chapter 4 - DRK

Strictly under embargo until Wednesday 22 September at 00:01 GMT (02:01 Geneva time)all those in the evacuation centre), supportingthem in developing savings schemes, organizingexchange visits to see other communitybasedhousing schemes and organizing theconstruction of 103 temporary housing unitswithin four months of the disaster. The HPF’simmediate response to the Mount Mayor mudflowand floods was the dispatch of a teamto establish links with all the affected communitiesand to help them set up communityorganizations. It also supported surveys, organizedexchanges and promoted savings.These efforts focused on three municipalitieswhere there were several communities on particularlydangerous sites, supportive local governmentsand communities interested in theHPF and an absence of sustained relief fromaid agencies. Surveys were organized thatincluded families in high-risk areas that hadnot been affected by the mudslide and familiesliving in homes at risk of eviction alongthe railway tracks. The organized communitieswere able to select and acquire resettlementsites. The importance of this experience“is the pervading belief and commitment ofaffected families and communities to act andsave to recover and to prepare for and evadefuture disasters. The communities showed thisthrough their volunteering efforts and adoptionof the savings programme, collectivelysaving close to P500,000 [US$ 11,000] inless than a year. Their willingness to providecounterparts in terms of volunteer work andsavings prompted the federation to supporttheir land acquisition initiatives,” said JocelynCantoria, HPF’s regional coordinator. The disasters Year DetailsTrash slides at the Payatas solid waste dumpin Quezon City (metro Manila)2000 Heavy rains from typhoons caused a 15-metre (50ft) slope in thedump to collapse, burying hundreds of homes; 288 people werekilled and several hundred families displaced. Subsequent flashfloods affected the homes and livelihoods of many more people.Landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon 2006 The whole barangay (district) was buried and another 80 barangaysaffected. A total of 154 deaths were recorded, 968 people reportedmissing, 3,742 displaced and 18,862 affected.Mount Mayor mudflow and floods 2006 Typhoons triggered huge floods, mudslides and avalanches. Inthe Bicol region alone, at least 208 people died and another261 were reported missing. These settlements were recoveringfrom a previous typhoon.Fire in the settlement of the lower Tipolo 2007 246 structures were destroyed leaving 913 people homeless.Homeowners Association in MandaueFlash flood in Iloilo 2008 In the city of Iloilo, 152 of its 180 barangays were affected byheavy rain and flooding. Up to 500 people were killed, 261,335affected. Many houses were washed away and many householdslost their documentation.The work of the Philippines HPF in responding to disasters identified some constraintson community-driven responses that are common in most urban areas. These include:The difficulties faced by the affected population to produce documents requiredby the government because these were either lost or destroyed by the disasterThe common response of those affected to wait for others, especially governmentagencies, to do things and not to take the lead themselvesWorld Disasters Report 2010 – Focus on urban risk57