Sustainable Initiatives Led by Local Experts

      DLSU – Center for Social Concern and Action continues to pursue initiatives to help make partner communities increase capacities  on resiliency and  safety. The academe recognizes its role as  resource for knowledge generation and knowledge sharing It also acknowledges the important role that communitiy members play in disaster preparedness being  at the frontline and directly affected in times of disaster or calamity.

      In the  effort of helping build  disaster resilient communities, DLSU-COSCA  continues to pursue  partnership building and  strengthening with  institutions and organizations that suport   advocacies on climate change  adaptation and mitigation and  environmental  protection. On August 8, 2019, COSCA supported  the GlobalGiving-sponsored forum dubbed “Conversations on Strengthening Community Resilience through Localized Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the Philippines.”   The forum highlighted the sharing of experiences of  organizations  and institutions engaged in raising  capacities of communities in the Philippines which include, among others the following:  Office of Civil Defense-NDRRMC, Center  for Disaster Preparedness (CDP), Philippine Preparedness Partnership, Buklod Tao, Inc., Las Pinas Persons with Disability Federation, Inc. and Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya, Inc.  The forum also discussed the current  state and trends on disaster risk reduction and management  (DRRM) in the Philippines.  It provided the community members and representatives of participating  institutions and people’s organizations venue to network and share their learnings and examined the challenges they encountered in operationalizing the elements of DRRM. The discussion also allowed participants to share best practices  and explore areas for future collaboration to deepen engagement of communities in DRRM.

       Also, a 5-day Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Training of Trainers (CBDRRM TOT) was organized  on  September 3-7, 2019 to help enhance the capacity of  the Municipality of  Lian, Batangas on resiliency and  safety.  Formal leaders and representatives from the 19 barangays of  LGU Lian, Batangas including its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) staffers successfully completed the CBDRRM TOT.  The training which tapped the expertise of  CDP was pursued  by DLSU to help contribute to the efforts of  building disaster resilient partner communities.

     The training of trainers focused  on the discussion of the following: a) Context of Disaster in the Philippines and Importance of CBDRRM, b) Steps in Conducting CBDRRM, c) Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, and Mitigation, d) Disaster Response, Rehabilitation, and Recovery, and e) Action Planning. Provided with the knowledge on DRRM concepts and the different techniques in formulating effective and efficient plans and actions related to DRRM, the participants were given the chance to become trainers and /or facilitators of a simulated CBDRRM training. The simulation  training which is a requirement for completion is also an essential step for the participants to obtain  accredited with the Office of Civil Defense as CBDRRM trainers.

      The CBDRRM TOT is an initial step for the conduct of  CBDRRM training in the partner  barangays which will be supported by LGU Lian’s MDRRMO and consistent  with DLSU-COSCA's initiative under the Lasallian Environmental Sustainability and Governance component of DLSU-COSCA’s Lasallian Sustainable Development Program.