Nearly 5,000 children in 30 barangays of Catanduanes are covered by a three-year project launched last week by the Spanish NGO to ensure that children are safe and protected in communities before, during and after a disaster.
The Fundacion Educacion Y Cooperacion (EDUCO) formally kicked off Project SAFE II last Jan. 24, 2024 at Queen Maricel Inn in Virac with the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement with the provincial government and the municipalities of Caramoran, San Miguel and Virac.
Present during the event were Gov. Joseph Cua, Caramoran Mayor Glenda Aguilar and Vice Mayor Ferdinand Tioxon Jr, and San Miguel Vice Mayor Noel Morales while EDUCO was represented by Country Director Gemma Castillo-Goliat, Director of Programs Marlon Villanueva, and Area Manager for Catanduanes Adan Kristoffer Monterde.
Also in attendance were barangay captains of the 30 villages covered by the project and officials of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) offices of Catanduanes and the three towns.
Noting that children in Catanduanes are at high risk of hazards such as typhoons, storm surges, floods, earthquakes, and rain-induced landslides, EDUCO said that the project will help increase children’s resilience and protection, strengthen responsive safety measures in schools, and empower the community and capacitate duty bearers for child protection in a disaster situation.
Funded by ChildFund Korea, Project SAFE II will run from 2023 to 2025 and cover 4,701 children, 2,578 adults as well as 30 schools within the barangay of Dariao, Guiamlong, Inalmasinan, Maui, Maysuram, Milaviga, Panique, Supang, Toytoy and Tubli in Caramoran; Pajo San Isidro, Pajo Baguio, Igang, Capilihan, Gogon Centro, Magnesia del Norte. Antipolo del Norte, Talisoy, Balite and Batag in Virac; and Balatohan, District 3, Pagsangahan, Pangilao, Paraiso, Progreso, San Juan, Solong, Juan M. Alberto and Tobrehon in San Miguel.
To capacitate children, the project will provide training to Barangay Children’s Organizations on child-centered DRRM, develop a child-centered DRR Plan that will be integrated with the barangay DRRM Plan, develop a children’s DRM Advocacy Plan and conduct a children’s summit on DRRM.
EDUCO will also lobby with LGUs to integrate the BCOs and their agenda and plans in the community-based DRRM Council.
To promote safer schools, the School DRRM Team will be formed while the contingency plan will be integrated in the SDRRM Plan along with the establishment of clear roles and responsibilities and holding of quarterly drills.
Trainings will on the School DRRM will also be provided for the team and the Student Government Council while contextualized local-level early warning systems will be developed based on hazard maps.
The project will also revisit the Barangay DRRM Plan to integrate standards for comprehensive child protection in emergencies, raise awareness among the communities, and provide emergency response supplies and equipment to the local DRRM council.
Training on Child Protection in Emergency Standards will be given to barangay officials, its DRRM council, representatives of basic sectors, school heads and children.
Gov. Cua and the other local officials present expressed their commitment to the project together with representatives of the DepEd Catanduanes Schools Division Office.
In thanking EDUCO for its continued advocacy in Catanduanes, Cua said the interventions to be provided by Project SAFE II will complement current strategies of the LGUs in capacitating children on preparing for and responding to disaster situations.