Adhering to the mandate of providing social assistance and welfare programs to the disadvantaged and vulnerable sector and catering to the needs of families affected by the sudden disruption of income caused by climate-related disasters and crises, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VII introduces the Risk Reduction Program (RRP) to select local government units (LGU) in Central Visayas.

The LGUs of Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City, as well as select towns of the Province of Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, went through a two-day comprehensive orientation on RRP in Cebu City on May 17–18, 2023.

In her message, Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero reminded the participants that DSWD provides LGUs with technical assistance and resource augmentation in response, recovery, and rehabilitation aspects. “By collaborating with LGUs, collective efforts must be responsive to the needs of protecting communities and families in times of disaster, and this must be replicated for the best interest of the region.

She added that convergence should focus on resilience, where everyone is taught to adapt to changes and learn to navigate.

Local Social Welfare and Development Officers, Planning and Development Officers, Budget Officers, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers, Environment and Natural Resources Officers, and other members of the RRP Technical Working Group identified by the LGUs from the provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, as well as from the highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, attended the training.

Participants were tasked with producing their own project proposals and risk vulnerability analysis matrix, which were then presented to and critiqued by program officers from the DSWD Central and Field Offices. As part of the implementation requirements, they were also given technical assistance on proper photo documentation and geotagging.

RRP Program Focals from DSWD Field Office 6 and Caraga also shared their experiences, samples, scenarios, and best practices to help guide the participating LGUs in their implementation.

Both field offices started implementing RRP in 2015

The training outputs will become the identified projects to be implemented by the LGUs following the support and approval of their respective local chief executives.

On Friday, May 19, a pilot implementation was conducted in Mandaue City through the Cash-for-Training modality, wherein a total of 160 fishermen and 140 active youths were called to participate in the ten-day activity of “Enhancing Vulnerable Coastal Community Through Mangrove Protection Program.”

They are expected to undergo two (2) training modules on capability building on climate change, disaster risk mitigation through mangrove protection, rehabilitation, and mangrove nursery management, conduct mangrove clean-up and propagation, and rehabilitate the mangrove nursery in Barangay Jagobiao that was damaged by Typhoon Odette.

It may also be recalled that from January 31 to February 1, DSWD Field Office VII introduced the new program to the target LGUs that are identified by the Cabinet Cluster through its Criteria of Priority Area and by the World Bank.

RRP is a convergence program that will operationalize the Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) Cabinet Cluster to have climate- and disaster-resilient communities. It has two modalities, namely, cash-for-work and cash-for-training, both of which aim to strengthen the adaptive capacities of poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged families and communities to socio-environmental risk. This means providing them either a temporary income opportunity in exchange for community work or building their capacities for disaster mitigation and management through livelihood opportunities and skills training.

It aims to provide additional income support to economically poor and climate/disaster-vulnerable families and communities, build or rehabilitate public or community natural assets, and strengthen partnerships with LGUs.

Potential beneficiaries of this program are families classified as Listahanan-identified poor; families identified as poor, marginalized, and disadvantaged upon assessment, verification, and validation by the local social welfare and development office; and farmers and fisherfolk that are validated and registered in the Registry System for the Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and/or the Fisherfolk Registration (FishR).

Identified Priority Areas are selected based on criteria wherein an LGU is highly susceptible to climate hazards, situated in a critical watershed and/or major water basin, a 4th–6th class city or municipality, or a major urban center, has a high poverty incidence with convergence sites, has priority needs identified by the Cabinet Cluster, and agrees to meet the conditions specified by the program. ###

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