Strengthening Climate Local Government Unit Resilience St. Bernard, Southern , SCR Case Study Summary PHILIPPINES

Which of the three pillars does this project or policy intervention best illustrate?

Tackling Exposure to Changing Hazards and Disaster Impacts Enhancing Adaptive Capacity Addressing Poverty, Vulnerabil- ity and their Causes

Since it reactivated its Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council (MDCC), St. Ber- nard in partnership with different NGOs has conducted a series of trainings on disaster preparedness, risk reduction, mitigation & climate change adaptation (CCA) for municipal officials, community leaders and other community members. These capacity building activities covered topics from disaster preparedness, mitiga- tion, emergency response, and many oth- ers. Drills on , tsunami, , and were also conducted in vil- lages and schools.

The LGU has also implemented many small-scale flood, landslide and multi- hazard mitigation projects that have helped reduce the risk & vulnerability of In 2006, one of the world's worst landslide hit Southern Leyte that almost wiped out the entire St. Bernard against hazards. These mitiga- 480 hectares in Guinsaugon, one of the 16 villages of the town of St. Bernard. The dis- tion actions include the construction of gabions, dredging of river, mangrove aster left in its wake 28 injured, 410 registered survivors and buried alive at least 1,000 people. The planting to mitigate typhoon surges, bam- town had experienced other disasters in previous years, but St. Bernard was unprepared for the mag- boo planting & set-up of coconet (tough nitude of the Guinsaugon disaster. After the tragedy, hazard assessments were conducted by the Phil- netting made of husks to anchor soil on ippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) slopes) in steep mountain slopes to lessen the risk of , and many others. A and NGOs like CARE Philippines and the results revealed that 70% of the total land area of St. Ber- comprehensive early warning system nard is highly vulnerable to many hazards. (EWS) was also established and vulner- able communities exposed to risk/danger Because of this, St. Bernard strengthened its existing Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council zones were relocated to areas less prone (MDCC) and under the leadership of current municipal head, Mayor Rico Rentuza, the town has to hazards. increasingly taken measures towards building its resilience. Two years after the tragedy, St. Bernard Livelihood programs were implemented has received the prestigious Gawad Kalasag Award, an annual Presidential Award given to the mu- especially for farmers who were affected by drought. Alternative livelihoods like nicipality / province / city which has the most exemplary Disaster Coordinating Council and for having the cultivation of fruit trees and associ- the best Contingency Plan and Disaster Preparedness / Disaster Risk Reduction Management Program in the ated crops were promoted at the com- country. Despite limited funds, St. Bernard, being a 4th Class* municipality held a pro-active stance. munity level. Food security and innovative Mayor Rentuza, together with the MDCC, strengthened its resilience through significant capacity- agricultural systems that can ensure bet- ter crop yield are also being implemented building projects, regular flood- tsunami-landslide-earthquake drills, incorporating Disaster Prepared- by the LGU in cooperation with local and ness in the Executive-Legislative agenda, small-scale and non-structural mitigation projects, Early international NGOs. Warning Systems, among many other interventions. These were accomplished through a pro-active

On governance, the town has been recog- approach and through the cooperation, help, and support of the community, and various NGOs in- nized for successfully incorporating disas- cluding CARE Philippines under the ACCORD Project; GTZ; the Philippine National Red Cross, and ter preparedness & risk reduction into its Plan Philippines, among others. Executive-Legislative agenda and in 2008, the town was also awarded for having the *municipalities are divided according to income level. A 4th class municipality has an best disaster contingency plan and disas- annual income between PHP 20 to 30 million (USD600-645 thousand) for the last 3 years ter risk reduction management program.

radio frequency and thus alert people people alert thus and frequency radio

river) to the Operation Center via via Center Operation the to river)

and mitigation: mitigation: and

water level of at the upstream upstream the at floods of level water

for disaster preparedness preparedness disaster for

community-based early warning system system warning early community-based

mit data (such as rainfall volume and and volume rainfall as (such data mit

strengthening community capacities capacities community strengthening gency planning activity; Rain gauge in the the in gauge Rain activity; planning gency

telemetered device that would trans- would that device telemetered

Activities for developing and and developing for Activities ♦ ♦

at communities and schools; Municipal contin- Municipal schools; and communities at

System by GTZ. The EWS operates by by operates EWS The GTZ. by System

assessment at the community; Evacuation drills drills Evacuation community; the at assessment

Other DRR Initiatives Initiatives DRR Other

Establishment of Flood Early Warning Warning Early Flood of Establishment ♦ ♦

ity participatory risk risk participatory ity Commun top: the From

mate change adaptation projects. adaptation change mate

partnership with Gawad . Gawad with partnership

disaster preparedness, mitigation, and cli- and mitigation, preparedness, disaster

surge and even tsunami, through the the through tsunami, even and surge

these funds from emergency response to to response emergency from funds these

the coast who are prone to storm storm to prone are who coast the

ment Fund, pro-actively shifting from using using from shifting pro-actively Fund, ment

eholds lying along along lying eholds hous and flashfloods

the Calamity Fund & Economic Develop- Economic & Fund Calamity the

along the riverbanks prone to flood/ to prone riverbanks the along

innovatively using local resources such as as such resources local using innovatively

sites to relocate households living living households relocate to sites

stment Plan (AIP) (AIP) Plan stment Inve Annual the and ties;

Establishment of permanent relocation relocation permanent of Establishment ♦ ♦

disaster-proofing the development priori- development the disaster-proofing

nicipalities Legislative Agenda (ELA) that incorporates incorporates that (ELA) Agenda Legislative

vulnerabilities of communities and mu- and communities of vulnerabilities the Executive and and Executive the of implementation and

multi-hazard mapping, capacities and and capacities mapping, multi-hazard processes particularly in the development development the in particularly processes

tors such as results of the READY READY the of results as such tors reduction in its development planning planning development its in reduction

Plan (CLUP) using identified risk fac- risk identified using (CLUP) Plan The LGU has Incorporated disaster risk risk disaster Incorporated has LGU The

Updating the Comprehensive Land Use Use Land Comprehensive the Updating ♦ ♦

a resilient community. resilient a

Bernard

port of the LGU to make St. Bernard truly truly Bernard St. make to LGU the of port

steep slopes to lessen landslides in St. St. in landslides lessen to slopes steep implemented with and through the sup- the through and with implemented

oconet on mountain mountain on oconet C of Establishment ♦ ♦

grams / projects / adaptation actions are are actions adaptation / projects / grams

being undertaken, and various other pro- other various and undertaken, being

zones to areas less-prone to hazards to less-prone areas to zones

resettlement projects are continuously continuously are projects resettlement

Relocating communities in danger danger in communities Relocating ♦ ♦

ganizations were formed, livelihood and and livelihood formed, were ganizations

Lawigan River River Lawigan grams were implemented, community or- community implemented, were grams

flood mitigation measure; Dredging of of Dredging measure; mitigation flood ties in St. Bernard. Capacity building pro- building Capacity Bernard. St. in ties

as as with rocks to stabilize shorelines or slopes) or shorelines stabilize to rocks with the at-risk communi- at-risk the preparing and areas

struction of gabion gabion of struction (large wire baskets, filled filled baskets, wire (large in supporting the rebuilding of the affected affected the of rebuilding the supporting in

Small-scale mitigation projects: Con- projects: mitigation Small-scale ♦ ♦ and international organizations who share share who organizations international and

works in partnership with a host of local local of host a with partnership in works

EWS equipment equipment EWS

planning and budgeting. Also, the LGU LGU the Also, budgeting. and planning

Provision of disaster preparedness and and preparedness disaster of Provision ♦ ♦

corporated in its annual development development annual its in corporated

programs, trainings and activities are in- are activities and trainings programs, warning system warning

duction and climate change adaptation adaptation change climate and duction Setting-up a community-based early early community-based a Setting-up ♦ ♦

(LGU) has ensured that disaster risk re- risk disaster that ensured has (LGU)

Response Unit (SBERU) Unit Response

nard." Notably, the local government unit unit government local the Notably, nard."

Setting-up the St. Bernard Emergency Emergency Bernard St. the Setting-up ♦ ♦

the goal and vision of a "resilient St. Ber- St. "resilient a of vision and goal the

management approach, striving towards towards striving approach, management

drills for communities and schools. and communities for drills

disaster risk reduction / / reduction risk disaster "pro-active" gay contingency planning; Evacuation Evacuation planning; contingency gay

active). St. Bernard has chosen the the chosen has Bernard St. active). Municipal contingency planning; Baran- planning; contingency Municipal

another disaster could take place (pro- place take could disaster another gency response preparedness training; training; preparedness response gency

minimize damages where possible before before possible where damages minimize cols on emergency response; Emer- response; emergency on cols

(reactive); or prepare and take action to to action take and prepare or (reactive); oping standards, guidelines and proto- and guidelines standards, oping

ter to happen and respond accordingly accordingly respond and happen to ter pacities disaster risk reduction: Devel- reduction: risk disaster pacities

place (avoidance); wait for another disas- another for wait (avoidance); place Activities for strengthening LGU ca- LGU strengthening for Activities ♦ ♦

habitants from its 16 villages to a “safer” “safer” a to villages 16 its from habitants

nity and community trainers. community and nity

either pack up, leave and relocate all in- all relocate and leave up, pack either

and disaster preparedness for commu- for preparedness disaster and nicipality was faced with the options: to to options: the with faced was nicipality

hazard mapping; Training on CBDRM CBDRM on Training mapping; hazard risk vulnerability profile, St. Bernard mu- Bernard St. profile, vulnerability risk

Participatory risk assessment, Multi- assessment, risk Participatory Given its geographical location’s hazard / / hazard location’s geographical its Given

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Guinsaugon landslide found that out of the 500 barangays or communities, communities, or barangays 500 the of out that found landslide Guinsaugon faction, and storm surge. surge. storm and faction,

Assessment conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) after the the after (MGB) Bureau Geosciences and Mines the by conducted Assessment ards like typhoon, flooding, earthquake, tsunami, lique- tsunami, earthquake, flooding, typhoon, like ards

the so-called “Ring of Fire”. A Rapid Rapid A Fire”. of “Ring so-called the within located is and Trench Philippine the READY Project also show that St. Bernard is vulnerable to haz- to vulnerable is Bernard St. that show also Project READY

tive Philippine Fault Line, very near near very Line, Fault Philippine tive ac the along lies Leyte Southern area. the Leyte. In addition to landslides, Geo-hazard maps produced by the the by produced maps Geo-hazard landslides, to addition In Leyte.

e to further threats of landslides in in landslides of threats further to e du evacuated also were and affected rectly by the threats of landslides in eight municipalities and one city in Southern Southern in city one and municipalities eight in landslides of threats the by

damage in the area. The communities adjacent to Guinsaugon were also di- also were Guinsaugon to adjacent communities The area. the in damage 259 hectares of land are affected affected are land of hectares 259 19, and families 12,494 persons, 35,931 reports,

lost in infrastructure and agricultural agricultural and infrastructure in lost were pesos of Millions avalanche. the in sceptible to landslides. In view of this this of view In landslides. to sceptible su moderately 136 and susceptible highly are 104

anniversary of the Guinsaugon Women's Health Association also lost their lives lives their lost also Association Health Women's Guinsaugon the of anniversary

part in the celebration of the fifth fifth the of celebration the in part taking were who women Eighty rescued.

rs; only one child and an adult were were adult an and child one only rs; teache seven and students 246 had school

nd full of children. At that time, the the time, that At children. of full nd a session in was school the when occurred

elementary school, located nearest to the mountain ridge, as the landslide landslide the as ridge, mountain the to nearest located school, elementary

tragedies was the burial of the local local the of burial the was tragedies the of worst the Among avalanche. saugon

quake of magnitude 2.6 were the dominant factors that triggered the Guin- the triggered that factors dominant the were 2.6 magnitude of quake

path of the downward moving mass of earth. Heavy rainfall and a minor earth- minor a and rainfall Heavy earth. of mass moving downward the of path

foot of the scarp, directly along the the along directly scarp, the of foot the at located was Guinsaugon of village

the entire length of the Philippines. The The Philippines. the of length entire the traverses that structure tectonic active

occurred along the steep fault scarp of the Philippine Fault Zone, a large and and large a Zone, Fault Philippine the of scarp fault steep the along occurred

of St. Bernard, but Guinsaugon was the worst-hit community. The landslide landslide The community. worst-hit the was Guinsaugon but Bernard, St. of

eek in the vicinity vicinity the in eek w previous the within occurred had landslides smaller ten to

ge in the town of Saint Bernard. Up Up Bernard. Saint of town the in ge villa Guinsaugon the burying subsequently

pine Fault collapsed in a rockslide-debris avalanche event, translocating and and translocating event, avalanche rockslide-debris a in collapsed Fault pine

face of a ridge straddling the Philip- the straddling ridge a of face cliff a when morning the in 10:30 about

least 1,000 people. It occurred at at occurred It people. 1,000 least at alive burying and debris and mud rocks,

Kan-abag collapsed, covering the Guinsaugon village with hundreds of tons of of tons of hundreds with village Guinsaugon the covering collapsed, Kan-abag

on February 17, 2006 when, after two weeks of heavy rains, a portion of Mt. Mt. of portion a rains, heavy of weeks two after when, 2006 17, February on Guinsaugon, in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte made headlines around the world world the around headlines made Leyte Southern Bernard, St. in Guinsaugon,

their families. families. their

. bamboo. the youth are taking the lead in planting planting in lead the taking are youth the

can buy food and provide basic needs for for needs basic provide and food buy can

included planting mangroves, trees, and and trees, mangroves, planting included tiated by the LGU headed by Mayor Rico, Rico, Mayor by headed LGU the by tiated

an additional income to farmers so they they so farmers to income additional an

led initiatives to avert climate risks with with risks climate avert to initiatives led climate change impacts in St. Bernard. Ini- Bernard. St. in impacts change climate

production yield as well as to provide provide to as well as yield production rice

Some of the youth youth the of Some warming. global mize tivities being implemented for averting averting for implemented being tivities

rehabilitate irrigation systems to increase increase to systems irrigation rehabilitate

community to avert climate risks and mini- and risks climate avert to community gate typhoon surge is also one of the ac- the of one also is surge typhoon gate

(EFOS) will will (EFOS) ” the in Security Food of

at home and in the the in and home at do can they that things” rehabilitation of mangrove areas to miti- to areas mangrove of rehabilitation

“Enhancement “Enhancement project, GTZ’s Philippines”.

“declaration of practical and doable doable and practical of “declaration a with Establishment of mangrove greenbelt and and greenbelt mangrove of Establishment

Accessible to Rural Poor Households in the the in Households Poor Rural to Accessible

ity to hazards. Camp participants came up up came participants Camp hazards. to ity

“Making Safe Food Available and and Available Food Safe “Making project

how these phenomena increase vulnerabil- increase phenomena these how during heavy rains. rains. heavy during

pality. CARE Nederland has launched their their launched has Nederland CARE pality.

and climate change increase awareness of of awareness increase change climate and soil erosion along riverbanks especially especially riverbanks along erosion soil

also set to be implemented in the munici- the in implemented be to set also

young generation about global warming warming global about generation young of bamboo as mitigation measures against against measures mitigation as bamboo of

NGOs as well. Food facility programs are are programs facility Food well. as NGOs

province. Its goal was to educate the the educate to was goal Its province. ciated crops to communities, and planting planting and communities, to crops ciated

from national agencies and different different and agencies national from

disaster preparedness camps held in the the in held camps preparedness disaster livelihoods like fruit-trees and other asso- other and fruit-trees like livelihoods

sources and by tapping external resources resources external tapping by and sources

pated in numerous climate change and and change climate numerous in pated There is also the promotion of alternative alternative of promotion the also is There

ated by the municipality using its own re- own its using municipality the by ated

leaders from Southern Leyte has partici- has Leyte Southern from leaders agro-forestry, and bamboo plantation. plantation. bamboo and agro-forestry,

drought. Livelihood Programs were initi- were Programs Livelihood drought.

Since 2006, over 400 children and youth youth and children 400 over 2006, Since Natural Regeneration (ANR) projects like like projects (ANR) Regeneration Natural

black bug infestation and long periods of of periods long and infestation bug black

system like reforestation, and Assisted Assisted and reforestation, like system

In the past, farmers lost their crops due to to due crops their lost farmers past, the In

restoration and conservation of the eco- the of conservation and restoration

GTZ, the municipality has a program on on program a has municipality the GTZ, zone.

land areas, with the help of DENR and and DENR of help the with areas, land tinuous soil erosions within the riparian riparian the within erosions soil tinuous

Hinabian-Lawigan Watershed. In the up- the In Watershed. Hinabian-Lawigan damages to farmlands to reduce the con- the reduce to farmlands to damages

natural resources especially for the the for especially resources natural ter current during flooding causing major major causing flooding during current ter

approach in protecting and conserving conserving and protecting in approach banks to lessen the impacts of strong wa- strong of impacts the lessen to banks

Change and Disaster Preparedness Preparedness Disaster and Change Bernard has initiated a a initiated has Bernard “ridge to reef” reef” to “ridge

the planting of bamb of planting the oos along the river- the along oos

Children & Youth Camp on Climate Climate on Camp Youth & Children The Local Government Unit (LGU) of St. St. of (LGU) Unit Government Local The mangrove along the coastline, including including coastline, the along mangrove Climate Change Adaptation Actions Actions Adaptation Change Climate

4 4

http://www.saintbernard.gov.ph http://www.saintbernard.gov.ph

Email: [email protected] [email protected] Email:

Municipal Mayor Mayor Municipal

R R . H ENTUZA ICO ON

Asia Regional Office, email: [email protected] email: Office, Regional Asia

Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Leyte, Southern

Mr. Atiq Kainan Ahmed, Plan International, International, Plan Ahmed, Kainan Atiq Mr. contact please SCR, on information more For

Municipality of St. Bernard Bernard St. of Municipality

y from the threats posed by climate change. change. climate by posed threats the from y societ protect to aim the with development and

C (MDCC) (MDCC) OUNCIL

smart’ approach to managing disaster risk risk disaster managing to approach smart’ ‘climate a develop to seeks programme The work.

C D M OORDINATING ISASTER UNICIPAL

build the resilience of communities to disasters and climate change as part of their development development their of part as change climate and disasters to communities of resilience the build

y organisations in developing countries to to countries developing in organisations y civil-societ and governments of ability the enhance please contact: please

is a DfID funded programme that aims to to aims that programme funded DfID a is (SCR) Resilience Climate Strengthening For more information on this project, project, this on information more For

tation in Bangkok, Thailand, 22-23 July 2010. 2010. July 22-23 Thailand, Bangkok, in tation

programme for the SCR Regional Consul- Regional SCR the for programme Resilience Climate ing

Strengthen- the through published was summary study case This

Municipality of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte Contingency Plan, July 2009 2009 July Plan, Contingency Leyte Southern Bernard, St. of Municipality

a presentation by Mayor Rico Rentuza, Municipality of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte Leyte Southern Bernard, St. of Municipality Rentuza, Rico Mayor by presentation a

"FROM TRAGEDY TO RESILIENCY: A Journey from the 2006 Guinsaugon Landslide to the 2008 Gawad Kalasag Award” Award” Kalasag Gawad 2008 the to Landslide Guinsaugon 2006 the from Journey A RESILIENCY: TO TRAGEDY "FROM

Resources: Resources:

-economic divisions. divisions. -economic social or affiliations Below: Already constructed gabion wall wall gabion constructed Already Below:

measure. measure. determined commitment to implementing DRR and CCA, without bias to any political political any to bias without CCA, and DRR implementing to commitment determined

wall construction as flood mitigation mitigation flood as construction wall Gabion Above: The Mayor and the municipal Officials must demonstrate strong and and strong demonstrate must Officials municipal the and Mayor The Will. Political ♦ ♦

tivities. tivities.

engage in partnerships with CSOs on DRR/CCA ac- DRR/CCA on CSOs with partnerships in engage to Mayor the authorizing MOA

ity, there should be a supportive resolution from the Sangguniang Bayan regarding the the regarding Bayan Sangguniang the from resolution supportive a be should there ity,

ous relationship between the Executive and Legislative departments in the municipal- the in departments Legislative and Executive the between relationship ous

). In order for there to be a harmoni- a be to there for order In ). Agenda Legislative and (Executive ELA the like

into the local development planning has been achieved with the support of legislations legislations of support the with achieved been has planning development local the into

The institutionalization of DRR and CCA CCA and DRR of institutionalization The legislations. enabling and Advocacy ♦ ♦

ency to donors follow. follow. donors to ency

and foremost. Accountability and transpar- and Accountability foremost. and imperative is beneficiaries to countability

Transparency and ac- and Transparency serve. we whom to transparency and Accountability ♦ ♦

given the first priority to be served. served. be to priority first the given

children, people with disablities, women and people living in hazard prone areas) are are areas) prone hazard in living people and women disablities, with people children,

rights-based approach, where the less fortunate and people at-risk (elderly people, people, (elderly at-risk people and fortunate less the where approach, rights-based

. Listening to the voice of the most vulnerable means adopting a a adopting means vulnerable most the of voice the to Listening . law" in more have

Listening to the voice of the most vulnerable. vulnerable. most the of voice the to Listening "Those who have less in life must must life in less have who "Those ♦ ♦

better what their concerns are. are. concerns their what better

people in the community know better what what better know community the in people their needs and problems are, they know know they are, problems and needs their

tion Workshop held in every community. The premise was based on the fact that that fact the on based was premise The community. every in held Workshop tion

were obliged to attend the Land Use-base Land the attend to obliged were d Barangay Development Planning Formula- Planning Development Barangay d

sectors should be represente be should sectors s group, senior and others others and senior group, s women' business, Farmers, d.

Planning, active participation from all sect all from participation active Planning, ors in the community has been solicited. All All solicited. been has community the in ors

Multi-sectoral participation. participation. Multi-sectoral During the formulation of the Barangay Development Development Barangay the of formulation the During ♦ ♦

reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) activities in St. Bernard: Bernard: St. in activities (CCA) adaptation change climate and (DRR) reduction

These are the lessons learned based on the LGU LGU the on based learned lessons the are These experiences in implementing disaster risk risk disaster implementing in experiences Lessons Learned Learned Lessons