AP Forum Documentation Report Municipality of , Oriental July 02, 2013

I. Introduction

HRC – Oxfam and UN OCHA jointly facilitated the Affected Population Forum as a culminating activity of the duly conducted Community Consultations (during the mid and last week of May 2013) in some of the barangays of the municipality of Baganga, .

The forum is intended to facilitate meaningful dialogue between the communities and local government where issues and recommended actions are identified and presented. This also is a venue for the LGU to articulate its actions and future plans, other agencies to answer questions and present plans. At the end of the presentations the community can seek clarification and initiate discussions to further impact plans and provide information back to the community regarding government and agency plans.

Participants included 4 to 5 community leaders from the affected barangays; other members of the community as observers and for input into the discussions, MPDO representative, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, DSWD XI, and staff/management of HRC-OXFAM and UN OCHA.

Community participants were selected so as to represent both gender and marginalised sector concerns to ensure cross cutting issues from the community were part of the discussion.

II. Affected Community Issues, Recommendations and LGU responses The community developed its issue and recommendations during the weeks prior to the forum as part of a larger group. This information was shared with the LGU's so as to provide them an opportunity to prepare their discussion points prior to the forum. Part of this process included an orientation on affected population rights to set the stage for the discussion.

ISSUES COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATION LGU PLANS/ACTIONS LIVELIHOOD:  In Baganga - livelihood is agricultural and was  Cash assistance for Farm Rehabilitation and Separate seven (7) chainsaws were provided by the destroyed by Typhoon Pablo. Long-term crop like Development (CFW) Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to the barangays coconut (copra) and other mid (Banana) and short  Continuation of debris clearing at the farm site for debris clearing activities. term crops (rice, corn, vegetables and fruits). As a (chainsaw for debris clearing) result, unemployment and loss of income affects  IGPs for women, fishers, farm-workers, youth and  Livelihood projects for the communities to be assisted the majority of families whose income mostly goes elderly (e.g. Handi-craft making, dress-making, by the Project Development Officer (PDO) of DSWD to basic needs. food processing, livestock and poultry raising and which to be funded jointly with MLGU. others)

1 ISSUES COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATION LGU PLANS/ACTIONS  Fishing boats and gears, capital for “sari-sari store”, coco seednuts / seedlings for replanting and pesticides for Brontispa control, rice and corn seeds with farm inputs (fertilizer and pesticides)  Establishment of “Farmers Market” or “Bagsakan”  Market matching / linkaging with the neighbouring municipalities (Mati City, , Banay-Banay and others) FOOD:  Livelihoods were totally devastated, resulting in  Cash assistance for food of the affected families  DSWD’s program for Food for Work / Cash for Work families unable to purchase food and basic  Continuation / extension of food ration until farmers In relation to the construction and repair of shelters on supplies. can restore back their farms site. SHELTER:  LGU to request funds for relocation sites to the  In Baganga majority of houses were damaged by national government (NHA/DSWD) Typhoon Bopha or “Pablo”. Forcing some of the  Implementation of emergency shelter assistance  DSWD plans to construct initially 10 of the 180 families migrate to other places for safety and (ESA) to affected household families. targeted permanent shelters for Baganga. survival. Some stayed in Temporary Relocation  255 or 14 per will also benefit from Sites (Bunk Houses and Tents) and other On-Site emergency shelter assistance. makeshift shelters. Such that, a need to more  Provision of additional shelter assistance to affected  The government is doing by batch because of the shelter support and assistance household families living on-sites (lack of materials long process on shelter projects.  Uncertain relocation sites for reasons of MGB for house repairs). certification and insufficient LGU funds  Replacement of Tents / roofing with G.I. sheets or  Dilapidated tents of the temporary shelters, Nipa roof / “Pawod” affecting the health condition of TRS residents WaSH:  In Baganga most of water sources were damaged (water intakes and hosepipe connections). Resulting to: . Insufficiency of water supply  Rehabilitation and reconstruction of water intakes . Water contamination, not suitable for and hosepipe connections household consumption  Continuation of training on Water Quality Monitoring . Inaccessibility of water sources, for the barangays. especially to elderly HEALTH:  Devastated health facilities, contributed to  Improvement of delivery of health services, through: worsening health service delivery, resulting to:  . Insufficient supply of medicines,  additional fund allocation for purchase of medicines 2 ISSUES COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATION LGU PLANS/ACTIONS especially for the children, nursing and vitamins for children, nursing mothers and mothers and elderly elderly . Diminishing health personnel (BHW /  Additional budget for BHWs’ honorarium Community Health Volunteers) Repair / reconstruction of the damaged health centers / facilities EDUCATION:  Damaged school buildings / facilities greatly  Provision for scholarship grants for the affected affected, especially the elementary and high families school.  Cash grants for families which cannot afford to buy  Increased number of school drop-outs, from school uniforms and supply college, high school and elementary, as a result of  Reconstruction and repair of the school buildings / economic / livelihood destruction and facilities displacement.  Additional allocation for para-teachers and day care workers  Construction and repair of the Day Care Centers Note: MPDC representative promised during the forum to raise issues and recommendations to the Mayor of Baganga for discussion and consideration of their recovery plan.

III. Gaps and Agreements: In the course of the open forum dialogue between the community and the LGU, gaps and recommendations were detailed. The following table will form the basis of holding responsible agencies and communities accountable over the next period.

Gaps Action Point Responsible Agency  Absence of a municipal early recovery and rehabilitation plan.  Formulate a recovery and rehabilitation of plans. MLGU with MPDC BLGU Communities  Insufficient funds to implement LGU interventions for the affected  Ensure allocation of funds. MLGU communities.  MLGU to link with PLGU, the National Housing Authority (NHA) PLGU o Shelter Program – DSWD / NHA / CRS /PLAN, Int’l and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) NHA o CFW / FFW – PhilDHRAA – ILO / DSWD DSWD o Food Assistance – ICRC / DSWD / WFP  Absence of final assessment on the impact of Typhoon Pablo in  Create an inter-agency team to conduct assessment on the MLGU Baganga needs and gaps of Baganga. MAO/DA/Communities  Lack of complementation of services among agencies (LGUs,  Revitalization of the inter-cluster system. MLGU/MSWD/DSWD NAs, iNGOs, local NGOs)  Regularize municipal inter-cluster meeting inviting barangay MDRRM/MLGO/MPDC/M officials. LGO/agencies/ 3 Gaps Action Point Responsible Agency  Mapping of all interventions and impact of the interventions. OCHA/iNGOs  There is a need to include sectoral representatives in the  Creation of a Barangay Composite Team to include the MLGU selection/validation of beneficiaries at the barangay level. community representatives participating at the AP Forum. MSWD/DSWD  The need to inform/promote government and non-government  Plugging of services on radio. MLGU / Municipal programs, policies, procedures, requirements, etc.  Conduct regular focus group discussions and community Information Office consultations. MLGO  There is a need to replace damage tents (immediate)  Conduct inventory of households that need replacement of tents. MSWDO/DSWD  DSWD to help source new tents. Communities  Lack of functional education centres.  Establish a reading centre or library. MLGU/Department of Education  Lack of assistance to the vulnerable sector (elderly, PWDs,)  Ensure the implementation of laws related to granting of social MLGU/DSWD/ Office of benefits to the vulnerable sector. the Senior Citizens

IV. Next Steps

This documentation will be disseminated to the community members that attended, LGU's and other agencies to provide a frame of reference for monitoring and evaluation. This monitoring will be done by members of HRC-Oxfam and other agencies.

The forum highlighted to the LGU's the real concerns and misunderstandings that the communities have about the ongoing response. It also showed to the community the real difficulties faced by the LGU mobilizing resources and coordinating with other levels of government. This venue provided both sides of the partnership a deeper understanding and shows the need for community/government dialogue to continue.

The very real needs of the communities and the LGU's also will be transmitted to other layers of government using this documentation as a basis for prioritising resources and capacity for the development and implementation of an overall economic/infrastructure/social service recovery plan.

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