBFI) and the
local government unit of Oas, Albay (LGU-Oas).
In support of instruction, BU generates knowledge through research and shares its resources and
expertise. Research complements the instruction mandate which is anchored on the following thematic areas:
It focuses on building community resiliency against hunger, poverty, environmental degradation

and climate change impacts. Community-managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) is a major component of the project. As the leading partner in the project, Heifer International-Philippines con-
Student Volunteers Corps (SVC). An accredited organization of student volunteers tasked to initiate
programs and projects with greater focus on environment and disaster. In response to Republic Act
9418 or the Volunteer Act of 2007, BU institutionalized the creation of a Volunteer Service Office
to provide greater opportunities for students and BU personnel to get involved in various activities
geared towards potential and capacity building.
125
ducted CorAids Community-Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) Four-Cycle Training Course
for Trainers. Among the participants were Project V-DAWNs community facilitator and project
coordinator, joined by project partners at the municipal and barangay levels. It has 104 partner farming families.
Conservation Farming Villages: Sustainable Upland Farming through the Establishment of
Barangay SagipSaka. A project funded by DOST-PCARRD with support from the local government
unit of Ligao City, it is being implemented by the BU College of Agriculture & Forestry. The project aims to promote sustainable farming practices by promoting Sloping Land Management (SLM) in
high- vulnerable upland farming communities. It is a modality for enhancing the transfer of conservation farming technologies and practices anchored on participatory planning, monitoring, and evaluation processes at the community level that ensures environmental soundness, food security and
community resiliency from calamities such as typhoons and landslides. It has initially established five
model farms and trained farmers in three upland barangays of Ligao City, namely: Abella, Maonon
and Oma-Oma. The 15 model farmers were able to disseminate the technology to about 100 farmers who have applied their learning to a total of about 45 to 49 hectares of sloping upland farms in
the three barangays.
The project has become a showcase for technology adoption by the respective barangays, the City
of Ligao and BU. The project has conducted undertaken Farmers Field Days promoting the technologies to about 250 farmers farming a total of about 200 hectares in the nearby upland barangays.
Resource Generation
Climate change adaptation related programs and projects are included in the Work & Financial Plan
to ensure its implementation. Proposals are also being submitted to various funding institutions for
support.
Network & Linkages

Bicol University has strongly established partnerships with various agencies from the non-government, government and private entities in the implementation of its climate change adaptation
programs/ projects along the line of instruction, research, extension and production.
The following are some of the linkages of BU:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
CIRCA (Consortium of PGA, DENR-EMB & BU);

Bicol-EDEN (Network of extension educators in the region);
Sagumayon River Management Council (A river protection group);
PATLEPAM (Association of HEIs for the environment);
BCARRD (16 research agencies in Bicol); and
CPED (14 agencies for Peace Education and Development).
RESULTS
Institutional Behavioral Change
1. Character Building. Though climate change is a global problem, BU commits to be one of
the lead institutions that initiated adaptation and mitigation measures on climate change in
realistic and effective ways by simply encouraging and motivating its students and faculty to
do positive actions that promote love and care for the environment.
The school serves as an effective instrument in helping the students thoroughly understand
the concept of climate change. Students are given comprehensive exposure to the diverse
concerns relating to the problem by integrating the said topic into their subjects. Several
modes of instruction are being used by the faculty so that students can clearly understand
how climate change forms and brings serious effects to human life.
One of the students in the National Service Training Program (NSTP) relates the problem on
climate change to the countrys stereotypical problem on waste management. According to
the student, the Philippines could hardly step forward on clean and healthy surroundings
merely because of the peoples indifference and lack of discipline. Likewise, there are
students who believe that the world could become safe again and be rid of the threat of
climate change if and only people would learn to go back to the basic lifestyle which is safe,
clean, and healthy for everyone.
On the other hand, there are measures that the university adopts to further strengthen
students awareness and character regarding climate change adaptation, in partnership
with other stakeholders and agencies, such as the inclusion of the pledge of commitment on
climate change adaptation by the BU faculty.
2. Sharing of value system. In order to address concerns on climate change adaptation, BU
takes the lead in initiating various projects and programs on environmental protection
encouraging greater involvement by the students and the community. Hence, the university is
currently pursuing its goal of transforming BU into green university. Achieving this goal will
cement the role of the institution in bringing greater impact and excellence to the people
and the community.
The concepts and ideas that were first regarded as aspirations by the school gradually transformed into tangible undertakings. The students gift of intelligence, creativity, initiative, and
hard work helped in building productive projects and programs that brought remarkable
accomplishments to the university both in the local and international arena.
Radyo Berde, an internationally awarded and ongoing environmental radio program is one
of the products of BUs green initiative. This project was originally conceptualized by Mr.
Jovic Yee, an AB Journalism graduate of the BU College of Arts and Letters (BUCAL). Because
of the valuable purpose of the program to strengthen awareness on environmental issues in
the form of radio program aired in the Bicol region, Mr. Yee received an international award
127
as Bayer Young Environmental Envoy which came with a trip to Germany. Currently, the
program airs on its regular weekly time slot at Radyo VeritasLegazpi with an increasing
number of listeners that interact and express opinions on the different issues about the
environment. These issues include air and water pollution and solid waste management,
among others. Through the radio program, the students are able to gain knowledge through
conduct of research and interact with their guests and listeners.
Also, the National Service Training Program (NSTP) students are active in promoting activities that contribute to the betterment of nature. These activities take place particularly
during the second semester when NSTP students undergo field immersion as a requirement
for their CWTS and LTS components. Aside from establishing strong relationships with the
community, students develop initiatives for environmental activities and projects, enabling
them to acquire an in-depth appreciation and genuine concern for Mother Earth. It has
been said that a man could only learn the importance of one thing if he is the one who
exerts effort in making it exist. BU hopes that its students will understand the importance of
the environment as they work to protect it.
Furthermore, students choose to conduct seminars or trainings for their fellow youth in
the barangays and share their own ideas on how to become effective and productive
individuals by doing simple yet worthy practices for the environment. They serve as agents
of change and inspiration to others by demonstrating developmental endeavors to the community.
Aside from the universitys projects, BU is also an active partner of the LGUs and other agencies in promoting programs and other activities that are pro-environment. Among these
programs are linkages with the Albay Smoke Free Network (SFAN). BU aims to be a 100%
smoke-free universityd help in the effort to make Albay a smoke-free province. Thus, the
network does not only seek to help reduce the number of smokers but also serves as an
effective mechanism to promote a healthy lifestyle by establishing rules against smoking.
3. Lifestyle Change. As a result of the strong commitment of the institution to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, several developmental changes were
gradually implemented within the university, which brings innovation on the lifestyles of
the students and personnel in BU. These innovative ways train the students and faculty to
develop self-discipline, respect for nature, and cleanliness within ones person and the surroundings.
These lifestyle innovations include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
strict observance of the 4Rs (Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle);

implementation of policies focusing on proper solid waste management;
utilization of recyclable gasoline drums into comfort drum;
use of incandescent fluorescent lamps which are more energy efficient and eco-friendly
than the previous lights used by BU; and
5. development of early warning adaptation strategies/measures and disaster response systems to forewarn the university and local communities.
129

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