BDRC Learning Circle Conducts Training for Luzon Partners

As a response to the Global Campaign on Climate Change, IPDI recently conducted a training-workshop for Community Practitioners on Reducing Disaster and Climate Risks in Communities held in Women and Ecology Farm, Mendez Cavite last May 20-22. The training workshop was facilitated by Myke Magalang from Marinduque Center for Environment Concerns (MACEC) and Demo Raynera from Social Action Center (SAC) of Infanta, Quezon. Both facilitators are members of the BDRC (Building Disaster Risk Communities) learning circle, which aims to incorporate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into community development. The training-workshop is the first in a series of four trainings that will be given to selected partners who are located in high-risk and most vulnerable areas in the country and with the capacity of mainstreaming DRR in their respective programs.

The selected Luzon partners who participated in the three day training-workshop are: SARILAYA (Nueva Ecija, Antipolo, and GMA Cavite areas); Foundation for the Care for Creation (FCCI) - Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Asian Social Institute (ASI-Youth) - Angono, Binangonan, and Cardona, Rizal areas; Kilos Unlad ng Mamamayan sa Real (KUMARE) – Real, Ifanta, and Gen. Nakar, Quezon province; MSK DIBICADI (Dinalungan, Bianoan, Casiguran, and Dilasag, Aurora Province); MSK Valley Ding (Maria, San Luis, Baler, Dinggalan, Aurora Province).

The three-day training-workshop served as a venue for partner organizations to reflect on how current issues on disaster risk and climate change affect their programs and plans. The participants were trained in conducting Hazard Mapping & Assessment, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment of their respective areas, as well as Capacity Assessment of people in their communities. BDRC also provided basic concepts on DRR, introduced the different government institutions and organizations where they can access resources with regards DRR, as well as providing update on DRR policies and mandate in the Philippines.

The subsequent training-workshops by the BDRC are scheduled on August & September 2010 for the Visayas and Mindanao partners.