Philippines presents flagship initiative takeaways, refocusing context of resilience in communities
Gustavo Gonzalez, Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, and Manja Vidic, Head of OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Philippines, recently shared the initial insights from the Flagship Initiative at the first Global Learning Forum in Luxembourg, held from 20-22 March.
Gonzalez and Vidic stressed restoring dignity to disaster-affected communities and highlighted key aspects of their flagship initiative: community involvement, gender considerations, and local capacity building. Despite the Philippines' high World Risk Index ranking due to hazards like typhoons and earthquakes, Gonzalez emphasized the need for robust resilience-building. He acknowledged implementation challenges across the country's 7,000 islands despite a strong legislative framework.
“We cannot say that we are operating in a vacuum, but we are not reinventing the wheel,” he said.
“We see the flagship initiative as a fantastic glue putting things together.”
Reflecting on the lessons learned from the flagship initiative's first eight months, Gonzalez noted the wealth of experience and knowledge at the community level, albeit fragmented and unrecognized. He emphasized the initiative's role as a cohesive force, bringing together various stakeholders and leveraging existing resources and capacities.
Meanwhile, Vidic emphasized a shift in approach towards community engagement, moving away from viewing communities solely as recipients of aid to recognizing their agency and priorities. She highlighted the importance of resilience-building efforts occurring before shocks occur, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to strengthen communities' capacities and assets.
Various organizations in the Philippines joined in the Luxembourg forum from the Manila Hub and contributed their perspectives on the flagship initiative and its potential to bolster community resilience. Rene ‘Butch’ Meily, President of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), Regina "Nanette" Salvador-Antequisa, Executive Director at Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc. (EcoWEB), and Anna Maria Socorro M. Abalahin, Deputy Executive Director of CODE-NGO, highlighted community resilience during disasters and the power of co-creation. They emphasized trust-building and participatory decision-making for sustainable outcomes.
These insights reflect a shift towards community empowerment and collaborative humanitarian efforts in the Philippines.
Regina ‘Nanette’ Salvador-Antequisa stressed that community decisions should not be dictated by outsiders, but rather by the community itself based on their needs and concerns.
She further underscored the importance of power-sharing and capacity-building within communities, highlighting the significance of actively listening to their perspectives and integrating their input into decision-making processes.
“Listening and understanding means actively listening to and understanding communities, treating them as partners rather than passive recipients. Community Engagement (CE) promotes accountability to affected people, ensuring effectiveness by valuing their input,” she said.
“There should be a sharing of decision-making power, capacities, and knowledge with communities, allowing them to determine what matters to them.”
The workshop revealed that effective community engagement is participatory, inclusive, and empowering. It requires building trust, sharing power, and ensuring communities feel valued and heard.
To achieve sustainable outcomes, it is crucial to shift from extractive approaches to collaborative and empowering practices that truly reflect community needs and priorities. Collaborating with local organizations and co-creating solutions with communities are essential steps toward meaningful engagement and lasting impact.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.