CDRC reports on Guinsaugon relief

CDRC reports on Guinsaugon relief

Supported by the Community Alliance for Social Justice

The Citizens’ Disaster Response Centre (CDRC) released its project update, “Recovering from Disaster – A Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Program in Guinsaugon, Nueva Esperanza, Ayahag and Sung-angon,” which details the results of its efforts to assist the mudslide victims in one of the Philippines’s worst natural disasters in 2006 that happened in Guinsaugon and neighbouring villages in Southern Leyte.

This project received support from various organizations in the Philippines and around the world, including Canada. “Rebuilding People’s Lives,” a fundraising project for the livelihood assistance and disaster mitigation components of the CDRC project, organized by the Toronto-based Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) in 2006, with the assistance of Kababayan Community Centre, the Philippine Independence Day Council, and 16 other community organizations, is a significant part of this CDRC recovery initiative.

The “Rebuilding People’s Lives” fund-raising concert last April 28, 2006, raised more than $10,000 in one night specifically for the food security of the 470 most affected families in the landslide that had occurred Feb. 17, 2006. The successful concert was participated in by Toronto’s top musical performers, supported by various groups and individuals, as well as the office of Toronto Mayor David Miller.
CDRC is a respected and prestigious 23-year old non-government agency that has served over three million disaster victims in the Philippines.

What distinguishes CDRC’s projects from other disaster assistance efforts is that the most affected populations are consulted first on what it is that they and their families need most. It is around these needs that projects are planned and implemented, with the participation of the people, thus empowering them in the disaster recovery process.

Following is the update of CDRC, which was written from the point of view of the affected population:

Recovering from Disaster: A Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation

Program in Guinsaugon, Nueva Esperanza, Ayahag and Sug-angon

The Recovering from Disaster: A Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Program in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte is a challenging project because it is being implemented in a very difficult circumstance – relocation of close to a thousand families, except for the Barangay Guinsaugon survivors, is uncertain; on the other hand, the Guinsaugon families may have sure relocation sites but still have to decide on new means of economic farming.

During the first quarter period implementation of the project, the staffs have to square off comments bordering on “ethical question – of exposing the beneficiaries to risks.” This ethical consideration was taken seriously as may be shown in the following part of CDRC’s proposal: “…livelihood assistance in the form of agricultural support in barangays Nueva Esperanza, Ayahag and Sug-angon has to be provided at the earliest time possible (as crops in farm lands that were not affected by the landslides have to be prepared for the next planting season in May-June) FULLY AWARE that these areas are considered at risk YET the economic survival of the families has to be met.”

From the point of view of the affected population, this is how things stand now:

• The local government officials still have no livelihood alternatives to the families of Guinsaugon. They have a relocation site with pledges of shelter assistance, but the livelihood component is still unclear. The victims still express their need for farm land as this is the only means of livelihood they know;

• Families from the other affected barrios (Nueva Esperanza, Ayahag and Sug-angon) shared that although concerned government agencies have prohibited them from going back to their barangays, they have no other option since their means of livelihood is back home. Despite the risk, residents go back daily to their farms from the evacuation centers. Some even sleep overnight in the communities due to the cost of transportation to and from evacuation centers in the town center of Saint Bernard;

• Initial feedback from our beneficiaries is that the project being implemented by CDRC and LCDE (Leyte Center for Development) is the only program so far that has actually given them agricultural support. They said “other agencies have only rendered lip service and called them for numerous meetings but nothing much has happened.” They shared that the project’s assistance has been
valuable as they did not have to go to the usurers and loan sharks to buy palay seeds and farm tools.

On the whole, the project is still in the social preparation stage although livelihood assistance package was already distributed to the beneficiary families. Since CDRC and LCDE started the program in May 2006, the project staff has implemented the following:

1. Social preparations

CDRC and LCDE staff representatives held a series of meetings to define and lay down preparations, mitigation and rehabilitation plans to help the affected families in St. Bernard. The project unity meetings resulted to a signed Memorandum of Understanding between CDRC and LCDE in jointly undertaking implementation of the project. A joint CDRC-LCDE staff was thus formed to lead and oversee the implementation of the project.

Coordinative meetings with barrio officials and Courtesy calls to LGU and church officials were done to facilitate smooth entry and implementation of the project activities. The mayor of St. Bernard is very supportive of the project activities. She expressed appreciation that agricultural support were provided to the affected communities. However, the Head of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council demands that the project staff should report and coordinate all its activities to her office.

At first, the project staff faced some initial difficulties in starting up the project because all the four beneficiary barrios of project have no existing organizations. Past projects of CDRC with LCDE in communities and peoples’ organizations were easier to realize with the P.O. assisting the project staff in all phases of implementation. Thus the project staff prioritized the organizing aspect of the project. It immediately proceeded with the formation of family clusters and organization of core groups that will lead the actualization the project inputs.

During the period, twenty-two (22) family clusters, three (3) core groups and 22 clusters of women and children of work-age were formed in Barangays Ayahag, Sug-angon and New Esperanza. Besides the family clusters and core groups, three cooperatives (one per barangay) were set up to administer the agricultural and duck raising activities; the cooperatives were composed of representatives from women, male and youth groups of the barangays. These groups and formations at the community level will ensure community ownership and success of the livelihood supby the project.

2. Distribution of livelihood assistance package

For the period, we have distributed the following to family beneficiaries of Barangays Ayahag, Sug-angon and Nueva Esperanza:

• 156 sacks of palay seeds to 312 family benefiaries;

• farm tools to 22 family clusters that consist of:
– 110 bolos
– 110 small shovels
– 110 shovels
– 44 plows

• 660 ducks to 22 family clusters

• 88 goats granted to 22 clusters in 3 barangays

• 30 cans of vegetable seeds were distributed to 319 family beneficiaries in 3 barangays.

3. Land preparation and planting season

The 156 sacks of palay seeds were already planted to the beneficiaries’ farmlands while women and children in Barangays Sug-angon and Nueva Experanza have planted vegetable seeds. Land preparation and cultivation is still on-going in Barangay Ayahag. Planting is set to start by the second week of August.

There is an instance where the project staff was asked about the ‘moral question’ of exposing the beneficiaries to the risk by allowing them to work in their farmlands that have been identified as disaster-prone. On some occasions, a number of beneficiaries in the three above-mentioned barangays sleep in their original houses to attend to their crops and property.

Noting this, the project staff ensured that the farmer-beneficiaries underwent education sessions on safety precautions and observing early warming system before the start of the planting season; Mechanisms and safety measures such as going to the farm only during safe period (days, without rainfall) and returning to the evacuation center after work were instituted.

In regard to Barangay Guinsaugon, the nature of the livelihood support remains to be a gray area. The displaced families do have a relocation site provided by the government, but they do not have any farm land where they can start off livelihood activities. Feasibility studies are now being undertaken about setting up a mini-slaughter house con mini-meat market and mini-grocery.

The project staff also continued to meet with Guinsaugon women survivors. The women survivors brought up the idea of setting up a piggery business to complement the mini-meat market or putting up sari-sari store. The piggery will be set up in the vacant lots of the relatives of the women survivors.
The livelihood assistance for Barangay Guinsaugon is set to start by the third week of August, 2006.