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Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur – Islamic Relief Philippines, in partnership with the Rajah Buayan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), has launched a major initiative to strengthen local disaster preparedness in the Municipality of Rajah Buayan, located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Faced with the recurring threats of seasonal flooding, prolonged drought, and armed conflict—including rido or clan feuds—residents of Rajah Buayan endure significant and compounding hardships. These overlapping crises often displace families and leave deep psychosocial impacts on the most vulnerable, especially children.
“Children are the most affected when armed conflicts break out,” said Norhanie Redoval, a barangay health worker. “It’s especially hard on them during times of economic crisis.”
Farmers, who make up a large portion of the population, are also hit hard by droughts, which jeopardize their livelihoods. “When there's no rain, there’s no harvest. People struggle to make a living,” said Ahmed Sali, head of the MDRRMO.
To bolster local resilience, Islamic Relief Philippines and the MDRRMO convened barangay leaders and officials for the Formation and Reactivation of Barangay Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (LDRRMCs) in five (5) barangays: Baital, Bakat, Malibpok, Panadtaban, and Sampao.
During the sessions, participants were trained on their roles and responsibilities, committee structures, and the legal foundations set by Republic Act No. 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. Each barangay was encouraged to pass resolutions formalizing their respective committees and operationalizing the DRRM framework.
This grassroots initiative is a step toward transforming vulnerable communities into resilient ones, capable of responding swiftly and effectively to disasters.
The activities are part of major outputs of the Road to Environmental Action and Poverty Alleviation for the Underprivileged Population (REAP-UP) Project supported by Islamic Relief USA.
About Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief is a faith-based relief and development agency working to save and transform the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. We are United Kingdom-based with active presence in over 40 countries across the globe. Islamic Relief has been operating since 1984. In the Philippines, Islamic Relief started operations in 2013 to respond to the needs of Typhoon Haiyan-affected families.
We are currently working in Mindanao particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the rest of the country implementing development projects, humanitarian response, and disaster risk reduction-climate change adaptation. We work closely with the most vulnerable people regardless of race, belief, age, gender and diversity.