The Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Efforts: Experiences, Practices, and Policies (the Case of the Philippines)

Maria Teresa Sharon Linog, Research Institute for Mindanao Culture (RIMCU)

The study objective centers on examining how stakeholders assess disaster emergency relief and rehabilitation efforts, the process of distribution, policies, observance of equity and gender sensitivity. Two natural disaster situations are foci of the study; landslide and flooding of long duration. Focus Group Discussion and key informant’s interview were methods of data collection. Twelve FGDs were conducted with a total of 106 individuals participating. Forty key informants were interviewed. The findings indicate: early warning is taken lightly, distribution of assistance was claimed to be equitable and sensitive to vulnerable groups. Delay in relief assistance was observed in spite of the cited effective coordination. Behavioral changes were seen through increased capacity on disaster management and the scaling-up of disaster preparedness. Recommendations stressed alignment between expectations and limitation of assistance, translating preparedness activities into regular habit and maintenance of transparency, openness, and accessibility.