Disaster Survivors, Humanitarian and Development Actors Speak on Key Takeaways from Typhoon Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation
It's been over two years and a half since Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan), a massively catastrophic, level 3 disaster ravaged the Philippine archipelago. It presented huge challenges to affected communities, who despite the outpouring funding support from multi-lateral organizations, official aid agencies, non-governmental and other private-sector organizations continue to grapple with poverty and marginalization. The scale of disaster impacts likewise changed the landscape in which humanitarian and development actors operated and responded at the height of disaster response, recovery and rehabilitation. Although there have been numerous researches, evaluations and conferences conducted by different organizations related to the state of Yolanda recovery and rehabilitation, integration of much needed information and lessons to collectively address the issues of Yolanda survivors is highly wanting. It was the first time that Development and Peace-Caritas Canada along with CBCP-NASSA/ Caritas Philippines and their partners organized an international gathering of communities from various levels to consolidate and reflect on issues, concerns, and lessons related to the pace and progress of reconstruction in Yolanda-affected areas. The international forum was held at Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas last July 15 with over a hundred participants representing the national government, the diplomatic corps, international NGOs, Caritas Confederations, local NGOs, Development and Peace partners and typhoon Yolanda survivors. The forum is a sequel to the two conferences held in 2014 and 2015 in commemoration of Yolanda anniversaries. As Jess Agustin, Philippine Program Manager of Development and Peace-Caritas Canada underscored, the forum is an opportunity to remind the newly installed leaders of higher rank and the international community that there are a lot of things to do to ensure speedy, efficient and appropriate implementation of continuing recovery efforts. Substantive conversation about these were further captured by the findings of two researches presented during the forum.
In a research shared by Atty. Aaron Pedrosa entitled " A Portrait of Two Storms: The State of Yolanda Reconstruction Two Years After", he pressed full transparency and accountability of the government both on received funds and outstanding budget releases to various agencies. Based from the report by the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub, Aquino administration received a total of Php2.4 billion cash and non-cash contributions. On top of this, the government also borrowed funds from international financing institutions (i.e ADB, JICA and World Bank). He cited that there is a need to reconcile government data as there were mostly inconsistencies in statistics as to the real cost of rehabilitation.
While fund utilization appeared to be dismal coupled by a relatively low accomplishment, disaster affected communities likewise had to contend with other issues like landlessness, conflicting interests on No Build Zone Policy, gender issues, infirmities in disaster response management and corporate-led rehabilitation that relegated communities as mere recipients of projects or aid. All these issues underpinned the pleas of Yolanda-affected communities boldly stated in their unity statement on the same forum.
The other research was presented by Arthur Neame, which tackled issues in coordinating humanitarian response and reconstruction efforts. His findings expounded also on the complex issues of governance and land rights as well as the pressing need to start shifting power from international actors to local and national actors.
The rich experiences of various actors in Yolanda recovery and rehabilitation point us to a number of lessons.
BRIDGING THE GAP OF HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT WORK
For communities to become resilient, their pre-existing vulnerabilities should be addressed. This means that interventions should go beyond short-term emergency response. If humanitarian support is to be carried-out to communities following the disaster, this should be done in a development-oriented lens. In their work in Haiyan affected areas for example, Ms. Frances Quimpo, CEC Executive Director says, " We were not merely ticking our survey sheets and distribute shelter kits. We were able to consolidate community organizations, strengthen them and help them to put-up shelter and livelihood, risk management communities and we join them in delivering much needed services to their constituencies." Moreover, it is equally important to also harness and recover social infrastructures that were as badly devastated as the physical infrastructures. Disaster survivors are important resource to tap and draw upon to achieve integral development and resilience in its truest form.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING IN DAY 1, GROUND ZERO
Most of the humanitarian workers involved in the Yolanda response who spoke during the forum have already debunked the idea that community organizing is not possible during emergency response. Since we know that there are precisely pre-existing vulnerabilities, "Community organizing should happen at day1 , kung saan nangangamoy pa ang sangsang ng delubyo, kung kelan hindi malaman ng mga tao where to start. (Community organizing should happen at day 1, when the catastrophe is still fresh, when people still don't know where to start). That's when we are needed the most", stressed Yasmin Hatta, one of the panel reactors during the forum.
HARMONIZING ROLES OF GOVERNMENT, INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL ACTORS
The problematic coordination among network partners resonates well with the experiences of different organizations at the height of emergency response and recovery. With such scale as typhoon Yolanda, it is very important that organizations acknowledge and determine where their gaps are in terms of knowledge and resources. From these, they can also look into areas for complementation and convergence of resources to ensure holistic, speedy and effective interventions to affected communities.
There is also a shared affirmation of the need for an independent DRRM body attached to the office of the president with clear mandate and resources to coordinate efforts of different stakeholders on recovery and rehabilitation. This of course would entail some policy reforms particularly amendments on the current DRRM law of the country in view of the emerging international discourse on climate justice and the so called "new normal".
UNIFIED VOICES OF COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE HEARD
Communities should be able to assert their development rights. Their entitlement to just reconstruction and rehabilitation support following a complex disaster like typhoon Yolanda is one of these. Continuous strengthening of community networks in advocacy fronts and lobbying work is crucial so that their issues and needs are heeded. More importantly, communities should have access to right information and this is possible if they have established a context-specific, reliable and up to date community-based information system.
Ultimately, the forum presented a handful of things to work-on. Even the newly appointed secretary , Rafael Mariano of the Department of Agrarian Reform who graced the event recognized these. But there have been also significant gains and pre-existing partnerships that have resulted from the Yolanda response and recovery work to build-on. As Ed dela Torre professed, there are three As which we can use as guide to achieve real change- "AFFIRM, ADD and ALTER" , all we have to do is to engage in dialogue.
While fund utilization appeared to be dismal coupled by a relatively low accomplishment, disaster affected communities likewise had to contend with other issues like landlessness, conflicting interests on No Build Zone Policy, gender issues, infirmities in disaster response management and corporate-led rehabilitation that relegated communities as mere recipients of projects or aid. All these issues underpinned the pleas of Yolanda-affected communities boldly stated in their unity statement on the same forum.
The other research was presented by Arthur Neame, which tackled issues in coordinating humanitarian response and reconstruction efforts. His findings expounded also on the complex issues of governance and land rights as well as the pressing need to start shifting power from international actors to local and national actors.
The rich experiences of various actors in Yolanda recovery and rehabilitation point us to a number of lessons.
BRIDGING THE GAP OF HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT WORK
For communities to become resilient, their pre-existing vulnerabilities should be addressed. This means that interventions should go beyond short-term emergency response. If humanitarian support is to be carried-out to communities following the disaster, this should be done in a development-oriented lens. In their work in Haiyan affected areas for example, Ms. Frances Quimpo, CEC Executive Director says, " We were not merely ticking our survey sheets and distribute shelter kits. We were able to consolidate community organizations, strengthen them and help them to put-up shelter and livelihood, risk management communities and we join them in delivering much needed services to their constituencies." Moreover, it is equally important to also harness and recover social infrastructures that were as badly devastated as the physical infrastructures. Disaster survivors are important resource to tap and draw upon to achieve integral development and resilience in its truest form.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING IN DAY 1, GROUND ZERO
Most of the humanitarian workers involved in the Yolanda response who spoke during the forum have already debunked the idea that community organizing is not possible during emergency response. Since we know that there are precisely pre-existing vulnerabilities, "Community organizing should happen at day1 , kung saan nangangamoy pa ang sangsang ng delubyo, kung kelan hindi malaman ng mga tao where to start. (Community organizing should happen at day 1, when the catastrophe is still fresh, when people still don't know where to start). That's when we are needed the most", stressed Yasmin Hatta, one of the panel reactors during the forum.
HARMONIZING ROLES OF GOVERNMENT, INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL ACTORS
The problematic coordination among network partners resonates well with the experiences of different organizations at the height of emergency response and recovery. With such scale as typhoon Yolanda, it is very important that organizations acknowledge and determine where their gaps are in terms of knowledge and resources. From these, they can also look into areas for complementation and convergence of resources to ensure holistic, speedy and effective interventions to affected communities.
There is also a shared affirmation of the need for an independent DRRM body attached to the office of the president with clear mandate and resources to coordinate efforts of different stakeholders on recovery and rehabilitation. This of course would entail some policy reforms particularly amendments on the current DRRM law of the country in view of the emerging international discourse on climate justice and the so called "new normal".
UNIFIED VOICES OF COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE HEARD
Communities should be able to assert their development rights. Their entitlement to just reconstruction and rehabilitation support following a complex disaster like typhoon Yolanda is one of these. Continuous strengthening of community networks in advocacy fronts and lobbying work is crucial so that their issues and needs are heeded. More importantly, communities should have access to right information and this is possible if they have established a context-specific, reliable and up to date community-based information system.
Ultimately, the forum presented a handful of things to work-on. Even the newly appointed secretary , Rafael Mariano of the Department of Agrarian Reform who graced the event recognized these. But there have been also significant gains and pre-existing partnerships that have resulted from the Yolanda response and recovery work to build-on. As Ed dela Torre professed, there are three As which we can use as guide to achieve real change- "AFFIRM, ADD and ALTER" , all we have to do is to engage in dialogue.
Comments
Post a Comment