Philippines: Pre-crisis Information Mapping and Consultation for Large Scale Typhoon June 2019

In support of the medium-to-large scale typhoon contingency plan developed by the Humanitarian Country Team-Inter Cluster Coordination Group (HCT-ICCG), an intensive pre-crisis information mapping and inclusive consultation was conducted in Northern Luzon and Visayas Region from July to November 2018. The conduct of this activity focuses on validating the preferred humanitarian aid of the affected population and at-risk communities in an event a typhoon similar or greater than typhoon Haiyan happens. Through the HCT’s Community of Practice on Community Engagement (CoPCE), five (5) at-risk and vulnerable barangays (lowest form of government) were piloted in the provinces of Cagayan and Kalinga in Northern Luzon and coastal island village in Negros Occidental.

CoPCE members such as OCHA, UNICEF,Care, Christian Aid, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), NASSA/Caritas Philippines, with support from Cagayan Valley Disaster Response Centre (CVDRC), field volunteers and the local government in Cagayan, Kalinga and Negros Occidental facilitated the conduct of the pre-crisis activity. These include series of scoping mission and initial consultation with various stakeholders, capacity building workshop for local volunteers including the use of the pre-crisis mapping consultation tool and kobo collect application1 , reviewing of key document like Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (BDRRM) plan as well as ongoing initiatives of the local government in line with enhancing its capacity to improve future humanitarian response actions.

The methodologies employed for the pre-crisis activity includes household survey (HS), key-informant interview (KII) and focus-group discussion (FGD). The process was combined quali-quantitative, with emphasis on the time-critical phases of humanitarian response: 72 hours, 1 week, 1 month and 3-6 months after the landfall. Selected areas and communities for this initiative have prior experience of being geographically isolated due to the catastrophic impacts of a strong typhoon, rain-induced landslides and massive flooding.

The success of the pre-crisis mapping and consultation for Manila 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 20172 paved the way to the conduct of more hazard specific pre-crisis mapping and consultation in other parts of the country. The same methodology, including the use of Washington Group of Questions (WGQs)3 , was adapted for the pre-crisis in Northern Luzon and Visayas region but they varied on the scope, approaches and inclusion of other components related to:

• mapping and consulting communities living in geographically isolated and depressed areas (GIDAS);

• identifying common services on community engagement (aside from the lifesaving needs in the initial response);

• supporting localization of humanitarian response;

• linking pre-crisis information to early warning system, communication protocol and evacuation procedure;

• validating preferred aid with the prepositioning of the Key Immediate Needs;

• contextualizing humanitarian quality standards and principles;

• complementing local capacities, resources and initiatives on overall community-based disaster risk reduction and management.

The conduct of the pre-crisis mapping and consultation stressed the importance of the operational accountability in preparedness. The emphasis is how can an enhanced community participation be established and sustained in the process to effectively address both the lifesaving and evolving needs of the affected communities from humanitarian response to early recovery.

Part of the pre-crisis mapping is identifying how to maximize available communication and community engagement common service platforms identified by the at-risk communities.
These include existing traditional or local forms and other platforms such as face-to-face consultation, community assembly, FGD for the less vocal and visible members of the community, dialogue with barangay officials, relatives, friends and neighbours, influence of local leaders and presence of communitybased organizations, print, radio, SMS and various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).