Philippines: Enhancing Resilient Communities - Flagship Initiative Newsletter, July 2024

Community Cash Grants empower disaster-affected areas in the Philippines

In disaster-affected areas, community cash grants are emerging as a powerful tool for fostering resilience and driving early recovery. By providing direct financial assistance, these grants empower local communities to lead their own recovery efforts, ensuring that resources are directed where they are needed most.

In Barangay Calampong, which was severely impacted by Typhoon Rolly in 2020, community cash grants have been instrumental in helping local women and Abaca farmers rebuild their livelihoods and enhance their community's resilience against future disasters.

The Women-Led Organization under the Rural Improvement Club, along with affected Abaca farmers, exemplifies the impact of community cash grants. Supported by the Local Government Unit (LGU) through the Agriculture Office, the group implemented livelihood projects that have significantly improved food security and provided stable incomes for local women and their families.

Ace Tria, from the Provincial Agriculture Service Office (PASO),emphasized the broader impact of the said cash grant.

"Community Cash Grants through the Rural Improvement Clubs of Women have not only transformed livelihoods across the island but have also significantly improved the lives and protection of productive assets for families of our abacaleros and fisherfolks, becoming even more powerful when complemented with support from humanitarian and development sectors,” she explained.

These projects have become an integral part of municipal and barangay development plans, strengthened local capacity and promoted sustainable practices.

Similarly, the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) have harnessed the power of Group Cash Transfers (GCTs) through their Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) and Community-Managed Livelihoods programs.

In one case, a SILC group used their grant to establish a poultry farm, generating income and boosting the local economy. In another, a PRC-supported group rehabilitated a fishpond, restoring a vital source of food and income after a typhoon.

These initiatives demonstrate the transformative potential of community cash grants when channeled into organized, community-led projects. By fostering collaboration between LGUs, NGOs and community-based organizations, these grants empower communities not only to recover from crises but also to build a more resilient and sustainable future.

The collaboration between the Flagship Initiative (FI) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reached a new milestone during a high-level meeting on 23 July, where strategies to enhance community resilience and disaster preparedness were discussed.

Since early 2023, this partnership has brought together the FI team, EU (European Union) consultants, and key officers from the OCD, including Director Cesar M. Idio of Operations, Susana Quiambao, Chief of Response and Coordination, and senior officials from the Policy Development and Planning Service (PDPS) and Capacity Building and Disaster Preparedness Services(CBDPS).

During the meeting, the FI team highlighted its achievements, particularly in community engagement and integrated resilience programming.

Central to the presentation was the Listen, Discover, and Enhance (LDE) Framework, which has been successfully rolled out in the Bicol and CARAGA Regions. This includes 4 barangays in Day-asan and Canlanipa in Surigao City, and Amontay and Oslao in the municipality of San Francisco.

Meanwhile in Bicol, LDE particularly the ReBPCA was conducted in Barangays Joroan and Baybay in Tiwi, Albay but community engagement activities like consultations were also done in the municipalities of Baras, Bato and Virac in Catanduanes.

This framework empowers communities by involving them directly in defining their resilience-building plans and priorities.

The team highlighted that pilot Local Government Units (LGUs) are already incorporating the LDE Framework into their Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (BDRRM) Plans. Once fully tested, these processes will be shared with the OCD for broader application.

Meanwhile, the EU consultants working with FI emphasized the importance of integrating community feedback into disaster risk reduction efforts. They noted that communities should set their own agendas and priorities before participating in externally designed programs and stressed the need to consider differential risks when planning disaster risk reduction projects.

The meeting culminated in five key recommendations:

> Monitor Progress: Track the success of the flagship program in pilot areas (Regions V, VIII, and CARAGA) and use these outcomes as a baseline to enhance Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) plans.

> Incorporate into Local Plans: Explore incorporating the flagship program into Local DRRM plans.

> Training Integration: Consider integrating the Community Resilience Plan (CRP) into Community-Based DRRM training.

> Tool and Process Sharing: Share the tools and processes developed through the flagship program with the OCD.

> Engage DILG: Include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in discussions about the flagship program.

The OCD recognized the necessity for community participation and asset protection in the review and updating of Barangay DRRM Plans to which they still have no standard process. The said agency expressed interest in enhancing the CBDRRM process as recommended by EU consultants, and our ongoing process of determining community priorities to be considered in the BDRRM Plans.

These recommendations will guide the FI team's ongoing efforts in Bicol and CARAGA, ensuring that their initiatives are aligned with national disaster preparedness and resilience strategies.