Why?
The project aims to contribute to a common local development agenda for building disaster resilient communities in the Philippines. It hopes to improve the responsiveness and transparency of Local Government Units (LGU) by ensuring participatory and transparent processes for disaster risk reduction and development. In the Philippines, extreme weather events are on the rise resulting in the loss of lives and damage to assets and livelihoods. These events also affect the communities future vulnerability to extreme weather and climate change by modifying the capacity to prepare for and respond to future disaster. The past disaster trends and projected climate change highlight the need to integrate and mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation as part of everyday life in the Philippines. The Philippine Red Cross is the only non-government member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and works with institutions and government bodies to reduce the vulnerability of people to natural hazards. The project takes place in the following provinces in The Philippines: Zambales, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Antique and Aklan and Cities of Caloocan and Valenzuela in Metro-Manila.
What?
The course of action aims to improve the participatory local processes and networks between the Local Government Units and Community based Organizations (CBO). This will be done through first assesing participation in exsisting plans and hereafter conducting workshops on how to improve. Furthermore through also supporting these LGU’s the community needs and priorities should be integrated into the development plans and budgets. Finally through training the capacities, roles and representativenes of the Philippine Red Cross and CBO’s are strengthened, contributing to empowering community members.
Who?
The target groups of the project includes the Local Government Units, the Philippine Red Cross and the Community based organizations. This will in turn empower the communities and the planned activities will benefit over 900 thousand residents in the area.