ECOWEBPH

EcoWEB continues to provide possible interventions to Vinta-affected communities in Lanao del Norte initiating workshops and training especially in the area of Hazard Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (HVCA) that will mentally and skillfully benefit the survivors of Barangay Calimudan and Mindalano in the Municipality of Salvador, Lanao del Norte.

With the support from AWO International, the engagement between the organization and affected communities increased their interest in developing a sense of awareness to technical capacities, disciplines and opportunities to achieve a more resilient community. With its purpose to let the community understand their vulnerability to the effects of the hazards and as to what extent they can work to prevent the possible devastation, capacity development and assessment in the local level has to be absorbed.

The workshop tackles different modules to have a systematic perception on how hazard vulnerability and capacity assessment should be developed. Through establishing a M’ranao-based context of the workshop, it is definitely a torch that was raised higher as it was intentionally addressed for the participants to easily understand and comprehend not just the terms discussed but the content of the modules per se.

The assessment workshop imparted learning especially in understanding concepts and substance on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, comprehending the four pillars of Disaster Risk Reduction, knowing the primary laws of Disaster Risk Reduction, executing history hazard in the community through activities, illustrating the spot map and identifying hazard vulnerability, capacity and evacuation routes, reporting and feedback of shared learning and acquired knowledge and discovering the noteworthy recognition of environmental stewardship in Islam.

The participants are proactively interacting as to what they know associated with experiences on hand. This is also a gateway to assess the situation and envision responsibilities on how to achieve an irrepressible outcome. Resisting to existing measures are their only armor in every risks but they need to be taught more on how to improve it and bounce back stronger.

Understanding the gaps is also a setting point of the workshop. This is to merely inform them that addressing the gaps should be carried out with strategies along with knowing their resources. HVCA provides development to those who seek more of learning and capacity.

Rasmia Mutia, Assistant Training Officer of ECOWEB said that the cooperation within both barangays has been overwhelming. She also underscored that the aim of conducting HVCA is to help the survivors understand the effects of the disaster and how to make their vulnerabilities as an opportunity to grow and be influential to work hand in hand together. She emphasized on the discovery of Islamic verses and its connection to the disaster risk reduction and management.

“Ngayong ko lang na-realize na marami palang verses sa Qur-an na kailangang ituro sa mga kapatid nating M’ranaos. Nagbibigay ito ng enlightenment at para maging grounded sila sa relationship ng Islam at ng kalikasan. Nakatulong din ang mga Imam at Ustad sa pagpapalalim ng discussion dahil tina-translate nila ito into M’ranao language na mas nakakapagbigay interes sa mga tao. Sa ganitong paraan, natutulungan natin sila na mas maintindihan at kung paano sila gagawa ng paraan para hindi na mabalik ang damage na dinala ni Vinta sa kanilang barangay.”

[I just realized that there are a lot of verses in the Qur-an that has to be taught to our M’ranao brothers and sisters. It brings enlightenment and makes us grounded to discover the relationship between Islam and the environment. The discussion gets deeper and interesting as Ustads and Imams translate the verses into M’ranao language which caught more attention to the participants. In this way, we are helping them to understand and make strategies to prevent the damage that Vinta has caused in their barangay.]

She added that the challenges and dynamics encountered like security issues, political conflict and weather conditions did not bother the team to immerse in the community and impart knowledge that the community endeavors to know.

Meanwhile, Ali Sarangani, an Imam in Brgy. Mindalano expressed his honest opinion on how the training helped him to understand the context of disaster preparedness connecting it to the Islamic perspectives and how he realized about the importance of unity and emergency preparations.

“Isa pn sa myasuwa akn saya na aya kyabinasae sa gyaa pagtaw na sabap ko da kapreparado o mga taw agu da a minggalbk run. Aya epekto niyan upama na datar miyusor getu a panaguntaman o mga tao, datar o myakanaw so datu ago so pagtao sabap so kyailay eran ko panaguntaman eyu, myakapagugup so panaguntaman eyu ago so panaguntaman ami.”

[One of the things that I have learned on why Typhoon Vinta caused great damage is that the people of the community have no plans and preparations about the disaster. The effect of the training in our barangay is that it opened our minds and realized that the community along with the barangay officials have a lot of shortcomings in terms of how to prepare for any disasters, of course, with your help.]

“Emanto na kyatukawan tanu! pakitukawan akn rkanu a mga tunganay akn so ukit a myangulaula tanu a tpng bagyo a Vinta a tantu a margn, Emanto na myatuon so ukit a kapakaligtas tanu san na emanto na punggalbkn tanu sa tarutop a kanggalbk.” he added.

[I will remind my fellow M’ranaos on how difficult our situation was during Vinta. And now we learned something, this is our way to survive and avoid the possible cause of having a disaster in the future. We have to do something.

Throughout the workshop, the participants with the help of the facilitators have given their utmost interest to understand the concept of HVCA. Since then, their barangay is entitled to be one of the disaster-prone communities. But less than the resources that they have, the knowledge that they have acquired makes them think beyond the possibilities specifically honing their skills to execute longer-term plans for the benefit of everyone.

The scheme will be relied on AWO’s project components in organizing, livelihood, implementation and training. The next step will be the livelihood training and CBDRRM formulation.