Before Typhoon Egay made landfall in Cagayan province on July 26, 2023, workers from non-government organizations (NGO) moved swiftly to dispense cash aid to the most vulnerable communities in the province, enabling locals to secure supplies and resources for their early evacuation.
“It was no mean feat, but they pulled it off with flying colors,” the Caucus of Development NGO Networks or CODE-NGO, the biggest coalition of NGOs in the Philippines, states in a report on its website.
CODE-NGO is among the groups advocating for “anticipatory action” and “adaptable and community-centered support strategies” as the best and most cost-effective ways to save lives and properties before and during disasters.
The benefits of localized disaster responses were discussed by representatives of the CODE-NGO, the Agri-Aqua Development Coalition (AADC), the Green Meadow Development Foundation, and the Camalaniugan municipal government in Cagayan province, during day one of the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on Oct. 14, 2024 at the Philippine International Convention Center.
CODE-NGO, AADC, Green Meadow, and the Camalaniugan LGU have been part of Start Network, an international coalition of NGOs across the globe dedicated to helping the most vulnerable communities before, during, and after disasters. Established in 2010, this “network of networks” is composed of 90 NGOs across five continents. On its website, it describes itself as “a network of aid agencies across the world, working together to revolutionize the global humanitarian system.”
How did Start Network’s local NGO partners, which call themselves the Cagayan Consortium, succeed in delivering cash assistance before Typhoon Egay made landfall? CODE-NGO explains the process on its website. Start runs a Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) program, a system put in place by its members working with national NGOs in the Philippines. The DRF’s consortium partners are present in focus areas such as Cagayan Valley, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga regions. Each focus area has a DRF group, with a lead Start Network member at the top and the local organizations working under its guidance and coordination.
The DRF group greenlights responses to calls for help according to alerts and triggers in the system. For Typhoon Egay, the DRF group in Cagayan province, which includes the Green Meadow Development Foundation, followed what is called the 510 forecast model used by the Netherlands Red Cross. “Once the DRF is activated, consortium partners may now mobilize their anticipatory action,” CODE-NGO explains on its website.
How did the municipal government of Camalaniugan, Cagayan, help with the anticipatory action taken by local NGOs during Typhoon Egay? According to a report by Start Network’s, the Camalaniugan LGU identified the most vulnerable households under the poverty line.
The Cagayan Consortium’s preemptive aid delivery during Typhoon Egay is among the several case studies now being used by Start Network affiliates in pushing for anticipatory action policies and community-based responses before and during disasters.
Another Start Network report cites the case of Gertrudez Mansili, a resident of Siargao, Surigao del Norte. Mansili and her family were almost swept away by the floods brought by Typhoon Odette on Dec. 12, 2021, because they were not able to evacuate early. Staying at a friend’s house, her family survived on wet rice.
With this experience, Mansili realized the importance of disaster preparedness. “We should prepare before a typhoon strikes. Evacuate to where we should be at the right time,” she says in Filipino. She has since been sharing her experience at focus group discussions by Start Network to promote anticipatory action.
“A shift from reactive to proactive strategies is [now] imperative. Government agencies, nonprofits, and local organizations must work together to establish systems that anticipate risks, mobilize resources, and provide timely support,” Start Network highlights in its Siargao report.
How can anticipatory action be sustained? Edimar P. Cabaya, Camalaniugan’s municipal development planning officer, says the partnership between national and local government agencies, international aid groups, global and local NGOs, together with the use of advanced and appropriate technology, as well as intensified awareness and advocacy, have all been important in making anticipatory action work.
“The success of the anticipatory actions depends heavily on the timely release of funds,” states Start Network’s report. “The logistical and procurement processes involved can introduce time constraints that need to be managed. Nevertheless, pre-agreed funding has been instrumental in enabling confidence for swift preparedness and implementation of anticipatory action.”
Jonalyn Adduru, program coordinator at Green Meadow, says communities themselves must be involved in anticipatory action. Their participation can be through local government’s disaster response units, and by using appropriate communication mechanisms and technologies.
Anna Maria Socorro Abalahin, CODE-NGO deputy executive editor, points to the following challenges the country faces in its attempts to localize disaster response:
* The Philippines remains high in the list of the World Risk Index;
* The Philippines’ good practices in localized disaster risk reduction have remained fragmented and could still be improved;
* There are still gaps in national disaster risk reduction programs;
* The country has been unable to fully tap NGOs as disaster responders;
More efforts should be done to strengthen built-in local capacities to lessen dependence on outside aid.
Localizing disaster response is a “shared power” among stakeholders, working in different localities, explains Abalahin. More concerted effort at localizing disaster response—similar to what Start Network NGOs have done—should be tested in more remote communities, taking into consideration differences in regional languages and cultures.
Localization is important not only in disaster response but especially so in peace and development initiatives, points Agnes Bolaños, executive director of the Agri-Aqua Development Coalition. Her group is part of the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs, which engages in peace initiatives, community development projects, and disaster rescue and response.
On top of these, there is a need to continually assess how aid is delivered to communities, which should be anchored on accountability, says Abalahin. CODE-NGO, she adds, will always support strategies that promote local community resilience and less reliance on outside aid.