Representatives of the Resilio Fund, a collaborative philanthropic initiative committed to advance community-led crisis response and recovery, joined the cross-visit learning sessions facilitated by the Ecosystem Works for Essential Benefits (ECOWEB.), Inc. in Cebu and Surigao del Norte from March 16-22, 2026 as part of its advocacies to mainstream the survivor and community-led response (sclr) approach.
Learning from the shared insights among community groups thriving at the forefront of crises intervention, the Resilio Fund, along with EcoWEB, Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR) and Southern Tagalog People Response Center (STPRC), visited the areas and learned from the community groups in Barangay Danglag in Consolacion, Cebu and in Barangays Sering, Taruc, Sta. Cruz and Salug in Socorro, Surigao del Norte.
More than the site visits, the activity served as an opportunity for mutual learning to challenge the traditional mutual aid dynamics of identifying the “donor and beneficiary,” and further creating spaces for honest dialogue, shared reflection, and deeper understanding on how communities organized, respond, and sustain their initiatives, given that they would be trusted as partners in the process.
Among the Resilio Fund representatives were Chief Executive Officer Fanta Toure, with grant-making and accompaniment team members Kate Moger and Malen Serato. Community-Led Response, Recovery and Resilience (CLR3) Project Manager Imelda Manginsay represented the EcoWEB, while Tina Magas, Dawn Ornillo, and Fray Barrientos represented the STPRC and Rei Sollesta, Dave Badanoy, and Juls Prino for PCRD.
The visitors personally learned the practice of “hinabangay,” a living tradition of mutual aid deeply rooted in the local culture of cooperation. In Cebu, the Sulong Mandauehanong Kabus, Inc., a multi-sectoral federation composed of women and vendors’ associations, urban poor organizations and a cooperative, engaged the Resilio Fund on their shared commitment and solidarity. Meanwhile, in Surigao del Norte, the Socorro Hinabangan Inklusibong Pederasyon (SHIP), an established federation of 12 mutual aid groups made up of farmers, fisherfolk, women and cooperatives, shared their practice of collective labor and cooperation.
Through the “hinabangay,” members contribute time, often at least 30 days each year, to collective efforts such as farming, disaster preparedness and other community-led initiatives. More than a system, it serves as a reflection of their values on solidarity, reciprocity and shared ownership to address their varying challenges.
The cross-visit showcased stories of resilience, struggles and innovations shared openly by the groups. Participants learned the different contexts, as well as the guiding principles and practices that sustain community-led actions during times of crisis. The representatives of the Resilio Fund witnessed firsthand how their initial support was translated on the ground and made an impact rooted on realities shaped by local leaders and sustained by collective action.
The activity also offered a clearer picture of what meaningful solidarity looks and feels like: relationships built on respect, humility, and shared purpose. In these spaces, resilience was not described in theory – it was practiced daily by communities working together. For the Resilio Fund team, this experience was “abundant and worth it.”
All the participants learned that when communities are trusted to lead and partners choose to listen and learn with them; stronger and more grounded pathways to resilience emerge.
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No one should face disaster alone.
