TO DISASTER-PROOF an entire province, the local government must take
the lead in ensuring mitigation and adaptation measures are in place.
Since Davao Oriental can no longer claim to be typhoon-free, the
province has revisited its Provincial Development and Physical Framework
Plan to better equip its municipalities when worse comes to worst.
United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) where both have found a common ground that Disaster Risk
Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRRCCA) should be integrated in
the local development planning.
modification and
rezonification so that the areas determined as not so sound for
habitation will be off limits to people.
"And as our firm commitment, the province is helping LGUs (local
government units) to chart out their respective Municipal Comprehensive
Land Use Plan while mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate
Change Adaptation measures in their respective development plans," said
Governor Corazon Malanyaon, in her speech during a recent forum.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11 has helped the province
along with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 11 and Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to map out the
geo-hazard areas, which is now followed in the establishment of
resettlements.
The government is also working on restoring the province's
environmental resources, particularly the programs on mangrove
rehabilitation, coastal cleanup, dumpsite development and watershed
rehabilitation.
When Pablo made landfall, it flattened most of Baganga, Cateel and
Boston municipalities, leaving 457 deaths, 3,020 injured, 64,032
families affected, and P5.846 billion in government infrastructures,
private structures and properties lost on its wake.
Also, the rich agriculture, tourism, trade, and service sectors
incurred P8.5 billion damages while 30 percent of its coral resources
were lost and 132,105 hectares of forest lands were destroyed.
With the plan now in place, at least the province can cushion the
impact of typhoons, the same intensity or even stronger than Typhoon
Pablo that wreaked havoc the province on December 4, 2012.
Rehab on track
With the means of livelihood destroyed, the province sought out the
intervention of Department of Agriculture (DA)-Davao to help affected
families get back on their feet.
The programs that were implemented include extension of 100 percent
rice seed subsidy to more than 8,000 farmers in Baganga, Cateel, and
Boston for a total area of 9,876 hectares, provision of seeds for corn
production benefitting more than 7,000 farmers, and provision of seeds
for vegetable production.
Also, part of the intervention was the distribution of cacao
seedlings in the towns of Boston and Cateel benefiting almost 2,000
farmers, and seedlings for cassava production in affected towns to 5,742
farmers covering a total of 430 hectares.
On the housing, a total of 6,729 families received temporary shelters
and emergency shelter kits containing basic construction tools and
materials.
"These were provided by convergence of various local and
international agencies under the Shelter Cluster. Meanwhile, the DSWD
(Department of Social Welfare and Development), who aside from
constructing bunk houses as temporary shelters also helped bring aid to
families whose houses were partially damaged through the distribution of
Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) in the form of cash," she reported.
The first and second releases amounted to P158.7 million, which benefited around 15,881 households.
Transition shelters were also put in place for a total of 5,359 families.
"These shelters not only provided our people with the most basic
comforts of a home, but mainly protected them especially from health
risks due to poor hygienic conditions in congested emergency shelters,"
she said.
The governor added that there were close to 10,000 permanent homes
completed and undergoing construction under the Modified Shelter
Assistance Program of the provincial government and DSWD.
"No less than 5,000 construction workers, that include masons,
carpenters, painters, plumbers, have been employed in the implementation
of this massive housing project," she said.
Rise of hot chili
Jose P. Calub, officer-in-charge of Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI)-Davao Oriental, during the DTI-Davao Media Interface at the Marco
Polo Hotel Davao on Friday, said they are supporting eight major chili
producers in Davao Oriental.
"Nakita namo na resilient ang (We saw that chili is more resilient) compared to other crops during typhoon," he said.
Right now, they are in the thick of things in helping these producers
comply with the requirements to secure a certification from Food and
Drugs Administration (FDA).
"So that when the Asean Community takes effect, our chili producers are ready," he said.
In Davao Oriental, most of the focus is centered on the three towns hit by Pablo -- Cateel, Baganga, and Boston.
The agency is also set to construct three facilities through the
Shared Service Facilities (SSF) that are compliant with the regulations
of the FDA.
With this initiative, a total of 1,000 families have benefited from the "Hot Pablo' Livelihood Project covering 100 hectares.
The beneficiaries, comprised of farmers and processors, were assisted
in terms of production, skills development, product development
marketing and branding.
The trade office has also observed a high local demand for chili, as
evident on the sales generated from the trade fairs where processors
have actively been participating in.
Last year, chili processors generated P6 million from joining trade fairs.
To address the immediate need of farmers to earn a living, Malanyaon
added that livestock and draft animals such as carabao, cattle, goat and
chicken were distributed to families.
There were also a series of skills, productivity and entrepreneurial
trainings to strengthen livelihood projects such as bamboo (furniture,
construction materials and baskets) processing, coco-bead and
coco-furniture processing, driftwood furniture and novelties processing,
bead making, rubber nursery and hot chili production and processing.
These initiatives were facilitated through the support of some
government agencies and Rural Entrepreneurship Advocacy for Change
(Reach) program of the Provincial Government.
Other livelihood programs that are currently being pushed are;
Driftwood Processing (Boston, Baganga, Cateel); Rosary-making out of
coco-beads (Cateel); Carpentry Workshop and Material Recovery Facility
(Cateel and Baganga); and Fiber-board Processing Facility (Baganga).
"These livelihood projects under the Debris Management supported more than 11,000 beneficiaries," Malanyaon added.
Given the intensity of damages caused by Pablo in the province, it will take a while before it can get back on its feet.
"Our 'Building-Back-Better' agenda is still a long way to go. But
having a solid support from the national government and other
development collaborators, and having put in place operational
mechanisms, we are positive that we can harness more resources and
partners... we can do more... and we can do better in the coming
years... Always with that undaunted spirit 'to Move on and to Move up'
as our mantra goes," she added.
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