Philippine typhoon Koppu CoP on Community Engagement Situation Report 3

Community Engagement (Communications, Accountability, Community Participation and Common Service Partnerships)

Needs:  Affected communities in the provinces of Nueva Ecija (especially in Cabanatuan City and the municipalities of Gabaldon, Gapan, Laur, Santa Rosa, Jaen and San Leonardo) and Aurora (municipalities of Dipaculao and Casiguran) are still dependent on Barangay officials, friends and relatives from other places for updates and other information days after the typhoon. Most communication and powerlines are still down in the said areas.

 Feedback and complaint mechanisms need to be enhanced in most evacuation centers and temporary relocation sites considering most of the affected communities will stay for longer days until the water subsides in most flooded areas.

Responses:

 The CoP’s humanitarian radio service via 98.7 FM in Casiguran (FRR-FEBC) distributed 85 Galcom solar radios in the affected barangays of Casiguran in Aurora. It continues to broadcast public service announcements (PSAs) coming from the PDRRMC as well as humanitarian agencies in the area, psychosocial program, interviews with government officials as well as with humanitarian workers and affected communities, daily weather updates (courtesy of Panahon TV) and key messages on food, WASH, health and shelter. Audio clips of the ongoing radio broadcast can be downloaded via this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ah1cm6cvn7okqse/AAAuqxu6ISqO1zCa7kcohNGfa?dl=0

 Two big telecommunication companies (Globe and SMART) established free call centers and charging stations in eight affected provinces. For SMART, areas covered are the provinces of Aurora (particularly in the municipalities of Casiguran, Dinalungan and Dinasalag), Benguet (municipality of La Trinidad), Pampanga (municipality of Candaba), Quezon (municipality of Nagtipunan), Pangasinan (Dagupan City and municipalities of Mangatarem and Alaminos) and lastly Baguio City while Globe covered most affected barangays in the municipalities of Isabela, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Quezon and Aurora. Restoration of powerlines in some parts of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Baguio City and Benguet is ongoing.

 Two Rapid Information Communication Accountability Assessment (RICAA) reports (Care and World Vision) were produced and shared by the Community of Practice (CoP) to NDRRMC and the HCT covering the areas of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Aurora. The CoP will support or facilitate closing the communication loop together with the local government units to ensure feedback or issues raised will be given appropriate action points. For more details of the reports, please view this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r8zfd7u3gskecnc/AAB41zY-m1us2JLfxHdTR9sYa?dl=0

 The HCT’s CoP unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone (courtesy of SkyEye) will be used for post-Lando’s aerial monitoring in Nueva Ecija and CAR. The CoP (through United Methodist Communications) will also install repeater system in Mt. Sto. Thomas in Baguio City.

 The CoP has prepositioned 10, 000 solar radios (UNFPA) and will procure additional 5, 000 (IOM) as part of addressing the communication and access to information needs of the affected communities in Nueva Ecija and some parts in Pampanga, Pangasinan and Benguet.

 Series of community feedback and transparency consultations to be conducted in Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Aurora and Pampanga by the HCT’s CoP members (ACF, NASSA/Caritas, Care, World Vision and Save the Children). Initial consultations stated that overall people are in need of immediate food assistance, plastic sheets for emergency shelter, non-food items (blankets, flashlights for municipalities with no electricity, mosquito nets and medicines for children, elderly and the people with disability). Those interviewed also said

Communication is Aid Philippine typhoon Koppu CoP on Community Engagement Situation Report 3

that they need livelihood support particularly the agricultural sector considering most rice fields are heavily destroyed by the typhoon and flooding. The HCT’s CoP will use the agreed Community Feedback Form (CFF) https://www.dropbox.com/s/cstr466cidb8zvh/Community%20Feedback%20Form.docx?dl=0 . The CFF will complement the activation of the CoP’s Community Response Map (CRM of IOM) http://communityresponsemap.org/

Gaps & Constraints:

 Some areas remain flooded and it is a great challenge to most CoP members to conduct community consultations and feedback activities.

For additional information and queries, please contact:

Gil Francis Arevalo, Community Engagement Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), [email protected], +63917 515 3539

Antonio Miguel Almario, Community Engagement Officer, International Organization for Migration (IOM), [email protected], +63 920 919 2580

Carolina Brill, Reporting Officer, International Organization for Migration (IOM), [email protected], +63 917 623 9549

Communication is Aid