lamejanejane-blog - Tumblr blog

[lamejanejane-blog]

Module 3: Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

For this module, I am glad to have interviewed Kagawad Fed Marcelo, the head of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the barangay. Below are his thoughts regarding Barangay Bagong Silangan’s hazard identification; vulnerability, elements and people at risk assessment; capacity and disaster management assessment; safest and hazardous areas, issues, practices and lifestyles in the community.

Barangay Bagong Silangan is located in District 2, Quezon City.

The barangay is composed of sub-communities, majority of which consists of informal settlers and those living in extreme poverty. Due to this, their houses are poorly furnished and their settlements are based on its availability: as long as there is free space without any titleholder, it is taken. The vulnerability of their houses then increases for they are prone to be destroyed easily no matter disaster may come. However, these areas are likely to be most affected by fire incidents since their houses are close to one another as well as their Meralco lines because its spread shall be easier. Additionally, their narrow streets also make it difficult for fire trucks to respond.

The geographical location of the barangay is also a factor to be considered since there are many low-lying areas which are the most hazardous during typhoons. According to the Kagawad Fed, the worst disaster to hit Bagong Silangan was Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 with its fatality at 150 people. Although he also noted that these areas are not really dangerous on a normal day since it is only a threat during rainfalls. In the event that the rainfalls become worse over time according to the forecast provided by the local and national government, the barangay immediately responds to this through preparing the evacuation centers and calling the people’s attention to evacuate immediately. I am proud to witness this firsthand since it was the day of my interview when they were conducting this. 

Furthermore, if its geography is to be discussed, being part of the West Valley Fault makes it a threat to the people especially during earthquakes which fortunately has not given much damage to the people in the mean time. 

Kagawad Fed did not specify as to where are the safest places within the community for he believes that it will always depend on the situation. Just as how he had classified the possible most dangerous areas according to the disasters which might affect us. 

He also stated that there are three issues which stand hinders the barangay’s progress. First, is the attitude of the people towards disasters. The lack of complacency makes it harder for the officials to get everyone into the evacuation center so as to save them even before the disasters would affect them. This was also measured during the trainings and drills conducted whose goal to challenge everyone to understand the barangay’s concern of saving the people’s lives as soon as the forecast would tell us. Another would be the budget because “it is only a figure” (Marcelo, 2019). The ratio and proportion is not enough to cover everyone’s needs and therefore, resulting into scarcity. Lastly, there was no decent urban planning especially the sub communities. Making them possibly the most vulnerable in disasters. 

Regarding the complacency and the people’s attitude, I would like to point it out through the picture below. Pictures may not be able to capture the unpleasant smell but it reeks of human urine although the barangay has provided a male urinal in the corner. This then could be considered to be a hazard. 

The aftermaths of these calamities affect the citizens differently due to its wide range of socioeconomic classes. Kagawad Fed said that it affects the poor dramatically for their cycle is different as compared to the privileged because of their vulnerability and that says a lot. These disasters bring great impact to the people for everything is disrupted regardless of what calamity may come: livelihood, civil services and destroyed infrastructures. 

To help the people get back on their own feet, the barangay provides various activities like baking, flower arranging, sewing and such as a way to diversify the livelihood and make them develop independently to which Kagawad Fed calls, “build back better”. These programs are the stimuli for their livelihood. Moreover, it does not end there because they are also monitored through their partnership with a NGO, Verlani. Of course, the infrastructures are also fixed so as to provide mobility to all. 

The four phases of DRRM is headed by the barangay captain and the council. The committee serves as the group which specializes on acting upon disasters and its casualties. 

I believe that these casualties continue to happen because of the citizens since as manifested in the picture above, they lack complacency and fail to see the barangay’s concern of protecting their welfare especially in times of disaster. Their cooperation is also needed because it is not solely the barangay officials who should work towards the development of the community. However, the barangay may sometimes lack in providing everyone’s necessities as a limitation of the budget since there are other political and social issues faced by the barangay that are yet to be resolved (corruption, etc.). 

It also saddens me to realize how much it affects the marginalized sector of the community. As a result of extreme poverty, they would like to prioritize their assets and their homes though disasters may come because it is their hard-earned money. They are left to choose to protect their prize-possessed materials for it will take them a long time before they could be able to afford them again.

Bagong Silangan’s budget only allocates 5% for the disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) that makes it difficult to entirety of the barangay to ‘build back better’ and therefore could possibility exclude everyone. Though Kagawad Fed emphasizes on prioritizing the vulnerable and the unfortunate for they are the one which would need help the most. I believe that there is a need to increase the budget especially that they acknowledge that these disasters greatly affect them [the poor].

With this in mind, there is a need to address the issue of disasters in our country because our lives are at stake as well as the environment we are living in. Every single body in this world has a purpose which also makes them important though little as they seem. In addition to this, if we do not stress enough on protecting our environment, where would we live in? Science would say that it is only a matter of time before it is too late to counter the effects of climate change and if we do not do anything about it then where else would we find another earth? In my opinion, we should address it in such a way that people would be able to relate. We should start by looking further into our lifestyles and how does it affect the people around us and the environment we live in. Then we continue by analyzing how our daily lives contribute into the worsening conditions of the planet and what we should do about it because it affects everyone. It does not see the existing socioeconomic classes because when it hits, it hits. From their, I could only hope for the cooperation and unification of people as a result of these realizations and change destructive habits in order to make the world a better place.