Participatory capacity and Vulnerability assessment - nirapad

Participatory Capacities and Vulnerabilities Assessment:Finding the Link Between Disasters and Development

ContentsForewordI. The PCVA Framework:CVA and Participatory Rural AppraisalII. Organising a PCVA ResearchIII. Conducting PCVA:A process of learning and actionIV. Lessons from the review:Improving the PCVAAnnex.Voices from the Rubble:Summary of Key Research FindingsReferencesivp. 5p. 29p. 35p. 49p. 61p. 77

ForewordThe Philipppines is a disaster-prone country andfor poor people who are already living on theedge, each disaster most often means loss of livesand of precious and very limited assets. However,poor people are not completely without abilitiesand means. Development and humanitarianpractitioner needs to take into account people'scapacities and vulnerabilities if interventions areto be relevant, sustainable and empowering.Apart from life-saving measures, Oxfam holds thateven the most urgent of interventions amidst arapidly unfolding disaster situation must createsafe spaces that would ensure transparent,accountable and participatory processes throughwhich even the most vulnerable men and womenmembers of the community could analyse theirconditions and identify their own needs.It is towards this end that this handbook onparticipatory capacities and vulnerabilitiesassessment or PCVA was developed, and is nowbeing offered as a tool in creating that space. Itrecognizes the importance of local knowledge builton people's experience of disasters and of poorpeople taking the lead in addressing theirvulnerabilities. This helps in ensuring that people'srights are upheld despite the circumstances broughton by disasters.As a tool, the PCVA is by no means complete, andshould not be seen as standing alone. It shouldbe used with other tools, most notably gendermainstreaming tools, for it to work most effectivelyat surfacing key and nuanced information necessaryfor designing appropriate and relevant pre andpost disaster programme interventions.We are grateful to the individuals and families whohave not only accommodated the PCVA teamsinto their homes and communities but also openlyshared their experiences and thoughts during theconduct of the researches. We are grateful tooto the non-government organisations, people'sorganisations and local government units whoseparticipation and assistance made the researchesa fruitful undertaking. We dedicate this handbookto them.We hope that the handbook would be relevant toboth disaster management and developmentpractitioners. Through this, Oxfam Great Britain'sPhilippines programme shares its experiences andthe lessons it has learned on understandingcommunity perspectives on disasters. It is also ourhope that readers will find in it some measure ofcontribution to the theory and praxis of disastermanagement.Lilian S. Mercado CarreonPhilippines Programme RepresentativeOxfam Great Britain

Introduction and Background

Background of the PCVA Handbook"Hindi naman disaster ang baha noong bagopumutok ang Pinatubo. Kasi pagkatapos ngbaha, mas mataba na ang lupa sa bukid atnapalitan na ang tubig sa mga fishpond atilog. At saka tatlong piye lang ang taas ngtubig-baha noon, at pagkaraan ng isangbuwan, hupa na. Ngayon, may halo ng laharang tubig-baha. Mas mataas din ang bahangayon, mga pitong piye at minsan, animna buwan na ay may tubig-baha pa rin. Kayadisaster na ang turing sa baha ngayon saSta. Catalina."(The villagers did not consider flooding adisaster before the 1991 Pinatubo eruption.Floods would replenish rice fields, fishpondsand river systems. Before, floodwaters wouldrise up to three feet and last for only amonth. But now, floodwater comes mixedwith lahar. It is also much higher, aroundseven feet, and would sometimes last up tosix months. That's why people now considerfloods as disasters.)This was how Aling Magda and the otherparticipants in the Participatory Capacities andVulnerabilities Assessment (PCVA) in Sta. Catalina,Minalin, Pampanga described the change in theirexperience of disasters before and after theeruption of Mt. Pinatubo. This was what Oxfamwanted to know when it conceptualized the firstPCVA research in 1998.Oxfam helped local partners respond to the needsof Mt. Pinatubo affected communities for sevenyears since 1991. In 1998, Oxfam realised it wastime to update its assessment of the disastersituation and responses in Central Luzon. Oxfamwanted to determine if people still consideredlahar a threat and if there were emerging issuesor new threats to the lives and livelihood of thesurvivors.But aside from assessing the living conditions ofthe Pinatubo survivors, Oxfam also wanted theresearch to be a learning process by encouragingmore input and participation from localcommunities and key stakeholders. This way, theresearch would reflect the perspectives andexperiences of the survivors themselves, as wellas that of the various stakeholders' in managingand responding to disasters in the region.2 Introduction

Capacities and Vulnerabilities Analysis (CVA) wasnot new to Oxfam. In fact, long before the PCVAwas conceptualised in 1998 to inform programmedevelopment processes, the CVA analyticalframework already played an important role inOxfam's country programme's efforts to integrateDM into its poverty reduction programmes.Oxfam and its DM partners applied the CVAframework in assessing disaster situations andidentifying development-oriented interventions.Also part of the DM-development integrationeffort was the launching of cross-programme DMtrainings to promote vulnerability analysis amongpartners and build their capacities in applying theCVA framework in DM and other programmeinitiatives. iHowever, it was observed that despite effortsto involve local people in the gathering andinterpretation of CVA data, the CVA was stillperceived mainly as a checklist of categories andfactors to be analysed by external organisationswith limited input from local communities. ii Hence,it was suggested the CVA framework becombined with participatory approaches,specifically with participatory rural appraisal (PRA)tools. The objective was to provide moreopportunity for local communities and otherstakeholders to participate in assessing the post-Pinatubo eruption situation in Central Luzon. iiiAfter the PCVA in Central Luzon, four moreresearches were conducted in communities whichare prone to natural and human-made hazards.One was in Catanduanes, an island provincehighly prone to typhoons, floods and landslides.This was followed by another in two provincesvulnerable to several natural hazards and armedconflict in Central Mindanao. The last two wereconducted with two Oxfam partners conductingnatural resource management programmes andwere specifically intended to facilitate theintegration of DM into the partners' programmedesigns.The scope of these PCVAs may be limited to theexperiences of specific communities andpartners in their specific disastercontexts. Nevertheless, theyoffer invaluable insights onhow people andagencies behave,respond and copewith disastersaffecting theircommunities.Hopefully, theseinsights could helpenrich the currentDM thinking andpractice in thePhilippines.The PCVA handbook isan attempt to explain whatthe PCVA is all about, describehow to effectively conduct aOxfam alsowanted theresearch to be alearning process byencouraging moreinput andparticipation fromlocal communitiesand keystakeholdersIntroduction3

PCVA, and present experiences and lessonsregarding people and disasters which wereobtained through the use of PCVA.Part I discusses the two main frameworks usedin the PCVA: the CVA tool of analysis andParticipatory Rural/Urban Appraisal frameworkand principles. It presents the theoretical basis ofthe PCVA and how the two frameworks wereapplied to PCVA researches.Part II gives an overview of how a PCVA researchis organised. Although presented in a step-bystepmanner, it is not the intention to prescribea single format in organising a PCVA but to sharewith the reader a list of activities which couldmake PCVAs more fruitful, relaxed and fun. PartIII contains insights and lessons obtained fromorganising and conducting PCVAs, which hopefullywould help others in their use of the PCVA.Endnotesi In Oxfam's one-programme approach during the period 1996-2000, disastermanagement was considered a key component of the country programme,linking DM with the other programme initiatives. One of the programme'sfeatures was having a process that was developmental, informed by structuralanalysis including gender analysis and committed to principles of participationand empowerment (Abesamis et al. 1996).ii Anderson and Woodrow, authors of the CVA specifically recommendedthat data gathering and analysis of data for the CVA should involve the localpeople themselves, to facilitate their understanding of their own local conditionsand increase their capacity to effect desired changes (Anderson and Woodrow1989, 21).iii Roger Ricafort, Manager for Overseas Programmes in Oxfam Hong Kong,helped develop the idea of the PCVA. He also acted as the consultant of thefirst PCVA research conducted in 1998 in Central Luzon Region.Part IV presents the results of the PCVA reviewconducted by Oxfam in 2001. In that review,Oxfam looked into how the potentials of the CVAand PRA were maximized in the PCVA andpresented ways to improve the conduct of PCVAsin the future.We also decided to include in the annex of thehandbook a summing-up of the results of PCVAs.Titled Voices from the Rubble, this section presentsthe key findings and insights on people'sperceptions and experiences of disasters anddisaster responses gleaned from the PCVAs.4Introduction

Disasters create new vulnerabilities. Post-Pinatubo eruption flooding in Minalin, Pampanga.IThe PCVA Framework:CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural AppraisalA. Analysing Capacities andVulnerabilities-Developing theToolIf you have attended a Disaster Managementseminar or training, you probably have heardof the CVA. Nevertheless, here is a briefbackgrounder:During the 1970s and the 1980s, disaster researchersand DM practitioners started to look at people'sexperiences of disasters worldwide in a new way.Veering away from the traditional notion whichregards disasters as caused solely by externalevents (also referred to as trigger events such astyphoons, earthquakes, floods, etc.), this newperspective emphasizes the understanding ofunderlying factors which make disasters happen.It helps us focus more on the development contextwithin which disasters occur. In doing so, it alsohelps us figure out why some groups of peopleor communities are more vulnerable to disastersthan others.Mary Anderson and Peter Woodrow and theirteam of researchers provided us with a frameworkfor understanding people's vulnerability todisasters. They called it Capacities andVulnerabilities Analysis (1989).The CVA framework was based on theobservation that disasters happen in adevelopment context, and that relief interventionsaimed at alleviating the conditions of disastersurvivors can have positive or negative effectson this context. In some of the cases documentedby Anderson and Woodrow, the lack ofunderstanding and appreciation of local capacitiesand vulnerabilities resulted in more disastroussituations. iIn the Philippine context, we've heard of peoplebecoming relief dependent or agency dependent.We've also heard of relief assistance actuallycausing conflict or divisions among members ofa community. There is, in fact, a long list of problemsresulting from mismanaged relief interventionsthat aggravated vulnerabilities rather than helppeople recover from a disaster.The CVA framework is designed to help reliefagencies understand pre-existing vulnerabilitiesand capacities of a community prior to theformulation of relief intervention.People's capacities and vulnerabilities are analysedand incorporated into the project design to makeit more responsive to the development contextof the disaster-stricken community. By carefullyexamining the survivors' capacities and6I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

W h e nasked for anexample of akahinaan, themost commonanswer would bepamumulitika ortoo muchpoliticking.vulnerabilities, the reliefagency learns how tomake its decisions andactions moresensitive to thesurvivors' short andlong-term needs, aswell as their localculture andpractices. This canalso help find meansto maximize localcapacities and resourcesto support the localdevelopment process.In the CVA framework, we definecapacities as the characteristics of peopleand communities which can be used to respondto and cope with disasters, and on which futuredevelopment efforts can be built. During PCVAworkshops, Filipinos would refer to it as kalakasan(strengths) or kakayahan (capability). Some alsoassociate capacities with natural resources foundin the community and people's means of livelihood.When asked for examples of kalakasan, the mostcommon answer would be bayanihan (communityself-help or cooperation). This is quite interestingsince many relief agencies in the Philippines havebeen utilising the bayanihan tradition of theFilipinos in distributing relief or implementingrehabilitation projects. Many local agencies believethat by encouraging the survivors to organisethemselves and work together in times of crisis(instead of just giving away relief packs), theproject becomes instrumental in building a strongsense of self-reliance among the survivors andprovides a sense of normalcy during a crisissituation.On the other hand, vulnerabilities are the longtermfactors which affect the ability of acommunity to respond to events or which makeit susceptible to calamities. Blaikie et al. broadenedthe definition of vulnerability to include thecombination of factors determining the degreeto which someone's life and livelihood is put atrisk by a discrete and identifiable event in natureor society (1994).The Filipino term kahinaan is used during PCVAworkshops to refer to vulnerabilities. When askedfor an example of a kahinaan, the most commonanswer would be pamumulitika or too muchpoliticking. This is because many perceivepoliticking as the cause of division in a community,and that most of the time, political connectioninfluences the delivery of government services.In the barangays where PCVA researches wereconducted, villagers often mentioned politics asa hindrance to the timely delivery of disasterservices. People claim that some public officialswould prioritise villages of political allies overthose which truly deserve post-disaster support.But what kind of information do we actually lookI. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal7

Box.1CVA MatrixCategoriesVulnerabilitiesCapacitiesPhysical/MaterialProductive ResourcesSkillsExisting HazardsSocial/OrganisationalRelationsOrganisationsMotivational/AttitudinalViews toward changeBeliefsfor in CVA? For those involved in communityorganising and are familiar with the socialinvestigation (SI) tool, CVA would sound veryfamiliar. Doing CVA is like doing an SI profile.Except that you always ask the question: Is it acapacity or vulnerability?Major Categories in Analysing Capacities andVulnerabilitiesThe CVA framework uses three major categoriesin analysing a community's capacities andvulnerabilities: the physical or material, social ororganisational, and the attitudinal or motivationalaspects (Box 1).The Physical/Material AspectThe physical or material C & V refers to thephysical characteristics of a community whichmake it vulnerable to disasters, and those physicalcharacteristics which can be utilised to recoverfrom disaster impacts.For example, we assess land, climate, environment,infrastructure, food, housing, capital, physicaltechnologies, people's health, skills, livelihoodstrategies, etc. and ask the following questions:Do they make people susceptible to disasterimpacts, or can they be used for effective disastermitigation, preparedness and recovery?The physical/material aspect also refers to thelocation and types of structures in the community.8I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

It refers to answers to the following questions:Where do people live? What type of materialsare their houses made of? Where do they workor derive their income? And of course, it is in thisaspect where we categorize the different typesof hazards which affect the community.The Social / Organisational AspectThis aspect pertains to the socio-political processesand structures in a community which can eithermake people and communities vulnerable todisasters, or contribute toward effective disastermanagement. In the social/organisational category,we look at how people organise various social,political and economic activities, negotiations, anddecisions in the community.In the CVA, we try to find out whether thesestructures and processes create divisions in thecommunity or make some groups more powerfulor influential than others in making decisions whichaffect the whole community.On the other hand, by assessing thesocial/organisational C & V of the community,we also try to determine what existing social andpolitical processes can unite people in managingdisasters. We identify which structures can beenhanced or established to promote the activeparticipation of marginalised groups in variousdecision-making processes.What structures and processes are we lookingfor? We refer to formal (e.g., barangay councils,NGOs, people's organisations) and informal (e.g.,council of elders) political structures, communityleaders, family structures, relations between andamong neighbors, and relations between andamong organisations. We try to answer thefollowing questions: What roles and functionsdo they play in the community? How influentialare they? How do they relate to each other?How do people relate or engage with thegovernment and non-government organisations?What capacities and vulnerabilities do they create?The Motivational / Attitudinal AspectThe attitudinal/motivationalaspect pertains to howpeople perceive,understand, andinterpret eventshappening in theircommunity. This isbased on their beliefsystems and theirattitudes towardsthemselves. Peoplecan adopt a fatalisticoutlook, an attitudeof dependency (i.e. a"dole-out" mentality), anindividualistic attitude, orfeel victimised, or have asense of empowerment orThrough the CVAmatrix, we caneasily determine thefactors which may becritical to thedevelopment of acommunity.I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal9

"fighting spirit", or a spirit of collectivism.This category helps us understand why peoplethink and behave the way they do. Do theyhave the motivation to change their situation forthe better? Do they still practice or believe in theFilipino bayanihan spirit? Do people believe thatthere is a need to do something about too muchpoliticking in their community? Are they willingto participate in instituting changes in thecommunity?CVA is a practical and simple (but not simplistic)way to analyse the situation in a community.Through the CVA matrix, we can easily determinethe factors which may be critical to thedevelopment of a community. It can also helpestablish the relationships among the differentfactors and between the capacities andvulnerabilities of a community.Although the CVA framework was primarilydesigned for relief projects, many agencies useit to formulate disaster preparedness andmitigation programmes. This is because of therichness of the information obtained from theuse of the tool. To further enhance this capabilityof the CVA, five more criteria were added tothe CVA framework, making the CVA moresensitive to the complexity of a given situation.Five Additional Criteria: Sharpening the CVA1) DISAGGREGATION BY GENDER.The CVA recognizes that men and womenplay different social and economic roles in acommunity. They have different levels of accessto the community's physical and social resourcesand are affected by disasters differently. In thesame manner, by disaggregating capacities andvulnerabilities by gender, we learn that men andwomen possess different capacities in respondingto and coping with disasters. (Please refer to Box 2)Box.2Gender Disaggregation MatrixCategoriesCapacitiesVulnerabilitiesMen Women Men WomenPhysical/MaterialSocial/OrganisationalAttitudinal/Motivational10I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

Box.3CVA Disaggregation by economic classCategoriesCapacities VulnerabilitiesRich Middle Poor Rich Middle PoorPhysical/MaterialSocial/OrganisationalAttitudinal/MotivationalIn applying the CVA framework, it is importantto ask the question: WHO? Who has the skills,who decides, who has access to resources, whoparticipates, who is more vulnerable - Men orWomen?2) DISSAGREGATION ACCORDING TO OTHERDIFFERENCES.The CVA recognizes that disasters have differentimpacts on people because they have varyingdegrees of vulnerability to disasters. Somehouseholds have more resources than the others.They have better houses, savings, insurance, or,in many cases, more access to outside resources,whether they be physical, social or political. Thesefactors can increase or decrease their capacityto respond to and recover from disasters.By using the CVA framework, we try to determinehow the community is organised or divided. Arethere divisions by socio-economic ranking, ethnic,political or language groups? Who controls thesocio-economic and political structures in thecommunity? Who has more influence overdecisions that affect the life of the wholecommunity? Who is more vulnerable and howdifferently are they affected by a disaster ?(Please refer to Box 3)3) CHANGE OVER TIME.We can also use the CVA framework to assesschanges in a community over a certain period oftime. We can assess the situation before andafter a disaster event and see how capacitiesand vulnerabilities of the affected populationhave changed. We can also use CVA informationin planning an intervention, and apply theframework in monitoring and evaluating theimpact of the project on the people's C & V lateron. (Please refer to Box 4)I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal11

Box.4Changes over timeCapacities / Vulnerabilities Capacities / Vulnerabilities Capacities / VulnerabilitiesCVA 2002 CVA 2003 CVA 20044) INTERACTIONS AMONG THE ANALYTICALCATEGORIES..When using the CVA framework, it isimportant to note that all six categoriesoverlap and interact with one another. Forexample, interventions which address physicalvulnerabilities will have an effect on othervulnerabilities and capacities of the community.This interaction among the categories shouldbe considered in formulating the objectivesof any proposed intervention and shouldguide implementing activities. (Please see box5 for an example of an interaction betweentwo analytical categories.)Men and women residents discuss the factors that makethem vulnerable to crisis. PCVA in Pikit, North Cotabato2000.12I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

Box.5Disaster preparedness and local governance in the Province of CatanduanesThe PCVA conducted in Catanduanes revealed that floodsand landslides devastated majority of the barangayswhen a super typhoon hit the province in 1998. Many barangaysdid not have community preparedness plans, or any simpleevacuation plan, despite the fact that they live in extremelyhazardous conditions - near riverbanks, or at the foot of steepmountain slopes. Their farms were also located along mountainslopes, making their products highly vulnerable to strong winds,landslides and pests. During typhoons and flooding, individualfamilies decided by themselves when to evacuate. Evacuationusually took place only when danger was imminent.People were fatalistic about disasters. Many of them believethat nothing can be done about disasters.But the PCVA also found that the people's lack of capacity inpreparing for and responding to disasters was also due to thefact that the local government largely ignored them in moststages of disaster management planning. People were notinformed about the hazards and vulnerabilities in the provinceand were not aware of their role in disaster managementplanning. They were left on their own, which further contributedto their fatalistic attitude.A community-based disaster management project wasimplemented as a result of the PCVA. The project facilitatedthe formation of village-based disaster preparednessorganisations through training interventions. It provided supportto high-risk communities in setting-up preparedness plans whichincluded a community evacuation plan. The planning and trainingsessions, where they had frequent discussions about disasters anddisaster management, made them realise that disasters can bemanaged and that they can actually be proactive in addressingtheir vulnerability to disasters.On the other hand, the project also provided support in developingand strengthening community leaders and organisations. Theobjective was to help them engage with local government agenciesin advocating for a more proactive disaster managementprogramme in the province. This time, the organising programmemade them realize the importance of the role they play in disastermanagement and development planning, and that they have theright to be heard in deciding matters which affect their life andlivelihood.People in the villages saw for themselves that if they workedtogether they could do something about disasters and makegovernment work. At present, most of the village organisationsrepresent their barangays in the local development councils II wherethey participate in local governance processes. The project resultedin higher confidence among members of the community, not onlywith regard to participating in DM but in addressing otherdevelopment issues confronting their community as well.I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal13

5) SCALE OR LEVELS.Though applied in barangays,villages andmunicipalities, the CVA framework is also usefulin assessing capacities and vulnerabilities of largerdistricts (e.g., barangay to municipal, provincial toregional, and up to the national level). The firstPCVA in 1998 assessed the DM policies andpractices in Mt. Pinatubo-affected communitiesat the barangay, municipal, and provincial levels.We should take note, however, that as the scaleof the area increases, the results of the analysiswill be less precise.Furthermore, we should be aware of the waymacro-level policies or activities affect the capacitiesand vulnerabilities of smaller entities such asmunicipalities and barangays. The macro-microlink should be clear in applying the CVA. Forexample: Do national policies like the LocalGovernment Code iii and Presidential Decree 1566 ivincrease or decrease local capacities in respondingto disasters? How do national economic policieslike trade liberalization affect local trading at theprovincial and municipal levels, and how do theyimpact on local farmers and other small-scaleproducers?PCVA: Improving the CVASo, how did the PCVA improve on the CVA?The PCVA research team came-up with its owncategories of factors to be assessed, which werebased on the objectives of the research. Insteadof using the Physical/Material,Social/Organisational, and Motivational/Attitudinalcategories, the members of the first PCVA teamexplored how these categories can be improvedto make the inquiry focus more on local needs,experiences, and perceptions of people and keyactors in the communities. Information needs asrequired by the research objectives wereprioritised and grouped into key areas of inquiry(KAIs), further systematizing the PCVA's own setof categories of factors.The following presents the most commoncategorisation of KAIs used in the PCVAs. Weshould take note, however, that the KAIs aredetermined by the objectives of the research,and therefore must be reviewed, refined, or evenchanged if necessary when designing a PCVA.People's experience and perceptionsof disastersBy exploring people's experience andperceptions of disasters, we are able to drawa clear picture of local vulnerabilities andunderstand them from the point of view of thepeople who live under vulnerable conditions.From people's experiences of various disasters,we learn about how local conditions ofvulnerabilities are created by various humanactions, local processes and policies, as well ashow disaster events can create new vulnerabilities14I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

in a community.People's experiences of disasters also allow us tolearn about how they assess disaster impacts.People have their own criteria in assessing disasterimpacts. Through years of exposure to variousdisasters, they have also developed their ownindicators to assess whether a disaster is severeor not.These local indicators are important in determininghow and when local communities consider anevent a disaster. What factors do they considerin defining an event a disaster? These localThePCVA wasconceptualisedas anenabling processwhere poor peoplecan analyse theird i s a s t e rexperiences andtake action toaddress theirvulnerabilities.indicators should then inform the decisionsand actions of external actors (e.g.,relief agencies, developmentNGOs,government)regarding the appropriatetype of intervention andthe right time tointervene.Furthermore, localperception of disastersis also important inunderstanding theway poor peoplebehave and reactduring disaster situations.It is only through theirexperiences and local beliefsystems that we canunderstand how and whypeople develop certain attitudes towards disasters(e.g., passive, complacent, or fatalistic attitudes),or whether poor people really feel helpless in theface of disasters.This KAI explores how people in communitiesexperience disasters, how hazards affectvulnerable communities and what aspects ofcommunity life are severely affected by disasters.This includes discussions about the community'sdisaster history, the different types of hazardsthat they experience, the different ways peopleare affected by these hazards, and the waypeople behave or react during and after disasters.People's coping strategiesFrom this KAI, we learn how people use andsearch for existing local resources andcapacities to prepare for, respond to and recoverfrom the impacts of a disaster event. People hitby disaster have different levels of coping. Atthe individual household and community levels,poor people have different indigenous copingstrategies. Knowing these local coping strategiesalso helps external actors in determining moreappropriate types of interventions and avoidundermining people's capacities.People's coping strategies are assessed in twoways: those that rely on internal resources(household and community resources) and thosethat depend on external assistance (coming fromI. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal15

outside the community, including thegovernment). In this KAI, people discuss howthey prepare for and respond to disaster events(at the household and community levels), andwhat strategies they utilise to recover fromdisaster impacts.of the functions of government disastercoordinating councils, as well as an assessmentof the responses of non-government agencies.This KAI also allows people to share their indicatorsof an effective or ineffective response.Internal and external responsemechanismsWho are the key actors who provide disasterassistance to disaster survivors? How do thesurvivors assess disaster assistance received fromvarious groups? What are people's criteria forconsidering disaster assistance as effective orineffective?This KAI highlights the various ways disasterassistance is delivered to disaster-stricken areasand the way people perceive them.From people's experiences, we learn about howpost-disaster assistance affects local copingmechanisms. Post-disaster responses play a verycrucial role in shaping people's attitudes towardsdisasters and how they respond to the next crisissituation. Relief assistance, for instance createsdependency if it is not based on the real needsof survivors. Even the manner of giving assistancemay create confusion and division among thesurvivors. Hence, this KAI focuses on people'sperception of internal and external disasterresponse mechanisms. This includes an assessmentDM and DevelopmentAs pointed out earlier, disasters occur in adevelopment context and that developmentinterventions can create conditions which makepeople more vulnerable to disasters. This makesit important for DM to be integrated indevelopment plans and support vulnerabilityreduction measures.This KAI assesses the extent by whichdevelopment strategies address the community'svulnerability to disasters. It explores the types ofdevelopment initiatives being implemented bygovernment and non-government agencies andhow these programmes or projects strategicallyaddress underlying vulnerabilities of thecommunity.This KAI specifically looks into development policiesand practices of different development actorslike the government, NGOs, and people'sorganisations, and how initiatives from thedifferent sectors are linked to each other.Furthermore, people's participation in thedevelopment planning process is also assessed.This KAI tries to find out if mechanisms for people's16I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

active involvement in the process are in place.This KAI also seeks to develop a criteria foreffective or ineffective development initiativesand process. In other words, people areencouraged to come up with an evaluation ofdevelopment projects in their communities,assessing how effectively these projects respondto their needs, and how needs and programmesare prioritized within the project framework.Analyzing DataPCVA workshops are conducted at the barangaylevel where residents and village council officialsparticipate in responding to the above KAIs. Thedata from the barangays are then consolidated(using the CVA matrix) and presented to amunicipal workshop where officials from thegovernment and non-government organisationscontribute in analysing and validating theresponses to the KAIs. At this stage, a municipallevel PCVA is already being developed. Theprocess continues up to the provincial level,depending on the scope of the study. PCVAworkshops at the municipal and provincial levelsmake the research more inclusive by obtainingadditional perspectives from other key sectors.The PCVA is continuously developed andimplemented to obtain a better understandingof how disasters happen and how they impacton poor communities. For every PCVA researchconducted, improvements are made on theconcept, particularly on the formulation of KAIsto make them more sensitive to local issues aboutdisasters and development. As vulnerabilities incommunities continue to evolve and affect peoplein different ways, so does the PCVA. This is theonly way to make it relevant and useful inchanging the conditions in vulnerablecommunities.Through the KAIs we want to learn about thedisaster survivors and how they cope withdisaster impacts. From their disaster experiences,we want to know their ideas about disastersand development. Having carefully formulatedthe KAIs towards this end, the next importantconsideration would be: How do we get theinformation? How do we ensure people's activeparticipation in the process?B. Participation in the PCVA"(Through the PCVA) we discussed our strengths andweaknesses in relation to disasters. The PCVAinvolved the barangay council, women's association,the Savings and Loan beneficiaries, Catholicassociation, Iglesia ni Kristo and senior citizens."- PCVA participants fromKilikilihan, San Miguel, Catanduanes"The PCVA process included individual interviews andI. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal17

These are only a few of the challenges whichface PRA practitioners. But don't be discouragedat this stage. We all have to go through theprocess of changing our behaviour and attitudes.And it's better to learn in the field, not inside theclassrooms. Lessons and insights from actualconduct of PRA in PCVA workshops can be foundin Section III on Conducting PCVA.Improving the PCVA through the PRADuring PCVA workshops, we target andmobilize farmers, fishers, pedicab drivers,workers, carpenters, laundry women, fishpondworkers, small-scale traders, vendors, students,children and many others who are relegated tothe peripheries of decision-making processes inthe community. We would gather together inthe barangay hall, in a classroom, at the communitystage, or under a tree. We would find any placewith enough space for people to engage in opendiscussion. In Barangay Hinipaan (Bagamanoc) inCatanduanes, sessions were held along theriverbank, shaded by a huge bridge that wasdamaged by the last super typhoon. (One time,after the morning session, the team wentswimming in the river while the mothers did theirlaundry.)Using participatory methodologies and PRAtechniques help in creating an atmosphere whereindividuals feel assured that their opinions andinsights are valued and respected. This contributesgreatly in making the PCVA research a peopleledprocess, instead of the traditional researcherorienteddata gathering research exercise.Aside from the participation of the marginalisedgroups, the PCVA process also involves otherstakeholder groups in the community. We invitegroups from the government, such as thebarangay council members and members of themunicipal disaster coordinating council. We alsoinvite representatives from local NGOs, churchgroups, the academe, local business, amongothers. Their participation provides a broaderperspective to the PCVA.The PCVA process does not only allow peopleto do the analysis themselves. It also provides anopportunity for the different stakeholders todiscuss community concerns together. In manyinstances during PCVA workshops, "heated"discussions would ensue because ofdisagreements in analysis and contrasting opinions.This was especially true between local residentsand government officials. But with effectivefacilitation, those PCVA workshops became avenue for dialogue between residents and localofficials, between government and NGOs, andresulted in a more thorough analysis ofcommunity problems and issues.But if the people and other stakeholders are theones to do the discussing and analysing, whathappens to the "researchers"?With a lot of effort, we try to be effective asI. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal19

facilitators by engaging people in analysis. Mostof the time we just stay in a corner, keeping ouropinions to ourselves, asking questions, listeningand learning from what the people are discussing.We also keep ourselves busy documenting theproceedings. (Please see section III for more insightsabout our experiences in facilitating participatorymethodologies.)Let us now look at some of the PRA methodologiesthat we use in the PCVAs. Please note that thesemethodologies are the results of practice,experimentation, and exploration of various waysof using PRA techniques. Some of thesemethodologies work for us, while others still needto be worked out.Oxfam alsowanted theresearch to be alearning process byencouraging moreinput andparticipation fromlocal communitiesand keystakeholdersWomen discuss their gender-specific disaster experiencesand coping strategies. PCVA in Pikit, North Cotabato 2000.20I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

igure1FMapping - resource map, community map, hazard mapMapping helps in visually representing the physical attributes and various resources which can be found in the community. Wecombine community and resource maps with a hazard map to come up with a local vulnerability map where one can easilyidentify settlements, resources, and infrastructures which are threatened by certain hazards.I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal21

igure2FHistorical TransectWe use historical transects to depict how disasters have affected resources and other physical attributes in the communitythrough the years. It is important that the participants agree on the critical period to be factored in the transect. For example,in the Central Luzon PCVA we used pre-eruption and post eruption as the critical periods.22I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

igure3FMatrix Ranking/ScoringRanking and/or scoring are used to find out the degree to which different hazards affect people, property, community resources,infrastructure, and other elements of the community. A rank or score is given to disasters to find out which has the most or leasteffects on their community. Participants use a set of criteria that they themselves formulate and agree on.Wealth RankingThis is a modified version which focuses on identifying the criteria used to differentiate socio-economic groups within a community.This helps in identifying the most vulnerable groups in the community.I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal23

igure4FVenn DiagrammesVenn diagrammes are used to assess people's level of engagement with different agencies or individuals that provide DM servicesand assistance to the community. Again, participants use their own criteria to determine effective and ineffective service.DSWDBaluyotEddie ChuProv’l BoardMemberSacopPublicWorksBodegaPDRNPDIMayor PayumoDinalupihan,BataanMayor MendiolaFloridaManalacRomeoVitugLingad(Poltiko)Bgy. Bodega, Floridablanca (Community Group)24I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

igure5FCommunity VisioningThis allows people to express their vision of a developed community through visualization or drawing.Aside from their vision, participants are also asked to share what they think their roles would be inattaining their particular vision.I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal25

Figure6Seasonal CalendarWe use the seasonal calendar toplot the different livelihoodstrategies of people in thecommunity in relation to recurringhazards. This method helps inassessing how people cope withdisasters and seasonality bydiversifying livelihood strategies.Some examples show us that peoplewould have different livelihoodsduring the dry season, rainy ortyphoon season, or when there'sdrought or war.TimelineWe apply the timeline to trace thedifferent disasters experienced bythe community over a certain periodof time. This method can show howfrequent a certain disaster affectsa community and how people havedeveloped response mechanismsover the years.26I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

igure7FGender exercises such as focus group discussions with women and men.Topics for discussion include concepts about women and men, the roles that men and women play in the household and in thecommunity, and the effects of disasters on men and women.Figure8Role PlayingRole playing is used to demonstrate how disasters affect households or whole communities by using symbols, movements, soundsand various indigenous materials. This is a superb way to generate discussions.I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal27

Figure9Household interviews / Oral histories (storytelling)Oral histories were done mostly with old people to obtain information about changes in people’s vulnerabilities, severityand frequency of disasters, etc. through the years.Endnotesi Please see Rising from the Ashes, development strategies in times of disaster by Anderson and Woodrow for cases of how disaster relief may exacerbate preexistingvulnerabilities of disaster hit communities.ii The Local Development Councils are formed to assist the corresponding provincial, municipal and barangay level councils in setting the direction of economicand social development and coordinating development efforts within its territorial jurisdiction. Headed by the local chief executive (Governor, Mayor or BarangayChairperson) the LDC is composed of the local council members, representatives of non-government organisations who constitute not less than 1/4 of the membersof the fully organised council, and the representative of the congressman (The 1991 local government code, Nolledo ed. 2001).iii Local Government Code or Republic Act 7160 devolves power and resources to local government units at the provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels,and allows for people's participation in local governance and development. The Code is mandated by the 1987 Constitution which states that the territorial andpolitical subdivisions of the Republic shall have "local autonomy" which Congress shall provide in a local government code (Gonzales 2000).iv Presidential Decree 1566 or "Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Control Capability and Establishing the National Program on Community Preparedness" is thelegislation that embodies the government's disaster response policy framework.28I. The PCVA framework: CVA and Participatory Rural Appraisal

Children suffer the most during disasters. Elementary students in a PCVAworkshop in Talitay, Pikit, N. Cotabato 2000.II Organising a PCVA Research

II. Organising a PCVA ResearchWe want to present here a listing of the thingsthat should be considered in organising aPCVA research. However, this should not beregarded as the only way to do PCVA research,and should just serve as guide if ever you decideto organise a PCVA in your locality.This list is divided into three stages: the planningand designing stage, the field work stage, andthe synthesis and reporting stage.A. Planning and designing phase1Form a PCVA research team.We can make it participatory from the very start.We need to identify persons or organisationswho may have a stake in the research and invitethem to join the team. The PCVA research teamis responsible for designing, planning, andimplementing the PCVA research. It sets theobjectives of the research and in doing so sharesamong themselves the accountability for theprocess and findings of the research.In past PCVAs, the PCVA team included keystakeholders in the community, such as the localpartner NGO and PO. In Catanduanes, Oxfamworked with the local government and anotherinternational NGO. The composition of theresearch team will depend on the scope andtarget of the PCVA.22. Team orientation and familiarisationsessionWe need to help the research team membersappreciate what they are getting themselvesinto. Through the orientation and familiarisationsession, we can walk them through the differentstages of the PCVA research process.The orientation sessions are divided into threemain components:- Familiarisation with DM and PRA concepts- PCVA designing- Field work preparationFamiliarisation with DM and PRA conceptsThe objective of this session is to familiarise themembers of the PCVA team with DM conceptsand PRA methodologies. It includes discussionson DM theories and frameworks such as the CVA,30Organising a PCVA Research

the Pressure and Release Model (Blaikie et. al. 1994),and sessions on PRA principles and tools.3For hand outs and other resource materials forthis session, you may refer to the following:DM and CVA. Rising from the Ashes, developmentstrategies in times of disaster by Mary B. Andersonand Peter J. WoodrowPressure and Release Model. At risk: Naturalhazards, people's vulnerability, and disasters byPieres Blaikie, Terry Cannon, Ian Davis and BenWisnerPRA/PLA. Relaxed and Participatory Appraisal:Notes on practical approaches and methods forparticipants in PRA/PLA-related familiarisationworkshops by Robert Chambers January 2002www.ids.ac.uk/ids/particip/Designing the PCVA researchAfter the lectures and discussions on DM andPRA, the team formulates the research design byidentifying the following components:Key Areas of Inquiry. Which aspects of thecommunity would you like to focus the studyon? Please refer to section IA for a detaileddiscussion on what KAIs are all about. However,we should formulate our own KAIs based on ourresearch objectives.Key Questions. Based on our KAIs, what wouldbe the main set of questions for the participants?Key Informant. Who among the communitygroups would have a say on the KAI? It is notnecessary to have only one keyinformant per KAI. One KAI caninvolve one, two, or even threeinformants. This also servesour validation andtriangulationrequirements.Recommended PRAmethodologies. Whatmethod would bestfacilitate the discussionof a specific KAI?Identifypersons ororganisationswho may have astake in theresearch andinvite them tojoin the team.Over-all objective. As a team, what do wewant to achieve at the end of the researchprocess?Organising a PCVA Research31

Box.7At the end of the session, we should achieve something like this:PCVA ObjectivesTo identify gapsin disastermanagementservices in thecommunityKey Areas ofInquiryAssessment ofDM servicesKey QuestionsWho are the keyDM actors in thecommunity?What are thedifferent typesof DM services?How do peopleassess theeffectivenessof DM services?Key Informant/GroupResidentsBarangay CouncilPeople”sOrganisationWomen (toidentify womenspecificservices)Children (to identifyservices specific tochildren’s needs)PRA Methodology(Recommended)Venn diagramScoring/Rankingof effectiveresponsesHouseholdinterviewCriteria for selecting PCVA areasWe also need to agree on a set of criteria forchoosing the PCVA sites. Just to give you an idea:we can select areas where we can comparevariables . For example, we can choose highlyvulnerable vs. less vulnerable areas (as we did inCentral Luzon), or we can compare experiencesof people in coastal, flood and landslide areas(which we did in Catanduanes). Again, this willdepend on the PCVA objectives. The importantthing is that the areas selected should facilitatetrending, comparing and provide different levelsof analysis (Barangay, Municipal, Provincial levels).Field PracticumBased on past experiences, the members of theresearch team usually show varying degrees ofexperience and exposure in facilitating PRAmethodologies. This causes some tension amongthe members. Hence, it is highly recommendedthat a field practicum follow the theoreticaldiscussion of PRA to "level-off" the team members'appreciation of PRA. The objective of thepracticum is to allow the team members to "geta feel" of the principles and tools prior to actualfield work. It also aims to identify areas whereteam members can help each other to improvefacilitation.32Organising a PCVA Research

Preparation for field workOnce the team has agreed on and finalized thedesign, then it is time to identify the following:- Field work schedule- Schedule of courtesy calls- Materials needed for fieldwork andworkshop- Arrangements for lodging and food inthe field work areaIt would be better to identify specific personswho would be responsible for each activity andwhat logistical support (e.g., transportation, cash,etc.) will be needed to implement the activity.1B. Field workCourtesy call to local officials. This activity iscrucial in preparing the community for the PCVAactivity, as well as in establishing rapport withlocal officials and other stakeholder groups in thecommunity. During courtesy calls, we shouldremember to do the following:- Clearly explain to local officials, othercommunity leaders and residents what theobjectives of the PCVA are. Explain what activitiesare to be conducted; who the members of thePCVA team are; and, most importantly, the rolethat the community and the local officials will playin the PCVA.- Discuss and clarify expectations at thisstage to avoid miscommunication between theteam and the community members.- Identify venue and agree on the timeof PCVA activities (FGDs, workshops, interviews)to avoid confusion among participants and tofacilitate better participation among participants.- Make sure that each group has at leastone facilitator and one documentor.2Actual workshops. We should alwaysintroduce, in a very clear manner, the KAIs aswell as the concept of participation. This helpsthe participants get warmed up for the discussion.People would also participate more actively ifthey feel that their ideas will be appreciated.And remember: Hand over the stick. Facilitate.Listen. Be patient. Relax.3Conduct team assessments at the end of theday. Identify what needs to be improved ormaintained regarding the following components:- Process (Are we going too fast, or tooslow? Which tool did not work? What can bedone to make it work?)- KAI (What information has been gatheredso far? What needs to be stressed on the nextday?)- Participation (Who is participating in theprocess? Who is dominating the discussion? Whatgroup still needs to be included in the process?)- Facilitation (Are we handing over theOrganising a PCVA Research33

stick? Who needs help in facilitation?)- Documentation (Did we get theimportant points raised by the participants? Whoneeds help in documentation?)Based on the result of the assessment, make aplan for the next day.4Triangulate and validate information byconsulting secondary sources and comparingdifferent but related areas of inquiry. Are thereany discrepancies or gaps in the information beinggenerated? What secondary sources do we needto validate the information? What other groupingcan be asked the same KAI?5Take a rest. Facilitating, listening, documentingand analyzing can take its toll on the team'smomentum and creativity. It is not a sin to takebreak from the research and from each other.capacities and vulnerabilities;- Immediate and strategic issues per areaof inquiry can be stated in terms of problems,gaps, and difficulties; and,- Options or possibilities in terms ofprogramme development, direct or indirectinterventions, capability building, etc.D. Sharing and feedback meetingswith PCVA participants.It is best to share the results with the participants(or their representatives) even before finalisingthe PCVA report and to include their feedback.Furthermore, the PCVA results should bepresented in a manner that people can understandand appreciate. If we present a 50-page report,would people appreciate it?C. SynthesisGoing back to the objectives of the study, theresearch team's synthesis should identify:- Trends and patterns, similarities anddifferences in terms of people's analyses of theirMen discuss their vulnerabilities and coping strategies.PCVA in Buluan, Maguindanao 2000.34Organising a PCVA Research

IIIConductingThe Aetas assess the impact of Mt. Pinatubo eruption on their sources of food.PCVA in Loob-bunga resettlement site, Botolan, Zambales 1998.PCVA:A Process of Learning and Action

III. Conducting PCVA1This section contains the major lessons gainedfrom the PCVAs conducted in the Philippines.It discusses our experiences in three major stagesof the PCVA process: the planning phase, fieldwork phase, and reporting phase.Effective Planning is the Key toEffective Implementation1.1 Know when to use the PCVABefore planning a PCVA, we must first be surethat it is the right tool for our particular situation.So far, PCVAs are used in three kinds of situations:a) When information is needed to upgrade anongoing DM programme. Such was the case withthe PCVAs in Central Luzon and Central MindanaoRegion. Oxfam was then working with localpartners assessing the situation and needs ofPinatubo and conflict-affected communities, aswell as gaps in the disaster responses of variousagencies. PCVA information was used to formulatepolicy recommendations for Oxfam and itspartners in improving their DM programmes inthe region.b) When DM needs to be integrated in an ongoingdevelopment programme. This was the reasonfor conducting the PCVA in communities whereELAC i and SIKAT were implementing naturalresource management programmes. The PCVAwas used to identify areas of integration andwhat activities could facilitate such integration.c) When information is needed to develop a DMprogramme in a new project area. The PCVAfindings in Catanduanes were used to developthe BUILD-ACTION project in Catanduanes, acommunity-based disaster preparednessprogramme aimed at increasing the disasterpreparedness capabilities of vulnerablecommunities.The rule is clear: choose areas where the PCVAprocess is likely to be sustained. This means thatthere is an intention to implement a DMprogramme and that PCVA findings will be utilisedto address programme needs and local issues,and to continue the process of learning andempowerment in the community even after thePCVA research.1.2 Design it with OthersPast PCVAs show the importance of planningthe research together with key stakeholders. Theobjective is to make the whole process a sharedactivity of various groups rather than by justone organisation (like Oxfam, for example).36Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action

Since it started using the PCVA tool, Oxfam hasalways involved local NGOs and POs in planningthe research.In Central Luzon, the PCVA team was composedof local NGOs and POs which were Oxfam'spartners in DM programmes in Pampanga andZambales. In Catanduanes, the absence of anactive NGO community encouraged Oxfam toinitiate a partnership with the local government.Collective planning does not only strengthen theparticipatory nature of the research but alsoensures that the stakeholders have a commonunderstanding and appreciation of the PCVAframework. Differences in ideology or perspectivesusually surface at this point but in our experience,they were treated as part of the diversity theteam had to deal with. Everyone was challengedto be open to other perspectives and to participatein finding out which one will best serve theobjectives of the team.Therule isc l e a r :choose areaswhere the PCVAprocess is likelyto be sustained.Since the roles andresponsibilities of eachstakeholder are identifiedand agreed on at thisstage, management ofthe research is alsoshared, makinge v e r y b o d yresponsible for theprocess and results ofthe study.An added value of including stakeholders inplanning the research, specifically NGOs and POs,is their knowledge of the local terrain andconditions of target communities where thePCVA is conducted. Since they work mostly "onthe ground", they know the people, theirschedules, meeting places, etc. This helps infamiliarising the team members, especially the"outsiders", with certain details they have towork with in planning the research.1.3 Enlist Team Members with Diverse BackgroundsAt the beginning of a PCVA process, weorganise stakeholders into a PCVA teamwhich will be responsible for overseeing theplanning and implementation of the PCVA. Thisteam is also responsible for ensuring that thelogistical requirements of the research are met,and that each member is continuously motivatedthrough regular conduct of feedback and periodicteam debriefing sessions.The PCVA teams are normally comprised ofcommunity organisers, PO leaders, and NGOstaff. Although individual team members havedifferent types of work and offered differentperspectives, they all belong to the socialdevelopment sector. At times, this could be alimitation.In Catanduanes, for instance, PCVA participantssaid they heard "explosions" and experiencedConducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action37

MUSTBE:"earthquakes" before a landslide. This led them tobelieve that earthquakes actually triggered thelandslides.The PCVA team found out later, after interviewinggovernment officials, that the ground movementpeople referred to were in fact the precursor tolandslides. However, they were not earthquakesbut ground movement caused by soil suddenlystarting to loosen and break up.On hindsight, a geologist could have helped inprobing this experience a little deeper. An expertcould have facilitated further discussions onpeople's perceptions of possible causes oflandslides in their community. Hence, it isrecommended that in organising the PCVA team,one should try to mobilise individuals with diversebackgrounds suited to the specific targets of thestudy.Having organised a well-balanced team withregard to expertise,we should ensure that teammembers:1.4 A Team Orientation is Absolutely Importanthe purpose of the orientation session is tojump-start the learning process among themembers of the PCVA team. The two-dayworkshop-style activity allows the participantsto familiarise themselves with basic concepts ofdisaster management, capacities andvulnerabilities analysis, and PRA/PLA. In caseswhere the team members would be workingtogether for the first time, the orientationbecomes an opportunity to get to know eachother better.During team orientations, participants are askedto reflect on and share their understanding andexperiences with participatory approaches intheir work. This particular session helps a lot insetting the tone of the research process,especially in determining the members' level ofexperience in participatory work.In past PCVA orientations, we found out thatmost NGOs were familiar with PRA conceptsFamiliar with the community where the PCVA is to be conductedComfortable in dealing with all types of peopleWilling to deflate their egoWilling to inflate their sense of humorAble to have fun while doing serious workCreativeOpen to learn new ways of doing things and,Open to unlearn some bad work habits.T38Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action

2but have different levels of experience.Government workers, on the other hand,encountered the concept for the first time andwere initially apprehensive about the idea ofparticipation. In a recent PCVA research inPampanga, facilitating PRA/PLA processes was ahuge challenge for government workers. In theCentral Mindanao PCVA, the orientation wasconducted in three days, including a one-day fieldpracticum, because the local volunteers weredoing PRA for the first time.Generally, the orientation includes the followingsections:Sharing of the participating organisation'sprogrammes and services (to learn aboutorganisational expertise);A Basic DM Orientation highlighting the vulnerabilityframework;Discussion of the CVA Framework;Discussion of PRA/PLA principles and tools; and,A Workshop on PCVA design (PCVA objectives,Key Areas of Inquiry, Key Informants, KeyQuestions and recommended PRA methodology).For the discussion and sample of PCVA design,please see section II, Organising a PCVA.On the Ground: Working with thePeopleThe PCVA's use of participatory methods,especially of PRA/PLA tools, is far from beingperfect. But in past PCVAs effort was exertedto follow PRA/PLA principles.Every PCVA is an opportunity to adapt,experiment, and learn from the process.The following are some of the more importantlessons learned from experiences of facilitatingand promoting participatory methodologies andapproaches through the PCVA researches. It isdivided into three major concerns: people'sparticipation, facilitation and choosing PRAmethods.2.1 Ensure People's ParticipationMobilising local people for the workshopsIt is not easy to mobilise people for PCVAworkshops. We realised that people had othermore important concerns: they go to work, bringkids to school, attend to household chores, washclothes, go to the market, etc. Also, numerousworkshops and surveys have been done oncommunities in the past and in some occasionspeople asked: "What? Another workshop?" Evenif they've showed up in the workshops, theywould soon leave to attend to their daily concernswhich are "more important" than the research.So what do we do to encourage people toattend PCVA workshops?Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action39

Be Aware of their SituationWe try to immerse ourselves into their reality.We deal and work with their schedule, not againstit. The team goes to where the people usuallycongregate. We adjust to their schedule.In Guiamlong (Caramoran, Catanduanes),workshops were held only in the afternoonswhen most domestic tasks were alreadycompleted. Women attended the workshops afterlunch and were joined by men later in theafternoon after coming back from work. Beingable to adjust to their normal day-to-day schedulewas key to mobilizing and encouraging peopleto participate in the PCVA process. It was ourway of showing them that we valued their time.In future PCVAs, it might be necessary to extendyour stay in the community. You may need tospend more days in the barangay "doing nothing".Just observing the people go about their dailychores. This would provide a lot of informationabout their daily routine and help you adjust totheir schedule.Seek the Help of Local LeadersAnother option is to seek the assistance of keypeople in the community. Usually, as part of thesocial preparations for the PCVA, barangay officialsand PO officers are contacted by the team andinformed about the PCVA, its objectives, andschedule. They are also requested to help inexplaining to theresidents the purposeof the workshops.They are also taskedto invite the peopleto the workshops.Ensure Equality ofRepresentationEvery PCVAi s a nopportunity toa d a p t ,experiment,and learn fromthe process.However, it is importantto know the people whoare being mobilised toparticipate in the workshops.Some people, especially those"mobilised" through the local officials,may turn out to be "pre-selected". They couldbe political associates of a local official, membersof a dominant community organisation, or moreinfluential members of the community (e.g., welloffresidents), all of whom might be favored overindividuals belonging to the most marginalisedor vulnerable sectors in the community.This is not saying, however, that the perspectiveof the politically and economically powerful isnot important. However, we should rememberthat the primary goal of the PCVA is to makesure that the voice of the poor and the mostvulnerable sectors of the community are heard.In one incident in Pampanga, the PCVA team hadto roam around the barangay to literally look formen, since it was mostly women who wereparticipating in the workshops. In conducting the40Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action

PCVA in conflict areas, the team had to make surethat villagers sympathetic to different sides ofthe conflict — MNLF, MILF, as well as the Christiansettlers— were represented in the workshops.2.2 Facilitation: Drawing Out People's VoicesPRA practitioners are always being told: "Handover the (teaching) stick. Facilitate. Don't lecture."Every facilitator knows that this is easier said thandone. Here are some reasons why:S- Poor people assume that they are in a trainingactivity. Hence their tendency to keep quiet and justlisten to the "facilitator".- Poor people are used to being asked "yesand no" questions. Most of them are at a loss whenasked: "Why is it a problem? How do you intend toaddress this problem?" They are used to having otherpeople analyse their situation for them.- There is the "maliliit na tao lang kami" ("weare just little people") perception of themselves. Poorpeople usually say: "Sino kami para pakinggan ng mgakinauukulan?" ("Why would the authorities listen topeople like us?")adly, there are agencies whose programmedesigns continue to reinforce poor people'snegative attitude about themselves. Someinterventions encourage people to feel that theyare mere beneficiaries and their opinions do notmatter.We need to break the invisible wall betweenfacilitators and participants. This is the wall thatkeeps them from participating. PRA demands achange in attitude and behaviour from thepractitioner in order to break this wall.Do we really believe that poor people canparticipate, that they can analyse their situation?Do we really believe that we can learn fromtheir experiences? Are we willing to listen to theirstories?If we do, then it would show in our behaviour.It will be easy to step back, hand over the stick,and let them create their own process of inquiryand analysis.Our past PCVA experience provides tips to ensurepeople's active participation.a. Getting startedMind your body language. In PRAsettings, our body language can unwittinglyreinforce the villagers' negative perceptions ofthemselves. For instance, talking in front of theparticipants or standing in the middle makes youthe center of attention. This encourages listening,rather than discussing. As much as possible, sitwith the villagers and avoid standing in front orin the middle. Show that you intend to listen andlearn from them.Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action41

- Earn trust and respect. The process shouldcreate an atmosphere of trust and respect. Makethem feel that their opinion and ideas will bevalued and respected. We always say:"Walangmaling sagot." ("There are no incorrect answers.")This would encourage people to share theirthoughts and experiences. Be sincere in wantingto learn about their situation and problems, andin listening to their stories.- Create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.Drop the formalities. Call them by their first namesand ask them to do the same. Tell jokes, sharestories. (But don't be rude nor too familiar). Thisdoes not only break the proverbial ice but alsohelps develop their confidence in you.- Get a local co-facilitator. Even whilefacilitating, you can ask somebody from the groupto assist you. That person can make your questionsclearer, or can encourage those who are quietto talk and participate. Just make sure that theco-facilitator does not dominate the discussions.- Learn to wait. Be patient. Don't rush theprocess. Give the people enough time to thinkabout your questions and relate it to their localexperiences. Give yourself time to formulate yourprobing questions.applying a particular PRA methodology tohandling sensitive topics. The following are someof the more major issues we encountered in thefield while conducting the PCVA.Sometimes, participatory processes can really betime consuming. At the same time, the facilitatorfeels unsure about the quality of information beinggenerated. The participants look uninterested. Thefollowing questions could serve as guides for findingout whether you already need to take a break:How long has the activity been going on? (e.g.,Maybe the group has been discussing the sametopic for more than an hour and people are gettingrestless or sleepy.)Do the participants have time limitations? (e.g., Is itcooking time for women? Maybe the men need togo back to farm work.)What is the quality of participation being generatedby the process? (e.g., How many people are talking?Who is dominating the discussion? Is the facilitatorthe only one left talking?)b. Major issues in facilitationWe also encountered difficulties in facilitatingPCVA processes. These ranged from difficulty in42Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action

.1. Using participatory vs.extractive processes.Various factors could lead to total abandonmentof participatory processes. Time pressure couldlead to rushing which limits dialogue andparticipation. It compels the researcher to "get"as much information as s/he could. The researcherresorts to "interviewing" and other more extractivemethodologies instead of facilitating.Extractive methods are not bad per se and shouldnot automatically be avoided. For instance, someinformation can be best obtained throughinterviews. However, the quality of discussionand participation should never be sacrificedbecause of time limitations. We cannot rush theprocess. We need to make our schedules flexible.Unfamiliarity with PRA methodologies can alsolead to resorting to more traditional processessuch as interviews and FGDs. Thus, the facilitatorneeds to familiarise herself/himself with the PRAtoolkit. One way to do this is to team-up withsomeone more experienced in using PRAmethodologies, and do some practice. Fortunately,mistakes are allowed for those who genuinelydesire to learn participatory methodologies andaim to do better in the next session.examining issues and concerns that affect theirlife and livelihood in the community. While thishelps them articulate their feelings and opinionsabout the different aspects of community life, italso raises expectations that something is"coming". In other words, PCVA processes couldraise expectations, making people believe thattheir participation in the research would yieldsomething beneficial.The following questions from PCVA participantsreveal this: "We need alternative sources ofincome to increase our capacity to cope withdisasters. Maybe you (the research team) canhelp us get funding for a livelihood project?" or"Can you help us build an evacuation center inthe village?" We should remember that peoplehave been surveyed and "researched" for somany times in the past. And frequently theyhave been disappointed. Expectations must behandled carefully.What do we do when people press us forconcrete responses and make requests duringPCVAs? Here are some suggestions based onpast PCVA "encounters":b.2. Dealing with people'sexpectations.In a PCVA research, people undergo a process ofConducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action43

Of course, it also helps a lot in handling people'sexpectations if you are aware that your grouphas post-PCVA plans for the community.b.3 Handling sensitive topics anddisagreementsSMake sure that you have clearlyexplained the objectives of the study.This may help in lowering expectations.Make sure that the process of theresearch has been clearly explained, andsay further that it would beinappropriate to address these concernswhen the team is only at theinformation-gathering stage. However,tell them that their concerns will beincluded in the report, together withthe recommendations from othergroups/stakeholders.Tell them that you will be back afterthe research has been completed togive feedback on the results of thestudy.ince PCVA allows for the convergence ofdifferent actors and perspectives, thefacilitator must be prepared to handle situationswhere conflicting opinions lead to "tense"discussions, or when a certain topic is considered"sensitive" by the participants. If not handledproperly, this could affect the quality ofparticipation.In the Central Mindanao PCVA, for example, theteam was extra cautious in introducing mappingexercises (e.g., hazard and resource mapping)because some leaders and residents were worriedthat maps may compromise the security of thecommunity.In another context, some PCVA participants inpost-Pinatubo Pampanga did not feel comfortabledoing the Venn diagram because they felt it wasunfair to "evaluate" those organisations andindividuals who helped them during the crisis.They were hesitant to assess the effectivenessof agencies which provided relief assistance tothe community because according to them: "Lahatnaman sila ay nakatulong sa komunidad." ("All ofthem were able to help the community.") ii . Itwas only after they came up with a clear set ofcriteria to assess the effectiveness of reliefassistance, and were assured that they wereonly trying to look for ways to make relief moreeffective, that they agreed to do the Venndiagram.In Catanduanes, some participants were veryvocal about their grievances against officials intheir barangay. During the provincial workshop,a government official openly accused the residents44Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action

of a village of illegal logging activities whichallegedly caused landslides in the barangay. Thefacilitator had to intervene and explain to theparticipants that the workshop was held to identifyoptions in addressing problems in the community.These experiences show that PCVA has thepotential to generate different perspectives fromdifferent stakeholders. However, if not handledproperly, conflicting perspectives could sometimeslead to serious divisive positions amongparticipants. Hence, the PCVA facilitator must besensitive to arising "tensions" and lead thediscussion towards more constructive ways ofanalysing things and avoid aggravating conflicts.b.4 PCVA fatigue: Is there sucha thing?This refers to a feeling of tediousness afterconducting PCVA research over an extendedperiod of time (even if done in different barangays).One suddenly feels that the process has becomemonotonous.You keep asking the same set ofquestions and get, more or less, the same kind ofresponses. Feeling tired, the team membersbecome impervious to local nuances.Try rotating KAIs to differentteams. For instance, if team A focusedon the biophysical aspect of barangayA, they can take on disasterexperiences in barangay B. This willalso give them the chance to try anew PRA methodology.Encourage the use of avariety of PRA methods on a KAI.Encourage experimentationand improvisation on some PRAmethods.Encourage individualreflections on their own participationin the process or what needs to beimproved in the research process.Take a break. Energize. Takethe PCVA team on a picnic by thelake, or swim in the sea, or just hangaround with the local residents andtalk about non-PCVA matters (anddon't take out your manila paper andpermanent markers, please!)The following are a few measures which can betaken when the PCVA team begins to experienceany of the above indicators of fatigue:Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action45

2.3 Choose the Right PRA ToolsPRA tools seek to empower people by allowingthem to reflect, analyse and act on their situationthrough a variety of methodologies like mapping,diagramming, listing, estimating, visualizing, scoring,ranking, etc.PRA tools are used to help generate discussionand facilitate participation. They are designed toenable the marginalised sectors of a communityto analyse, voice out their opinions, and to playa more active part in formulating policies.On the other hand, people have preferences, andthe facilitator should be sensitive to thesepreferences. S/he should be able to tell whenpeople are still freely expressing and enjoyingthemselves while doing a matrix ranking ormapping, or when they are just followinginstructions "to get things over and done with".The facilitator should keep in mind that PRAempowers and should not burden people. Thisshould guide him/her in choosing PRA tools. PRAshould not be done for PRA's sake.A case in point would be the experience in anAeta iii resettlement village in Botolan, Zambales,where one group of participants made a preeruptionmap of their former villages on theground, using stones, sticks, leaves and otheravailable materials in the workshop area. Theyclaimed it was easier that way since they werenot comfortable using pens and manila paper. Incontrast, a group ofAeta women weredelighted to writeinstead of visualisethe effects of Mt.Pinatubo on theircommunity resources.When asked why theyseem to like writing somuch, they responded:"Para ma-practice kami kasikatatapos lang naming magliteracytraining." (We want topractice what we have just learnedfrom literacy training.)Experiences showthat PCVA has thepotential to generated i f f e r e n tperspectives fromd i f f e r e n tstakeholders.3. Reporting: Translating Voicesinto Action3.1 PCVA Analysis: Validation and BroadeningPerspectivesAlthough primarily focused at the community(barangay) level, the PCVA also involves keyactors at the municipal and provincial/regionallevels (depending on the requirements of theresearch objectives). Barangay level analysis ofcapacities and vulnerabilities are consolidated andpresented to a municipal or provincial levelworkshop. Representatives of government andcivil society groups usually attend the municipaland provincial workshops.46Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action

These workshops have two main objectives: tovalidate the initial findings of the research and tocome-up with a municipal or provincial levelperspective. The workshops also become a forumfor different stakeholders at the barangay andmunicipal levels to assess their situation andpropose actions to address development and DMissues in their municipality.3.2 Strategy developmentENDNOTES:i ELAC (Environmental Legal Assistance Center) and SIKAT (Sentro Para SaIkauunlad ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya) are Oxfam's partners inAssets and Power in Markets programme. ELAC is based in Palawan whileSIKAT programmes are in Zambales.ii The PCVA participants used different sizes of circles in assessing effectivenessof disaster relief: large circles meant bigger assistance, etc.iii Aeta is an indigenous group who were displaced when Mt. Pinatubo eruptedin 1991.Strategic issues and recommendations are firmedup in a strategy development workshop. In thisworkshop, key organisations involved in the PCVAassess their capacity in supporting programmeinterventions that were identified through thestudy. The results of the strategy developmentworkshop are used as the basis of proposals fora post-PCVA intervention.3.3. Report writingThis stage includes the drafting of the main findingsof the research and the recommendations forpost-PCVA interventions. This is written mainlyby the lead researcher with assistance from theresearch associate, in collaboration with the keyperson from the initiating organisation (e.g., theOxfam programme officer).Learning by observing how people spend their day in thecommunity. PCVA in Pikit, North Cotabato 2000.Conducting PCVA: A Process of Learning and Action47

IVLessonsStrengthening local vulnerability analysis. Houses buried in Lahar in Pampanga.from the review:Improving the PCVA

IV. Lessons from the Review: improving the PCVATI This section presents key results of the reviewof the PCVA tool conducted in 2001 by MarisolEstrella, a PCVA research pioneer in the Philippines.The review was part of Oxfam's efforts to furtherenhance the PCVA framework and methodologyas applied in researches since 1998. It primarilyassessed the PCVA framework and participatoryprocesses and how these contributed in identifyingdisaster and development issues in vulnerablecommunities. (Estrella 2002)Estrella and this writer went back to PCVA sitesin Pampanga, Zambales, Catanduanes, NorthCotabato and Maguindanao, talked with formerPCVA participants, and asked them what theyremember about the research process and theirparticipation in it. They were asked whether thePCVA proved useful to them. Ways to improvethe over-all process were also elicited from them.These feedback meetings were conducted in aninformal, kuwentuhan (story telling- type) manner.Aside from pinpointing ways to improve thePCVA tool, it is hoped that the lessons from thisreview will help build local concepts and thepractice of participatory processes of assessingvulnerabilities and capacities of communities.The following are some of the feedback gatheredfrom former PCVA participantsWhat people remembered about the PCVA"The PCVA processincluded individual interviews andcommunity meetings. We conductedcommunity mapping of local resources. Wecompared livelihoods before and after the Mt.Pinatubo eruption and talked about people'slivelihoods and effects of the eruption on their lives("kabuhayan") and surroundings ("paligid"). Weassessed local capacities and vulnerabilities. Weidentified how best to prepare for calamities and howto improve development. PCVA helped in theprocess of identifying problems and solutionsand it helped build skills in conductingassessments".Sta. Catalina, Pampanga"The purpose of the PCVA was tounderstand threats faced by Indigenouspeoples and their experiences and to see howthey coped. We assessed our situation beforeand after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. The PCVAinvolved women, children and men. We talkedabout livelihoods ("kabuhayan"). From the PCVAprocess, we were able to learn how to gather dataand what kinds of approaches to take, forexample , using FGDs or "kuwentuhan", not justthrough survey style."Loob-bunga, Zambales50Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA

"We discussed our strengthsand weaknesses in relation todisasters. We looked at different types ofdisasters. We conducted hazard mapping and riskanalysis. The PCVA involved the barangay council,women's association, the Savings and Loanbeneficiaries, Catholic association, Iglesia ni Kristo, andsenior citizens. The PCVA was conducted in order to avoiddisasters and reduce disaster impacts. The PCVA helpedbroaden our understanding and perspectives aboutdisaster and how to respond ("para lumawak angkamulatan at kaisipan tungkol sa disaster at sa pagtugon").It was to help us prepare for disasters. Forexample, the PCVA helped identify safe areasfor evacuation".Kilikilihan, Catanduanes"We identified and assessed thedifferent types of potential disasters in the areaand discussed local responses to disasters. Weassessed livelihood and identified needs andproblems and how these can be addressed. Wealso talked about disaster preparedness. ThePCVA was conducted to help improve localdisaster preparedness and response. It alsoaimed to increase people's awareness ofdisasters in order to reduce disaster impacts (suchas accidents and deaths). The PCVA wassupposed to make people less afraid ("paramapalakas ang kalakasan ng mga tao"). "P. Vera and Summit, CatanduanesAn important feature of the PCVA is that itpresents disaster concepts and experiencesfrom a community perspective. It focuses onhow people experience disaster impacts (postdisasterconditions) and how these shape theirattitudes and belief systems towards managingdisasters in their communities. Through the PCVAworkshops, individual households and wholecommunities are given an opportunity to discusshow to respond to and cope with disasterimpacts, and engage with different disastermanagement actors in their localities.By examining local concepts and experiences ofdisasters, we also learn how varying vulnerabilitiesof different groups of people determine differentlevels of disaster impacts. This is important indrawing up the context-specific nature ofdisasters.The review, however, raises three main aspectsthat the PCVA needs to improve. These are:- Strengthening analysis oflocal capacities and vulnerabilities;- Encouraging fullerparticipation; and- Maximising PCVA potentials.Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA51

A. Strengthening analysis of localvulnerabilities and capacities in the PCVAThe Oxfam review shows that the PCVA tendedto concentrate on assessing disaster impacts ratherthan on more in-depth local vulnerability analysis(pre-disaster conditions). Its main strength was indeveloping KAIs and using PRA methodologiesto analyse post-disaster scenarios. The latterincludes a disaster's effects on the social life,health, education, means of livelihood, and physicalenvironment of the community.The review also shows that the PCVA needs toenhance its analysis of pre-existing conditions inthe community, specifically of social and economicvulnerabilities. There may have been attempts tocompare life in the community before and aftera disaster, but even these failed to develop adeeper analysis of local vulnerabilities. For one,the comparison focuses on physical changes suchas how the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo changed thephysical environment and people's means oflivelihood. Social and economic factors thatamplified the effects of the eruption on people'ssuffering were largely overlooked. Questions thatcould have been asked to shed light on this areainclude:What were the communities' assets and levelof access to resources prior to the eruption?·To what extent did these resources contributeto effective response and coping mechanisms especiallyamong poor communities?FDid the level of access to resources change as a directeffect of the disaster? If so, how did the change affectpeople's disaster coping mechanisms?urthermore, since the PCVA failed tothoroughly analyse pre-existing vulnerabilitiesof communities, it was also unable to assesswhether these vulnerability factors persisted afterthe disaster. A weak analysis of the localvulnerability context also leads to limiteddiscussions regarding the link between disastersand the underlying development issues andpoverty concerns in PCVA areas.The Catanduanes project is an illustration. In thePCVA conducted in this province, there was verylimited probing done to link the local negosyantes'(businessmen) monopoly of the abaca (hemp)markets in the province, and the poorabaca farmer's dependence onthese negosyantes forproduction loans, to theover-all socio-economicvulnerabilities of theprovince. With abaca asthe major agriculturalproduct, the processcould have includeddiscussions on howlocal economicconditions inCatanduanes furthercontributed to thepoor farmers' inabilityAn importantfeature of thePCVA is that itpresents disasterconcepts andexperiences from acommunityperspective.52Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA

to effectively respond to and cope with theeffects of annual typhoons. The PCVA could alsohave explored how recurring hazards such astyphoons and landslides exacerbated prevailingsocio-economic vulnerabilities.In addition, the PCVA could also have helpedidentify vulnerable groups, instead of limiting itsanalysis at the community level. Identifyingvulnerable groups is important in formulatingrecommendations that are sensitive to the specificconditions of these groups.Since the Catanduanes PCVA did not fully assesslocal vulnerability contexts, PCVArecommendations also did not emphasize post-PCVA actions that could lead to local vulnerabilityreduction. Instead, recommendations prioritisedDM-specific interventions like preparedness training,planning and organising of community DMmachineries. While these interventions aimed toincrease local capacities in disaster preparednessand response and address social vulnerabilities, itwas not clear how these interventions promotedor were linked to reducing long-term vulnerabilitiesof the communities.To a limited extent, the recommendedinterventions under the BUILD Action project inCatanduanes attempted this by proposing anadvocacy programme "towards (formulating)policy recommendations aimed at disastermitigation and vulnerability reduction in theprovince of Catanduanes". (OXFAM 2002) Still,the proposed project was not very explicit aboutaddressing economic vulnerabilities ofcommunities.The Catanduanes experience stresses the needto fine-tune the conduct of vulnerabilityanalysis. This means looking at pre-existing social,economic, political and cultural conditions ofcommunities, and examining how these affectpeople's responses to disaster events. Theformulation of PCVA objectives, KAIs, and keyquestions must also be reviewed in order toeffectively facilitate vulnerability analysis, andestablish the link between local developmentcontext and disasters. More importantly, thePCVA should help determine interventions thatwill contribute to overall vulnerability reductionin communities.The Oxfam PCVA review also presents ways toenhance various PCVA elements.Understanding local capacitiesCapacities analysis in the PCVA was limited toassessing skills and resources which people coulduse to prepare for and recover from disasterimpacts. In addition, the PCVA reports showedthat local capacities were not fully examined inrelation to local vulnerabilities. For instance, thePCVA could have determined whether or notsocial safety nets were available to abaca farmersin Catanduanes to enable them to recover quicklyLessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA53

from their losses due to a typhoon. Resourcesand skills that the local people in Maguindanao orNorth Cotabato could use to continue earningwhile in evacuation camps could also have beenexamined.Like in vulnerability analysis, the PCVA should lookinto capacities and other forms of local resourcesthat people can utilise not only to recover fromdisaster impacts, but more importantly, to pursuetheir long-term development. The PCVA shouldexplore and examine social and economic capacitiessuch as social networks, credit sources, savings,insurance, as well as local skills, traditions, beliefsystems, etc. and assess how these can contributeto local vulnerability reduction efforts.In her review, Estrella stressed the need to enhancePCVA's analysis of local governance and its linkto DM, gender analysis, and adopting micro andmacro perspectives in order to further sharpenthe assessment of local conditions. These arediscussed further below.DM and Local governanceThe PCVA initially attempted to link DM and localdevelopment processes in Catanduanes andCentral Mindanao. Separate workshops wereconducted with key development actors such asthe barangay councils, the Municipal DisasterCoordinating Council, council of elders, and POs.Government officials were also interviewed.Discussions delved on how development initiativesare prioritised, what informs decision-makingabout the allocation of limited resources, andhow other sectors are allowed to participate indeliberations and decision-making processes.These inquiries, however, were more focusedon determining how DM interventions werebeing integrated into the overall developmentplan of the municipality. The contribution ofdevelopment plans to vulnerability reduction wasnot assessed.Also, the PCVA tended to put the local disastercoordinating councils in the DM "box", by confiningthe assessment of their roles in terms of their DMfunctions. The extent to which these DM "actors"could influence long-term development planningwas not explored.The PCVA needs to further develop its DMand local governance KAI by probing howlocal development processes and structurescontribute to reducing people's vulnerability todisasters. It should look into the processes andmechanisms by which development priorities aredetermined and how limited resources areallocated. It should also assess how local peopleand other key actors participate in these processesand influence local policies and plans. In so doing,we can also determine the extent of people'sinfluence over programmes or interventions thatmay contribute to vulnerability reduction in theircommunity.54Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA

The PCVA should also help promote awarenesand greater understanding of what communityparticipation in local governance entails, andrecommend ways to achieve greater participationfrom various stakeholders.Improving gender analysisPast PCVAs held separate workshops with menand women in an effort to obtain "genderised"livelihood strategies, as well as gender-specificdisaster experiences and coping strategies. Effectsof disasters on certain gender roles in thecommunity were examined. In several of theseworkshops, for example, many women claimedthat during disasters, most women helped theirhusbands earn additional income to cope withthe crisis situation. In some instances, a greaternumber of women also said that disaster situationsled to their taking on more work in agriculturalproduction on top of their household chores.Some gender analysis questionsHow does a disaster affect men and women?Do these different impacts result in changes in theirgender roles?What are the different ways by which men and womencope with the effects of a disaster?Why is it that it is always the women who line up toget relief packs during relief distribution? Does this haveany connection with gender division of labour duringdisasters?However, because the PCVA was toofocused on analysing post-disaster impacts,its examination of pre-existing gender rolesoperating in the community, and the changesthese roles underwent due to disaster impacts,was weak. The PCVA could have assessed menand women's level of access to resources in thecommunity, or who exerts more influence ondecisions done inside the household (e.g., whodecides where to spend the limited householdincome; what coping strategies should be takento increase household income). Assessing predisastergender roles could help in sharpeningthe PCVA's gender analysis in relation to disasterimpacts.A strong gender analysis in the PCVA will helpdetermine interventions that are more sensitiveto the specific needs, skills and capacities of menand women in the community, especially in timesof crisis. Needless to say, the PCVA should notcontribute to the continued marginalisation ofsectors in a community, especially in the aftermathof a disaster. For example, how will activitiesrelated to the formation of disaster preparednessmachineries in the villages affect men andwomen's work schedule, women's householdtasks, family time, etc.?It is noteworthy to point out that there was asuggestion to integrate tools such as Oxfam'sgender gap audit tool to improve gender analysisand elicit genderised responses.Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA55

Adopting a macro and micro level perspectiveDespite limitations in analysing local vulnerabilitycontexts, the PCVA's ability to obtain communitylevel perspectives of disaster experiences andresponses remains one of its major strengths. Bytargeting key community stakeholders toparticipate in the process, PCVA provides insightson how people and institutions in vulnerablecommunities respond to disasters, as well as howdifferent realities in these communities contributeto either increasing or reducing people'svulnerabilities to disasters.However, the review also points out that thePCVA's micro-level analysis could be enhancedby linking this analysis with a macro-levelassessment of disaster and vulnerability contexts.This micro-macro link would provide a widerperspective and help assess how national andglobal socio-economic and political systems andprocesses are directly linked to and couldexacerbate local vulnerability contexts.Using Oxfam project areas as examples,strengthening the micro-macro analysis link means,for example, that the PCVA should explore howthe national government's economic developmentpriorities could have contributed to nonprioritisationof the agricultural sector; how thisled to low agricultural production in Catanduanesand Maguindanao/North Cotabato; and how thiseventually contributed to the people's increasedvulnerability to the economic impacts of flooding(in Catanduanes) and war (in Maguindanao/NorthCotabato).Another example would be to determine howglobalisation and trade liberalisation policiesof the government have impacted on the localeconomy and how this translates into povertyconditions in PCVA areas.A macro-level perspective could be developedby conducting a review of national or regionallaws, policies, as well as of processes related tothe study and how socio-economic and politicalglobal trends may have affected national andlocal policies and priorities. This review should beconducted in the beginning of the research phase,and integrated in the research framework toguide in assessing local vulnerability contexts.B. Attendance vs. participationA limited assessment of the PCVA methodologywas also conducted to examine the degree andquality of participation based on the perceptionof those who participated in the PCVAworkshops. This was done by revisiting PCVAsites and interviewing former PCVA participants.It should be noted, however, that the assessmentrelied mainly on feedback from former PCVAparticipants and did not use specific indicators toevaluate the degree and quality of participationduring the PCVA process.56Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA

The review shows that the PCVA was able tomobilise key stakeholders in the communitieswhere the PCVAs were conducted. Participantsincluded residents, people's organisationsrepresenting various sectors such as farmers,fishers, and women, barangay officials, localgovernment units (municipal and provincial levels),as well as representatives of NGOs and churchgroups. In Maguindanao/North Cotabatoworkshops, youth groups, children, council ofelders, as well as MILF and MNLF commanderswere represented in the workshops.But did attendance lead to participation?The PCVA review found some limitations infacilitating participation in the PCVA process.Feedback from former participants revealed thatlack of understanding of the PCVA objectivesand processes hindered full participation of someworkshop participants. Some of them initially didnot understand what the PCVA was all aboutand why they were asked to attend theworkshops. A better understanding of theimportance of their role in assessing local conditionswould help in eliciting more substantiveparticipation from the people.While the PCVA was able to mobiliserepresentatives of various stakeholders in thecommunity, the review found that the processmust ensure that marginalised groups arerepresented in the workshops. This refers, forinstance, to daily wage earners who cannotafford to miss a single day of work, motherswho cannot join the workshops because ofhousehold chores, or others who may be shy(nahihiya) about participating in the workshops.One way to address this problem is by ensuringthat different groups in the community havebeen carefully identified and that their scheduleshave been considered in selecting PRA tools andin planning the schedule. For instance, if somewomen would not be able to attend theworkshops because they have to attend to housework, or men would only be available in theafternoon or evening after work, then, householdinterviews would be appropriate in reaching outto them. Also, the team should spend longerdays in the villages to make sure that workshopschedules and methodologies are flexible enoughto accommodate the varying schedules ofdifferent stakeholders.C. Maximizing the PCVA potentialProgramme development, monitoring andevaluationOxfam and its partners have so far applied thePCVA in programme development, whereinformation gathered through the PCVA wasused in identifying strategic issues and developingstrategies and plans. This was also the case, toa limited extent, in barangay Guiamlong,Catanduanes where the barangay council directlyLessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA57

enefited from the PCVA by using research resultsin formulating the barangay development plan.Since the PCVA was also used for developing theBUILD Action Project in Catanduanes, it likewiseprovided useful information in monitoring andassessing the progress of the said project. Thisshows that the PCVA can also be developed asa community monitoring and evaluation tool.Advocacy toolIt was mentioned earlier that PCVA should enhancethe link between micro and macro levels of analysisto situate local vulnerability conditions in a broadercontext. This can be done by improving theanalysis of local and national policies to determinehow they exacerbate local vulnerabilities. Oncethis is achieved, it would then be possible forPCVA to be used in developing policy advocacyagenda for Oxfam and its partners.The PCVA provides a rich source of informationthat can be used for reviewing or developinglocal and national policies that are sensitive tovulnerabilities of communities. In Catanduanes,for instance, the PCVA paved the way for thepassing of a local ordinance forming the ProvincialDM office which was tasked to lead in disasterpreparedness efforts in the whole province.PCVA results also lead to identification of localissues that are useful in conducting dialoguesbetween and among stakeholders. In the mostrecent PCVA conducted in Pampanga (2003), theresearch was aimed to identify options for DMcapabilities of LGUs in two flood-prone townsin the province. But since three major communitystakeholders -- the LGUs concerned, PDRN, andthe Community Based People's Organisations -- conducted the study, it became an ongoingprocess of dialogue among the three actors aboutemerging disaster and development issues in theirrespective communities.Sustaining the ProcessOne way to really sustain the PCVA process isto ensure that there will be a post-PCVAengagement in the community where theresearch was held. The PCVA should not betreated as a single event detached from the longtermdevelopment process in communities.Also, PCVA research results should bedisseminated and discussed with those whoparticipated in the process. This feedbackingshould encourage local people to share theirthoughts about the results of the research, theprocess, and more importantly, how the PCVAresults can be of significant use to theircommunity. As pointed out in the review,conducting follow-up visits to communities afterthe PCVA report has been finalised recognisesthe significant contribution of communityparticipants to the PCVA process.It is also strongly suggested that reports on PCVAresults be written in a way that is easy for the58Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA

community to understand and appreciate.Translating the report to local dialects and usingpopular education materials could also help inmaking it less technical and more understandableto the local people.Understanding local capacities and how people copewith disasters. A coconut farmer in Pikit, North Cotabato(PCVA 2000).Lessons from the Review:Improving the PCVA59

CVA helps in assessing poor people's access and control over assets in the community.Fishing in a lake in Buluan, Maguindanao (PCVA 2000).ANNEXVoices from the Rubble:Summary of Key Research Findings

Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key ResearchFindingsIntroductionThe first PCVA was conducted in 1998 andincluded four provinces in Central Luzon-Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan and Tarlac-whichwere affected by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruptionand by subsequent lahar flows and floodingevents. The PCVA was undertaken primarily toguide Oxfam GB and its local partners in reviewingand improving their DM engagement in CentralLuzon. The research involved community fieldwork (using PRA methodologies) in Pampangaand Zambales and key informant interviews inBataan and Tarlac. The research findings becamethe basis of policy recommendations for Oxfamand its partners in developing more appropriateand effective disaster response strategies in theregion.Oxfam conducted the Catanduanes PCVA in 1999in partnership with CARE Philippines and theProvincial Government of Catanduanes. Theresearch was aimed at providing baselineinformation on the disaster experiences andresponse strategies of local people and otherdevelopment actors in the province. Specifically,the research results were used to further developthe components of the BUILD-Action project, acommunity-based disaster managementprogramme.The Catanduanes PCVA assessed and comparedlocal experiences and concepts of disasters andresponses in different hazard contexts, as villagesin the provinces are exposed to multiple threatslike typhoon, floods, landslides and storm surges.It also strengthened its analysis of the linkagebetween disaster management and localdevelopment planning.The PCVA in conflict areas in Maguindanao andNorth Cotabato took place in year 2000, aroundthe time when peace talks between thegovernment and MILF were beginning to collapse.The study's objective was to help TRIPOD i ,Oxfam's local partner in Central Mindanao Region,review it's DM programme in the context of theintensifying armed conflict and worsening floodsituation in many communities.The research was at the stage of developingprogramme recommendations for TRIPOD whenit was aborted due to the onset of a full-blownwar in May 2000.In 2001 and 2002, Oxfam helped ELAC and SIKATorganise and conduct PCVAs in communitieswhere natural resource management (NRM)62Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

programmes were being implemented. Theresearch was designed to help the local NGOsidentify strategies on how to integrate disastermanagement into their NRM programmes. Theresearches were conducted in Zambales andPalawan. In these researches, the PCVA attemptedto look into the link between disaster managementand asset management. Oxfam implemented thePCVA in partnership with ELAC and SIKATorganizers, and local POs in Zambales and Palawan.The following are some of the key learnings aboutpeople and disasters in the course of our use ofthe PCVA: how people look at disasters and howdisasters affect them; how they cope with theimpact of disasters and the factors which influencetheir coping strategies; and, how people viewdisaster responses by government and nongovernmentorganisations and the factorsaffecting disaster response. Lastly, we includedwhat we think are some significant trends indisaster management. Though in their formativestages, we believe that creating links betweenDM and development planning, and DM and assetmanagement, are significant steps towardsincreasing capacities and reducing vulnerabilitiesof our local communities.A. How People Look at DisastersDisasters are Defined by PeoplePeople define disasters mainly in three ways: anevent's immediate impact on populations (death,injuries, and psychological effects), its impact tothe productive assets of the community and toproperties (farms, kaingin, rivers, farm tools, fishinggears, houses), and its impact on people's sourcesof income. They associate disasters with incomeinstability, hunger, death, injuries, sickness ordisease, and psychological trauma. In all the PCVAsconducted, it is interesting to note how peopleemphasize a disaster event's immediate impacton their means of livelihood and how they hadto endure days or months after a disaster withlittle or no food and income to support basicsurvival needs. Table 1 summarises people'sperceptions of disasters.It is also important to notethat people usuallyequate disasters with thepre-existing socioeconomicvulnerabilitiesin their communities.Disasters exacerbatepoverty and inpeople's perceptionthe economic crisis,politics or too muchpoliticking,government neglect,lack of social servicesand lack of productioncapital are also forms ofdisasters.People donot necessarilymake distinctionsbetween hazards,disasters andvulnerabilities; theyperceive pre-existingconditions thatresult in povertyand suffering asdisasters.Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings63

Table1Local Concepts of Disasters from PCVA ResearchesPCVA Area &Types of HazardsCentral Luzon·Lahar·FloodingHow communities defined "disasters"Events that damage livelihoods and assets and negatively impacts onpeopleGovernment neglectLack of production capitalCatanduanesTyphoonsFloodingLandslidesStorm SurgesNorth Cotabato& MaguindanaoArmed ConflictFloodingDroughtPest infestationZambales - SIKATTyphoonFloodLahar from the slopesof Mt. PinatuboEl NiñoPolitical conflictEquated with deathsEmotional distressDestruction of housesDestruction of community infrastructureDestruction or disruption of livelihoodIncrease in prices of basic commoditiesNegative impact on family cohesion as household members searchfor work elsewhere and become separated from each other for longperiodsA form of crisis which is associated with hunger, death, sickness ordisease;Psychological trauma, specifically tension and fearDestruction or disruption of livelihood sourcesSubsequent separation of family membersDisruption of educational services, which hampers the developmentof knowledge and skillsCrisis periodDestruction of properties and means of livelihoodPalawan - ELACEnvironmental degradation64Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

Since they do not necessarily make distinctionsbetween hazards, disasters and vulnerabilities,they perceive pre-existing conditions that resultin poverty and suffering as disasters. Accordingto them, "Disaster lahat yan, kasi nagpapahirapsa tao." ("All of these are disasters, because theycause hardship to people.")War as DisasterWhile communities in Maguindanao and NorthCotabato also suffer from the effects offlooding and drought, people still consider armedconflict as the most severe form of disaster theyhave ever experienced. War do not only bringabout the destruction of their physicalenvironment and means of livelihood, it also causesthe disintegration of family and social relations.In evacuation centers, they have to shareclassrooms with people from other communities.They also have to endure uncertainty when malefamily members join armed groups or stay behindin the villages to safeguard their properties fromlooting and burning. Prolonged armed conflictalso result in the migration of family members insearch of new jobs.War deepens cultural prejudices, as well as angerand suspicion. In one village in North Cotabato,for instance, the children consider the military -whom they call Bisaya, referring to soldiers whocome from the Visayas — a kabinasan or disaster.Children also associate government soldiers withdisasters as they symbolised death anddestruction.Disasters Create New VulnerabilitiesMt. Pinatubo's eruption and consequent laharflows may have changed the geography ofCentral Luzon forever, creating long-term physicalvulnerabilities which affect people's lives andlivelihood.In several municipalities in Pampanga, for instance,pre-eruption flooding was considered a minorand regular event. Floods lasted only for less thana week. Many people actually waited for floodsbecause it caused nearby fishponds to overflow,sending fish onto the streets and inside theirhomes. Floods also replenished rice fields with soilnutrients and prepared their farms for the nextplanting season.Post-eruption flood events in Pampanga are nowconsidered destructive. Floodwaters would comerushing with the deadly lahar which bury anddestroy structures permanently. Because of this,farms, rivers and fishponds become unproductive.Floods also took a longer time to subside, causingdiseases and isolating communities from towncenters for weeks and even months, severelyaffecting people's social mobility and economicactivities. Relocating in resettlement areasoftentimes prove non-viable for most displacedVoices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings65

families because it brought them away from theirsources of income and did not offer livelihoodalternatives. This new physical vulnerability onlymeant one thing to poor people: a decline in ortotal loss of income.Another example of how disasters create newvulnerabilities is the case of Maguindanao andNorth Cotabato. Residents recalled that armedconflict disrupted children's education for longperiods because evacuees preferred to stay inevacuation centers even after cessation ofhostilities. They also narrated how armed conflictand floods severely depleted their householdincome and made it extremely difficult for themto continue supporting their children's education.Adding to this, children were also forced to getjobs to augment declining household incomes.As a result, many children are unable to finishbasic education, depriving them of the knowledgeand skills needed to compete and functioneffectively in the labour market. With limited skillsand knowledge, their access to productive assetsin the community also becomes limited.People's Attitudes: You Can't Do AnythingAbout DisastersIt is also a common finding in the PCVAs thatdisasters were perceived as "god'spunishment" or a "fact of life". Since a disasterwas considered to be a "natural phenomenon",many people expressed doubts that they canactually do something about it. This fatalisticattitude is also reinforced by strong religiousbeliefs. "Bahala na ang Diyos" ("God will take careof everything") is the usual prayer in the face ofan impending disaster in the community.Another factor which contribute to this passiveattitude is the repeated exposure to disasters. InCatanduanes, typhoons of varying intensities hitthe province almost annually, making people"accustomed" to living through typhoons.Still another factor is the lack of trust in warningsystems. Catanduanes residents recalled that in1998, a typhoon warning was broadcast overthe radio. However, the typhoon changed itscourse and did not hit the province as predicted.A few months later, the warning against typhoonLoleng was also made but this time, most peopledid not take the warning seriously. People hopedthat like the previous typhoon, Loleng wouldspare their province. The warnings provedaccurate this time and typhoon Loleng becameone of the most destructive typhoons in thehistory of Catanduanes.B. How Disasters Affect PeopleUnderstanding people's vulnerabilitiesPeople have different degrees of vulnerabilities.Individuals, households, and whole communitiessuffer different disaster impacts based on their66Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

degree of susceptibility to disasters, which in turnis dictated by the degree of access and controlthey have over assets and resources in thecommunity. (Please refer to Table 2 for a list ofthe range of disaster impacts that communitiesexperience, regardless of type of hazard.)As the CVA framework pointed out, physicalvulnerabilities are the easiest to notice and assess.In all PCVA sites, most homes were built on unsafelocations. People's houses were found alongriverbanks, at the foot of or along mountainslopes, and near the ocean. In Pampanga,barangays located along major river tributarieswere directly hit by lahar flow and flooding,resulting in massive displacement of populationsand permanent resettlement of whole villages.In Catanduanes, households along river banks oron the base of mountain slopes were moreexposed to the impacts of flooding and landslides.Communities located along the Rio Grande deMindanao in Pikit, North Cotabato were alsovulnerable to flooding. Since most of thesecommunities live mainly on agriculture and/orfishing, the PCVA revealed that access to thecommunity's physical resource base—rather thansafety—was the main reason why families settlein these hazardous locations.The PCVA also discovered that most of thehouseholds who participated in the PCVAswere tenants, agricultural workers, fishers, andfishpond workers. They did not own or havecontrol over assets and other resources in thecommunity. This meant high economicvulnerability. Their insufficient income and lackof formal education and training limit their capacityto improve their livelihood strategies. Income ofpoor households was found not only to beinsufficient to pay for basic necessities but wasalso unsustainable as most of their livelihoodstrategies were not protected from natural andeconomic shocks.Poor agricultural communities also have very fewlivelihood options, hence their tendency toconcentrate on one economic activity whichresults in the unsustainable use of theenvironment. This has been observed amongthe slash and burn and abaca farmers inCatanduanes whose unsustainable farmingpractices may result in long-term environmentalproblems in the province. In some communitiesin Bataan and Catanduanes, some people haveresorted to "illegal" means of livelihood likedynamite fishing and logging to increasehousehold income.In the Central Mindanao Region, the combinedforces of several different hazards contribute tothe continued underdevelopment of agriculturalresources, resulting in limited benefits for poorfarmers. The exposure to multiple hazards makespoor people extremely vulnerable to disasters.As the impact of different disasters accumulate,people become increasingly incapable of recovery.Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings67

Table2Common disaster impacts experienced by communitiesaffected by disastersPhysical: injuries, casualties, illnessesDisplacements or evacuations- as a result of natural disasters or armed conflictEffects on livelihoods: decline in local productivity and household incomes due to damage or loss of resourcesand productive assets and disruption of production activitiesFood insecurity: food scarcity in the aftermath of a disaster due to limited income, damaged resource base,high food prices, isolation from food sources (town centres, farms, etc.)IndebtednessReduced or lack of access to basic social services, especially in health and education: destruction ofinfrastructures and facilities, disruption of classes due to damage of buildings or use of schools as evacuationcentresPsychological effects: shock/trauma, fear, anxiety, depressionIncreased incidence of social problems (e.g., gambling, drug use, drinking, domestic violence, violence againstwomen, marital problems)Weakening or dissolution of social and community relations and other extended support networksChanges in household gender division of labour - may result in increased women's work since many areforced to find jobs for extra income but are still expected to continue with household responsibilities(caring of children, cleaning, cooking, etc.); women may seek work elsewhere (as domestic workers or OFWs)and men assume household responsibilities; men seek work elsewhere and women are left behind to shoulderboth household responsibilities and economic production activities; etc.Increased child labour- children are forced to stop schooling and supplement household incomes68Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

TableWhen a disaster strikes, it exacerbates thecommunity's pre-existing vulnerabilities. This isespecially true for those sectors who have beenpreviously marginalised, such as the indigenouspeoples. In Zambales, the Aetas have beensubjected to further marginalisation due to ethnicdiscrimination. When the PCVA was conductedin an Aeta resettlement village, the research teamfound out that the Aetas had less access toelectricity, water, health services, and alternativelivelihood sources, compared to non-Aeta settlers.3Battling against typhoons in CatanduanesDisasters result in losses to poor people's alreadyinsufficient income. They usually do not haveproperties or assets which can be sold ormortgaged for extra cash during crises oremergencies. Hence, most become indebted tomoneylenders, relatives, and neighbors. Theexperience of Catanduanes abaca farmers (Table3) shows that existing vulnerabilities may actuallyworsen the impact of disasters and make it moredifficult for communities to recover from disasters.In Catanduanes, many households rely on abaca farming as their major source of income, followedby fishing. A network of local traders, who control the prices of processed abaca fibers, controls theabaca market. Farmers usually borrow from these traders to finance abaca production costs. But abacafarms are quite fragile and are unable to withstand strong winds and rain. Because of limited availabilityof and access to good agricultural lands in the province, farmers plant abaca trees on steep mountainslopes without contouring.Hence, when a strong typhoon strikes, many abaca farms are completely or partially damaged. Farmershave to wait for another year or two to fully rehabilitate their farms. Landslides are common and arebecoming more destructive in recent years, resulting in casualties and heavily damaged infrastructure andproperties. Farmers become even more indebted to local traders and moneylenders in order to rehabilitatefarms and pay for immediate expenses. When the next typhoon arrives and destroys newly rehabilitatedabaca farms, the cycle begins anew.Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings69

C. How do People Cope with Disasters?How do poor people cope? What copingstrategies ii do they use to recover from thedisaster situation? Let's look at the way peoplecope in three stages: the pre-disaster stage, theemergency period, and after a disaster event.Pre-disaster stage: Relying on Age-oldWarning Systems and Nothing ElsePeople with long history of disaster experiencesusually have more developed strategies inpreparing households for a disaster. People inCatanduanes still relied on indigenous warningsystems handed down from older generations.This included traditional knowledge about cloudformations, wind direction, insect sounds, andbehaviour of animals that are supposed to providesigns of an impending disaster. People also normallycombine this with warning information obtainedfrom radio broadcast. In all PCVA areas, radioremains the most common source of informationabout disaster warning. In Maguindanao andNorth Cotabato, people rely on informationreleased by the mayor and passed around thecommunity through the barangay council abouttroop deployment or possible armed confrontationin their community.Sad to say, very few of the villages visited bythe PCVA have community-wide preparednesssystems. Barangays do not usually havecommunity preparedness plans, except forwarning systems that alert people only whendanger is imminent. Individual households are lefton their own to monitor official warninginformation and decide on what actions to take.However, household preparedness systems arelimited by lack of resources. As people wouldsay: "kung merong itatabi, magtatabi na kami ngbigas, asin at tubig." ("We would stock up on rice,salt and water, if these are available.") Otherwise,they would resort to other means such as theearly harvesting of vegetables and other foodcrops.The Emergency period: Being CaughtBetween a Rock and a Hard PlaceIt was observed that people still panickeddespite warning information obtained fromdifferent sources. Since there were no communitywidepreparedness plans, individual householdsremained responsible for their own safety andsurvival. This resulted in disorganised movementsof people which further added to confusion andsometimes led to injuries and casualties. InPampanga and Catanduanes, children relatedhow their neighbors died of drowning becausethey did not know where to go duringevacuation.Most communities also lack safe places andstructures where people could evacuate duringemergency periods. Public school buildings are70Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

usually not equipped with basic facilities such asclean water, toilets and space large enough toaccommodate huge numbers of evacuees. InMaguindanao and North Cotabato, as well as inPampanga and Zambales, former evacuees facethe following difficulties in evacuation centers:Cramped or severely limited livingspaces for families;Absence of or limited water and sanitationfacilities;Illnesses (diarrhoea, malaria, dengue,respiratory problems, skin diseases),especially among children;Food scarcity;Limited income and livelihoodopportunities;Insufficient or shortages in reliefsupplies;Deaths;Emotional distress (fear, depression,confusion);Noise / lack of privacy.Because of these, many survivors usually chooseto remain in their barangays and live in high-riskconditions rather than stay in evacuation centers.As far as these evacuees were concerned, it wasbetter to face risks in "familiar environments" suchas one's own house. At times, sentimental valueattached to houses and properties would prevailover the need to evacuate.Post-disaster stage: ExacerbatingVulnerabilitiesThe following are the most common copingstrategies of survivors at the post-disaster stage:There is an observable pattern to the use of thevarious coping strategies at the post-disasterstage.They seek external sources of income.This is either through outmigration(domestic and out of the country) orthrough local sources. People usuallyseek other income sources if the mainsource of livelihood such as farms havebeen totally destroyed and rehabilitationwould be too costly and would take along time;They diversify livelihood strategies,like engaging in construction work,petty trading, and other short-termpaid labour work;They retrieve materials to repair houses;They retrieve crops for householdconsumption or for selling;They seek loans or borrow from relativesor usurers/traders to pay for householdexpenses; and,They seek relief assistance fromgovernment and other external agencies.Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings71

First, households would use up resources thatwere left undamaged or those which were stilluseful. People would salvage agricultural and rootcrops, or exhaust sources of raw materials so thatthey can continue selling products. As experiencedin some areas in Catanduanes and Mindanao, thisstrategy could put a strain on the physical resourcebase of the community and contribute to thedepletion of natural resources.Then people would combine several jobs in anattempt to increase the household income. Butthe effectiveness of this strategy may dependon several factors like availability of jobs and theskills required for them to get hired. If no localjobs are available or if the people don't have therequired skills, they usually migrate. At this stage,they would need extra cash for transportation.They could obtain this by selling or mortgagingproperties, or by making loans. They usually endup at the mercy of money lenders, becomingheavily indebted even before they are able torecover from the crisis.These coping mechanisms exacerbate unequalsocial relations in a community. Poorer households,for instance, would always end up seeking loansor selling properties to richer households (who, inmost cases, control the community's assets). Hence,in times of disasters, poor households becomepoorer, while already better-off householdsbecome richer. In Catanduanes, abaca farmersrely on the traders for loans in the aftermath ofa disaster, further giving the traders the economicpower to dictate the buying price of abaca fibers.Factors Affecting People's Coping StrategiesWhat could enhance or limit local copingstrategies? The following points weregleaned from people's experiences of coping invarious disaster contexts.· Awareness of disaster history.Previous knowledge of disaster events enhancesthe community's capacity to prepare for andcope with disasters. In Catanduanes, for example,households have learned to diligently monitorthe arrival of typhoons because of their longhistory of typhoon experience.· Community DM system. Thepresence of an organised disaster response systemin the community increases chances of survivingthe effects of a disaster. In Pampanga for instance,the influx of external DM actors helped in raisingawareness of communities regarding theimportance of organised actions to mitigate theeffects of lahar and flooding. This particularintervention paved the way for the formationof community-based disaster responsemechanisms, as well as the activation ofgovernment DM structures such as the disastercoordinating committees. In contrast, DM systemsin Catanduanes and Mindanao were found to bevery reactive.· Social support system. In cases of72Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

massive evacuations like in conflict areas or duringthe Mt. Pinatubo and lahar related evacuation,support from family members, relatives, andneighbours disintegrated, which in turn affectedthe effectiveness of their adaptive measures.· Location. The remoteness or proximityof communities from sources of external assistance— town centers, offices of relief agencies,evacuation center — affected people's copingstrategies. Communities with greater access totown centers or more developed areas like inPampanga appeared to have better chances ofcoping more quickly and efficiently comparedwith remote barangays in Catanduanes andMaguindanao or North Cotabato. In the latterprovinces, the ongoing war resulted in limitedmobility of people and isolation of communitiesfor weeks and even months, making them lesseffective at coping with the crisis.· Degree of destruction. People'scoping mechanisms are also affected by thedegree and scope of destruction brought aboutby the disaster. In conflict areas in Mindanao forexample, survivors would stay inside thecommunities or, if evacuated, would attempt tosneak back to their farms just to be able to harvestcrops which they sell or consume in the evacuationcenters. This coping strategy, however, becomesimpossible if the area is declared a "no man's zone”or if the farms become flooded. In Pampanga, thedestruction resulting from Mt. Pinatubo did notend with the eruption. Survivors still had to copewith the effects of lahar and flooding. InCatanduanes, people's coping mechanisms wereseverely hampered by widespread landslideswhich isolated them from their livelihood sourcesand made access to external assistance extremelydifficult.D. Experiences in Disaster ResponsePCVAs also examined existing disastermanagement systems which provided variousforms of disaster responses to communities.Various actors respond to the needs of disastersurvivors: government agencies, non-governmentorganisations (development and disaster specialistorganisations, church, business and mediafoundations), and concerned individuals. Most ofthe time, these included politicians, personalitiesand prominent individuals. In the main, the PCVAwas used to study the disaster coordinatingcouncils, the different forms of DM services, andpeople's criteria of effective disaster responses.Different Agencies, Different ResponsesGovernment responses focus mainly on disasterpreparedness trainings, structural mitigationmeasures (such as dikes), public information andwarning, emergency responses and rehabilitationassistance. People cite emergency relief,rehabilitation support services such as agriculturalinputs as the most common services providedby the government.Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings73

On the other hand, NGOs also provide relief andrehabilitation assistance but usually on a smallerscale. In Pampanga and Zambales where disasterspecialist NGOs operate, people say theybenefitted from community organising andtrainings on disaster preparedness.The disaster coordinating councils (DCCs) at thebarangay, municipal, provincial, regional andnational levels are the main governmentmechanism for disaster management. Its main taskis to take the lead in counter-disaster planningand coordination at their level of responsibility.The PCVA found that the DCCs were usuallyactive only during emergencies. They wouldusually meet and develop their plans when thereis already an impending disaster. There was nocomprehensive disaster management programmethat links or coordinates the programmes andservices of various government agencies towardsreducing vulnerabilities of communities to disasters.DCCs cited inadequate funding, lack of facilities(e.g., transportation and communicationequipment), lack of political will to implement DMlaws to be the main hindrances in fully activatingthe councils. In Catanduanes, for instance, severalDCC member agencies reportedly held separateDM trainings, duplicating each other's efforts andwasting resources.At the barangay level, most barangay councilsdid not have any counter-disaster plan. In severalbarangays in Maguindanao and North Cotabato,the council members were not even aware ofPeople expectedagencies to betransparent ing i v i n gthe functions ofthe disastercoordinatingcouncil. As pointedout earlier, there wasno community-widedisaster managementplan that guides theresidents on what to do in thepre, during and post disaster stages.On the other hand, functional BDCCs weremore focused on dissemination of warninginformation, disaster monitoring and evacuation,and conducting damage and needs assessment.assistance.People Assess Disaster ResponseEqual access to disaster relief is very importantto people in disaster situations. They believe thatdisasters affect everyone in the community andis therefore deserving of support. This is regardlessof the degrees of impact experienced by theparticular household. They believed that equityin relief assistance would help avoidmisunderstanding among members of thecommunity, as well as corruption and favouritism.People also expected agencies to be transparentin giving assistance. Transparency for themmeant being aware of the criteria of selectingbeneficiaries and of the rules and policies thatguide the distribution of assistance. This criteriasprings from past experiences where decisionsin choosing relief beneficiaries were done solely74Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

y the relief agency and barangay officials. Theyobserved that when decisions involved only afew people, there were higher possibilities ofcorruption and favouritism. They also suggestedthat agencies should monitor the distribution ofgoods to make sure that the assistance reachedits intended beneficiaries.People gave importance to the need for disasterresponses to be sensitive to the culture of thesurvivors and responsive to conditions in thecommunity. In Zambales for instance, many Aetahouseholds opted to just sell or exchange thegoods they received for more appropriate reliefitems. People in resettlement areas also complainedof inadequate social services and lack of livelihoodopportunities in their new villages. Hence, peoplein PCVA areas recommended that consultationsshould be held with beneficiaries to ensure thatassistance are appropriate to their needs andsituations.Factors Affecting Disaster ResponseGeographical location affects poor people'saccess to emergency assistance and services.Obviously, proximity to resource centers such astowns or cities provide easier and faster accessto post-disaster assistance. Because of theirproximity to Manila, Mt. Pinatubo affectedcommunities had greater access to media coverageand received major support from governmentand foreign donor agencies. In Catanduanes, onthe other hand, poor communities are mostlylocated far from the provincial capital and Manila,causing survivors to receive less support fromagencies. Being an island province itself limitsaccess to emergency and rehabilitation assistance.E. Mainstreaming DM in DevelopmentPlanningTo a limited extent, the PCVA also attemptedto assess how disaster issues and gaps indisaster responses informed the overalldevelopment plans of local government unitsand how people participated in the developmentplanning processes. In general, the PCVA revealedthat poor people did not participate indevelopment planning processes at thecommunity level. Prioritisation of problems,identification of responses, and most decisionmakingprocesses only involved leaders andofficers of organisations. Mechanisms for people'sparticipation in development planning such asthe barangay assembly meetings were notmaximised to stimulate critical participation fromthe people.Because of the people's lack of participation inprioritisation of problems and identification ofinterventions, most development plans addressedimmediate needs (e.g. dredging of river systems,building basketball courts, waiting sheds, barangaymarkers). Although people in the community mayhave benefited from these projects, localdevelopment plans usually did not prioritisedisaster preparedness and vulnerability reduction.Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings75

76F. Initial attempts to look at DMand asset managementThe PCVA also attempted to examine the roleDM plays in asset management. In Zambalesand Palawan, the PCVA found several factorsthat affect people's ability to manage and benefitfrom community assets. As have been pointedout earlier, a major disaster event may havecreated new physical vulnerabilities that couldaffect a community's means of livelihood. Fishersand farmers in Cabangan, Zambales for instancestill suffer from decreased productivity ofagricultural lands and fishing areas in theSouth China Sea because of the effectsof ash fall and lahar. Because oflimited skills and knowledge,and lack of appropriatetechnology, farmers andMechanismsfor people’sparticipation indevelopmentplanning such as thebarangay assemblymetings were notmaximisedstimulate criticalparticipationfrom thepeople.fishers in these areaswere not able to copewith the decreasedproductivity ofcommunity resources.This is furtheraggravated by thefact that most poortofarmers and fishers donot own productiontools, and they either haveto rent or borrow fromricher households to be ableto continuously engage inVoices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findingsfarming and fishing activities.Land disputes also affect people's control andaccess to resources in the community. Householdsin a barangay in Cabangan reported thatpowerful individuals were trying to claimownership of a large portion of their barangay.This issue of land ownership has been a sourceof conflict and tension in their community for along time, and in a way affected the people'sability to develop these resources and fully benefitfrom them. Decreased productivity of resources,limited access to production tools and disputesover control of land resources make poor peopleunable to build their assets, including those whichthey can utilise for effective disaster preparednessand mitigation.These accounts may be limited to thosecommunities visited by the PCVA but theynevertheless provide us with insights on howvulnerable communities suffer from, respond toand cope with the effects of disasters. Theseexperiences show how poverty, limited accessto resources, and lack of participation indevelopment processes contribute in makingpeople incapable of managing the effects ofdisasters in their life and livelihoods. Theyunderscore the fact that disasters anddevelopment are closely linked to each other,and that if vulnerabilities remained largely ignored,we could be sure that future disasters wouldresult to greater losses and poverty.

Hopefully though, by learning from people's localexperiences and perceptions of disasters, we areable to gain lessons on how to effectively addressdisasters in the country, and involve people inthe process.ENDNOTESi TRIPOD or Tri-Peoples Organisation Against Disasters was Oxfam's localpartner DM NGO in the Central Mindanao Region.ii Coping strategies as defined by Murphy and Moriarty (as cited in Blaikie,p. 62): Coping is the manner in which people act within existing resources andrange of expectations of a situation to achieve various ends… Generally, thisinvolves no more than 'managing resources', but usually means how it is donein unusual, abnormal, and adverse situations. (This) can include defencemechanisms, active ways of solving problems, and methods for handlingstress.Making the most out of limited resources: a mobile fish vendor in Buluan,Maguindanao (PCVA 2000).Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings77

REFERENCESAbesamis, Vinia and Bridget Walker. 1996 February. ”Reviewof the support programme for disaster preparednessand response”. Report submitted to Oxfam UK & Ireland-Philippines Office.Anderson, Mary and Peter J. Woodrow. 1989. Rising fromthe Ashes. Development Strategies in Times of Disaster.Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, Inc. and UNESCO.Blaikie, Pieres, Ian Davis, and Ben Wisner. 1994. At Risk. Naturalhazards, people’s vulnerability, and disasters. London:Routledge.Chambers, Robert. 2002. Relaxed and participatory appraisal:notes in practical approaches and methods forparticipants in PRA/PLA-related familiarizationworkshops. Participation Resource Center, Institute ofDevelopment Studies University of Sussex, Brighton,UK. www.ids.ac.uk/ids/particip/Cuny, Frederick. 1983. Disasters and Development. New York:Oxford University Press.Estrella, Marisol. 2002 October. ”Integrating DisasterManagement and Development: What can we learnfrom the Participatory Capacities and VulnerabilitiesAssessment (PCVA) experiences in the Philippines?”Report submitted to Oxfam Great Britain.Gonzales, Eleanor M. February 2000. ”Decentralization andPolitical Participation in the Philippines, Experiences andIssues in Societal Transformation”. February 2000 (workin progress downloaded from the internet)Kotze, Astrid von and Ailsa Holloway. 1996. Reducing risk:participatory learning activities for disaster mitigationin Southern Africa. Durban, Natal: InternationalFederation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societiesand Department of Adult and Community Education,University of Natal.Nolledo, Jose N. (editor). 2001 reprint. The 1991 LocalGovernment Code (with basic features). NationalBookstore.Oxfam-Great Britain Philippines Programme and CAREPhilippines. 2002 March. ”Evaluation of BuildingInstitutions for Local Disaster Action (BUILD-Action)January 2000 to January 2002. Maria Lenny E. Felix,Lead Evaluator. Report submitted to Oxfam GB.PCVA Research ReportsEstrella, Marisol and Honorio B. de Dios. 1998 June. ”DisasterManagement Strategy in Central Luzon: A participatoryreview of DM engagement.” Report submitted toOxfam Great Britain – Philippines Office.Estrella, Marisol and Honorio B. de Dios. 1999 September.”Participatory Capacities and Vulnerabilities Assessmentin the Province of Catanduanes”. Report submitted toOxfam Great Britain – Philippines Office and CAREPhilippines.78Voices from the Rubble: Summary of Key Research Findings

Participatory Capacities and Vulnerabilities Assessment:Finding the Link Between Disasters and DevelopmentApartfrom life-saving measures,Oxfam holds that even the most urgentof interventions amidst a rapidly unfoldingdisaster situation must create safe spaces thatwould ensure transparent, accountable andparticipatory processes through which even the mostvulnerable men and women members of the communitycould analyse their conditions and identify their own needs.It is towards this end that this handbook on participatorycapacities and vulnerabilities assessment or PCVA wasdeveloped, and is now being offered as a tool increating that space.