Resource Center on Peace and Resilience opens in Eastern Visayas

Press Release
August 14, 2020

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 8 opened its Local Governance Regional Resource Center (LGRRC) on August 12, 2020 with a special highlight on Peace and Resilience and related issues.

Regional Director Karl Caesar R. Rimando acknowledged the contributions of the different field offices and regional office divisions in populating the resource center. He added that with the establishment of the DILG LGRRC located at the Peace and Resilience Center inside the DILG Regional Office compound, students and other researchers can get data on resiliency and related concerns, as well as on peace and development studies. He vowed to make the LGRRC visible and fully functional so that it will be useful for everyone. He ended by exhorting greater cooperation, stressing his mantra, “Together, Everyone Achieves More”.

DILG Undersecretary Marivel C. Sacendoncillo, the guest speaker and a former Regional Director of DILG 8, said she probably was the happiest person in the gathering. She traced back to 2005 when the Local Government Academy of which she was then Executive Director, conceptualized on how to expand the reach of the LGA through LGUs.

She said LGRRC is an attempt to harmonize what the agency does, and to galvanize the Department as a catalyst for LGUs. The LGRRC which began as a small idea is now sprouting all over the country. She challenged DILG Region 8 to cultivate the knowledge management center with a special focus on peace and resilience as a platform. This is due to the region’s being vulnerable to both natural hazards and a communist insurgency. She said Samar is still experiencing many incidents that make peace and order a major challenge. On the other hand COVID is another major disaster that presents everybody a great test.

“Due to this unique situation, DILG 8 has a great opportunity to make the center thrive and serve the entire country. I envision the center to serve not just the Philippines but even other ASEAN countries as they face the same challenges, but do not have a knowledge center dedicated to these topics. Region 8 can set the example for other regions. Congratulations to RD Rimando for initiating this!” she said.

Further acknowledging that knowledge management is basically communicating ideas, she thanked allies like PIA Regional Director Erlinda Olivia Tiu, who was a special guest. She proposed to further strengthen the agency’s Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Council (MSAC), as the task of capacity development and Knowledge Management cannot be done by DILG solely.

After the inauguration, Usec. Sacendoncillo, RD Rimando, PIA RD Tiu and DILG8 ARD Atty. Darwin Bibar led the inspection of the showcase booths of knowledge products which were contributed by DILG provincial offices and the two key cities in the region.

The booth of Northern Samar entitled, “An Balangay Pakadto sa Kamurayaw ngan Kauswagan” (Balangay Towards Peace and Development) features the initiatives of the Provincial Development Council and the Provincial Peace and Order Council, in addition to its popular tourist attractions. The exhibit presents the Joint PDC and PPOC resolution condemning the CPP-NPA-NDF as Persona Non Grata, as well as the various lines of efforts and champions in the implementation of Executive Order 70. These included pictorial reports on the implementation of Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP), Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA), and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP). Also featured were the activities of the “Darangpan” or Home for Social Integration, as well as that of the Nagkaisang Nortehanon Agricultural Corporation.

On the other hand Eastern Samar highlighted its booth on “Bakdaw Sinirangan” (Rise Up, East). It showcased the socio-demographic profile, criminality situation, status of implementation of the LTIA and ECLIP, ELCAC Task Force resolutions, petitions in support of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (RA 11479), the declaration of the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata, and pictorial reports of PPOC meetings and the ADAC Performance Award received by Mayor Amado Candido of the municipality of Hernani.

The province of Samar featured “Pagka-Sinabtanay ngan Pagbinurubilgay, Pitad Ngadto hin Ungod nga Kamurayaw” or Unity and Cooperation: Steps Toward True Peace”, which included knowledge products of the 12 RTF-ELCAC clusters as well as delicacies of the province and native woven products known as “Lara”.

Tacloban City meanwhile termed its booth as “Mabaskog ngan Maanyag nga Tacloban” (Resilient and Vibrant Tacloban) citing its ability to bounce back despite its vulnerabilities, such as after Supertyphoon Yolanda/Haiyan in 2013, the booming of jobs, reengineering of projects for climate change. Its pictorials featured the Basic Emergency Response Trainings in 2020, Evacuation Drills, Trainings on First Aid, Listong Pamayanan, as well as its key landmarks. The booth likewise featured Publications about Yolanda/Haiyan in 2013 as well as the Institutionalization of Guides to Action Against COVID-19, and COVID hotlines in Tacloban.

Southern Leyte’s booth was entitled, “Inaampingan Kina-iyahan, Lig-ong Katawhan”, translated as ”Conservation and protection of the environment breeds community resilience”. The booth showcases the province’s resilience against natural disasters such as the landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon, St. Bernard town on February 17, 2006 which buried an entire village and caused the transfer of the community of surviving inhabitants, as well as its efforts to protect against climate change, environmental neglect, extinction of wildlife other natural calamities, and against COVID-19. The province likewise highlighted the native handicrafts, trinkets made of shell, sand, nito, coconut shells from Maasin City and eco-friendly but stylish “bayong” or bags made of buli, nito and uway from the municipality of St. Bernard.

Biliran underscored the theme “Convergence for Resiliency” to effectively manage scarce resource for the island province which receives Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) much smaller than others. It featured initiatives on resilience and collaboration by LGU. The provincial government highlighted its distribution of fresh fruits and live or dressed chicken to front-liners to help local farmers and livestock owners. The island town of Maripipi featured the “pintakasi” by residents of Barangays Danao and Agutay to temporarily repair the road washed out by Typhoon Ursula in 2019. On the other hand the municipality of Almeria featured the continued blood-letting campaign in the time of COVID, while the capital town of Naval underscored the 24/7 efforts of the Naval Rescue Unit which is often tapped to respond to emergencies in other LGUs owing to its state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained staff. The towns of Biliran, Cabucgayan and Kawayan emphasized the actions of their MDRRMCs to prepare and respond to natural calamities. The town of Culaba tapped schools to develop the potential for community resilience through the School-based DRRM Olympics, while the town of Caibiran featured a story of how the LGU assisted a mother who had given birth on the way to the RHU at the height of Typhoon Ursula in 2019.

The province of Leyte on the other hand featured pictorials on the Recovery Assistance on Yolanda, COVID Response, publications on resilience after Yolanda, as well as livelihood and community resilience programs that helped produce native products such as abaca and delicacies. The province likewise highlighted its comprehensive program against COVID 19 which included preparatory meetings, conduct of Rapid Diagnostic Testing, Disinfection, Consultation and Medication, Training and Monitoring and strict Management of Isolation facilities.

The independent component city of Ormoc meanwhile featured its multi-pronged approach for resilience. It invested in Infra Development to spur future growth by partnering with NGOs to build disaster-resilient infrastructure and urban design. The city has been recognized with the Concrete Ideas Award and the Top Model Cities in the Philippine Award. It is the first city in the country to complete the city-wide development of Light Emitting Diode (LED) streetlights by upgrading 1,641 street lights to energy-efficient light bulbs. It has likewise strengthened its DRR capabilities, focused on forging partnerships and embracing e-governance. Initiatives highlighted included the JICA Flood Mitigation Project, Bayanihan donation drive against COVID, Safe Ormoc Web application against COVID-19, In-House ICT equipment, My Ormoc City application, conduct of Online Virtual Psychosocial support, Online BPLS payments and the use of Geographic Information System for DRR as early as 1999.

At the end of the activity, Usec. Sacendoncillo and RD Rimando led the presentation of plaques of appreciation to the field offices for their display of resourcefulness and creativity. Aside from the six provincial directors and their respective cluster heads, as well as the city director of Tacloban and CLGOO of Ormoc, also present were the division chiefs, assistant chiefs and key unit heads of the DILG-8 Regional Office.