Changing community perceptions of person’s with disabilities’ capabilities is an ongoing challenge in the barangays (villages) where the post-Haiyan project Enhancing Resilience through Disability Inclusive Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (ENABLED) in Tabogon, Cebu, Philippines works. The ENABLED project is implemented by Philippine organisation, A2D. The project is supported by ASB and Aktion Deutschland Hilft. Through disability-centered programs and activities, persons with disabilities are starting to take a more active role in their communities.
Judith Cruz, 63, is among the 76 Persons with Disabilities living in Barangay Somosa, Tabogon. Judith has a mobility limitation from an early age due to polio. Judith is married to Edgardo, 68, who has a visual impairment. The roof of their house was ripped off by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
Judith shares that she rarely attends or gets invited to community assemblies which are held in the barangay center, a good distance away from her home. ‘Venues for meetings are far away. I get tired walking to get there’ she says. Judith also says she was discouraged to be involved in a local Disabled Person’s Organization (DPO) and that internal conflicts occurred within the organization.
When Typhoon Haiyan struck the village Judith and her husband did not evacuate. Judith and Edgardo stayed huddled in the ground floor of their wooden house. Judith says that there was no direct evacuation advice or if there was, she did not receive it. ‘We just listened for updates on the radio’ says Judith.
Committed to include persons with disabilities in the ENABLED project started introductory meetings in June. Judith was among those who attended at the chapel in her sub-village. Judith says: ‘I am happy that persons with disabilities are considered in choosing venues; meetings are now held near our house.’
Through participatory risk assessments, Judith and other community members’ identified where persons with disabilities lived in her community. Community members then considered what was needed to ensure evacuations in the future. Safe and accessible evacuation routes for persons with disabilities in the event of emergencies were also identified. These tools would become valuable resources for persons with disabilities and others with functioning limitations in times of disasters.
With project activities tailored to her needs, such as the provision of transport for meetings and trainings conducted outside her sub-village, Judith’s confidence has started to grow. She now speaks more openly about her thoughts and feelings during meetings. Judith also began to lobby for the reorganization of her local DPO and they have successfully resolved issues between members. The DPO is now on its way to securing a seat on the Barangay Development Council. It is hoped that this will open more opportunities for persons with disabilities to contribute to their community’s development.
The disability-inclusive activities of the ENABLED project has not only helped the DPO and its members to attain a level of disaster awareness, but also has enabled DPO members to decide on possible actions needed to achieve other goals. Judith and other community members in Somosa may have only just started on the road towards inclusive-resilience, but it is hoped that this positive start may create lasting impact. ‘We will surely evacuate when informed to do so when the next typhoons come, because we already know now the procedures. We can even help others now’ Judith concludes with a smile. (A2D Team/edit: Rizma Kristiana)
