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Province of Dinagat islands: Poised to be the first certified Zero Open defecation province in Mindanao
The Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) was one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Odette (international
name: Rai) with over 34,000 households and more than 14,500 houses severely affected or destroyed.
Thirty percent (305%) of the population in PDI are living below poverty line, according to the Philippine
Statistics Authority first semester report on the Official Poverty Statistics of the Philippines 2021 index,
The province hosts nickel ore mining companies whose operations are said to be regulated and subject
to periodic environmental checks. It is also one of the most climate vulnerable area as it lies along the
pacific rim. Climate scenarios, and the interaction with non-climate risks could further exacerbate
inequities and leave development targets lagging and unfulfilled.
In Cy 2022, A Single Drop for Safe Water (ASDSW) and UNICEF, with support from the New Zealand
Government, provided lifesaving WASH services to 48,849 people in the municipalities of Basilisa and
Cagdianao, the two (2) municipalities worst hit by the super typhoon Odette.
About 4,386 households (15%) in PDI have no access to sanitary toilets and are either practicing open
defecation or sharing with other families. Thirteen percent (13%) or 3,946 households are accessing
water from generally unsafe Level I sources while 25,534 households are accessing water from Level II
and III systems.
The existing poverty situation in PDI will continue to degrade as climate changes, TY Odette as clear
example. Without harnessing the capacity of LGUs to modify social behavior towards WASH, along with
increasing public and private investments in the sector, the situation will worsen. Combining WASH
programming with better understanding of potential climate change impact could equip local
governments and communities on setting up urgent mitigation measures to move beyond survival and
towards the ability to thrive.
In the last quarter of 2024, UNICEF and Hocheng Philippines Corporation donated 1,000 units of toilet
bowls to the province as part of the continuing effort of improving the sanitation condition of PDI. This
donation by HCG was coupled by subsidy on other construction materials such as cement and nails and
GI roofing sheets to complete a partly concrete toilet facility for the households. The province of Dinagat
island, with its seven (7) municipalities is embarking on an ambitious target of making the whole
province a certified Zero Open Defecation Barangay by the end of 2025. This effort is also aimed to
protect the vulnerable water sources and improving environmental sanitation as a whole. With tourism
as one of the major source of income, second to mining, this move will further boost the marketability
of the island province as the next eco-tourism destination in the region.

inspector receives the 1000 pcs toilet bowls from
HCG staff.

materials are transported by boat to island
barangays.

Barangay Resilience and Innovation ThroughEmpowerment (BRITE) in Catanduanes
A Case Study of Local Champions owning participative planning to build local resilience
Authored by Ritchie Bugaoisan and Kevin Lee
November 28, 2024
Summary
Vitol Foundation funded ASDSW to implement the BRITE program in Catanduanes in 2022/2023. The BRITE program uses design thinking and human-centered design principles to engage the community and the barangay to determine its Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan. The format of the final plan is compliant with government formats. It is then reviewed and integrated into municipal-level DRRM plans.
This program was piloted in Puerto Princesa City as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and then rolled out in Roxas Palawan also funded by Vitol Foundation. Note that the piloting of this program was funded by Arche Nova and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints.
In all 3 project sites the municipal and city governments noted a marked improvement in the plans that were submitted and are now monitoring project, program and activities being actually implemented. ASDSW also visited barangays in Roxas when they had a potential typhoon and noted that at the barangay and municipal level there was an improvement in pre-onset preparations and mobilization. The linkages between the barangays and the municipal governments was improved.
In October 2024 Typhoon Kristine impacted Catanduanes. Though not as heavily affected as by Typhoon Rolly ASDSW still conducted an assessment and talked to some of the BRITE partners.
Overall it was found that the coordination between the barangays and the municipal level was much improved as was the barangays response. People knew their roles and responsibilities, and communicated much more effectively with the different levels of government. They also felt that they were better able to handle the situation even without outside assistance.
The Municipality of Baras has been the most effective implementer of the program and has institutionalized the process and has also seen the results. In the past if a Typhoon was approaching only 4-6 barangays would conduct a council meeting to organize anticipatory action and report to the municipality actions and issues. As typhoon Kristine approached 29 out of 29 barangays conducted meetings and reported.
The following document illustrates the impact of this capacity building program.
Baras, Catanduanes a Champion of BRITE
The second phase of implementation of BRITE in Catanduanes was with the new municipalities of Baras, Gigmoto, and expansion in the municipalities of San Miguel and San Andres. The municipality of Baras has resulted in the entire municipality participating even though the initial target was just 5 barangays.
The implementation in Baras was with the five pilot barangays namely Brgy. Caragumihan, Salvacion, Batolinao, San Miguel and Guinsaanan. The training was being facilitated by both, ASDSW and the MDRRMO Baras who actively participated and then led the subsequent trainings. This was led by the MDRRMO training officer Mr. Frances Ramirez who also spearheaded the coordination and preparation of the training resulting in a high level of commitment by participating barangays.
During the pilot barangays Mr. Frances and his team realized that the CDRRM planning process which is the government standard only included the Brgy. Captain, Secretary and Treasurer. They have observed that the involvement of the community during the crafting of the plan was actually the key to identify and address issues. Mr. Frances and his team reported this observation to Engr. Khalil M. Tapia MDRRMO department head.
After we do the implementation of the program in the pilot barangays in a municipality there is a test of whether we’ve been successful. Are the municipality going to continue with the process or will it remain a pilot that did not scale. The ones that don’t scale often quote time and available staffing for not scaling. In many of the places we have worked they have scaled, including some of the initial municipalities in Catandunes. The municipality of Baras was exceptional.
The MDRRM Officer of Baras Engr Khalil wanted to scale because of the feedback from the barangay officials and community, about the effectiveness of the process and how it also engaged everyone. In the process of scaling the MDRRMO and ASDSW brainstormed on how to do it more efficiently so that the resources needed could be minimized as it is a time consuming activity.
Engr. Khalil suggested to do the training in 3-days, but even though ASDSW staff thought that this would be difficult, it was tested, but the results were far from ideal with insufficient time spent on discussing and processing the results.
The ASDSWteamprocessed the outputs with Engr Kalil about the importance of discussing the outputs and that the planning process is not about building a compliant plan but a plan that can be understood, internalized and implemented. This was understood by the MDRRMO so then we started on working on clustered trainings with 7-10 people from 3-4 barangays at the Operation Center. This reduced the costs for the MDRRMOfacilitators but had the added bonus of allowing barangays to compare notes and experiences to build Municipal pooled knowledge.
The MDRRMO committed and succeeded in ensuring that all 29 barangays used BRITE to build or strengthen their BDRRM Plans. Mr. Frances was the lead trainer as being the MDRRMO training officer and not only was he a skilled facilitator but he was able to continue the discussion beyond the facilitation of the process. At this stage ASDSW was relegated to a cheerleading role as the MDRRMO, particularly Mr Francis completed all 29 barangays.
During the integration of barangay plans into the municipal plans , Engr. Khalil and his team noticed the difference of the actual output on the consolidated PPAs. They noticed that many of the identified PPAs of the barangays are already present in their MDRRMP, however what catches their attention was that there are actually some ideas that they don’t have. In some PPAs, there were some barangays they have missed to include as their actual targets. They appreciated the integration process as it is very simple and precise. Engr. Khalil knew that it is not only the BDRRMP of the barangays that needs updating, the commitment he gave to ASDSW was to do another set of consolidation activities after they covered all 29 barangays and integrate all of the identified PPAs to their MDRRMP. Also, to make sure that the identified PPAs of the barangays will be included on the consideration for funding of their LGU, they presented the first consolidated PPAs to their quarterly meeting with their Local Development Council.
Baras has far exceeded expectations where they have presented their PPA’s from the BRITE process to the LDC. But also the first municipality to cover all barangays and are continuing to coach the barangay secretaries to make sure the BDRRMP’s meet the highest standard to be integrated into the municipal plan. By far, with all the partner MDRRMOs we have worked with, they are the one who have gone this far.
Before typhoon Kristine hit Catanduanes, Engr. Khalil shared that the BRITE actually helped the barangays to see the real situation in their communities. Recognizing these benefits they were then institutionalizing the BRITE in the municipality of Baras as their official tool in training and crafting of the BDRRMPoftheir barangays in the future. This resolution was crafted by the MDRRM council, submitted
and approved.
How has BRITE impacted the ability of Barangays to prepare and react to Typhoon Kristine
Municipality of Viga
The training of the barangays has been tested by Typhoon Kristine, even though Typhoon Kristine was not as strong as Typhoon Rolly it still managed to disrupt the livelihood and damaged many houses and properties, it even took lives in Catanduanes due to its heavy rain causing landslides in many areas in the province. The provincial government of Catanduanes announced a state of calamity because of the effect of the typhoon. The ASDSW team conducted a rapid assessment with our partner LGUs and this gave us the chance to go back and visit barangays in several municipalities asking them how they responded to typhoon Kristine and if there were any differences in the reactions from the barangays.
Barangay Del Pilar in the municipality of Viga, we were able to talk with the Barangay Captain. During the BRITE process one of the issues was that the Captain and only a few officials did all the work. The look on her face said it all which illustrated the change in how the council responded. She told us that she is not tired at all, not stressed with the situation because all of her officials are working together. Thanking us for addressing the issue during the training by enlightening all of her fellow barangay officials about their roles and responsibilities in the community.

Conversely, Barangay Sagrada we were only able to talk to people in the clearing operations and most of them were not part of the training and so we saw that maybe at the barangay council level there were changes but at the ground level people didn’t see the change. They thought the response was going well, but even though the impact was not major they still insisted that we should respond and provide assistance. We are not sure if the BRITE program influenced the leaders that we did not speak to, improving the response.
Municipality of San Miguel
ASDSW visited the municipality of San Miguel, and talked with Mr. Juan Bernal, the MDRRMO designate. He told us that typhoon Kristine was not that strong in their municipality, however he has noticed something in many barangays. He is surprised by the fact that many of the barangays have submitted their RDANAs early which never happened before as he said with a smile on his face. Indicating that even though the typhoon was not that strong the training has made an impact in many barangays in San Miguel and they are happy with it. And now they are asking if they can set a training of their own using the BRITE process and asking us to help them facilitate the training. We will endeavor to make this happen.
Quotes from Officials
Brgy. Del Pilar, Viga
Hindi na ako lang lagi ang bugbog sa trabaho at sa kakaikot sa buong barangay Sir, yung mga kasama ko sa konseho aktibo na silang gumagalaw sa barangay, dahil din siguro nalinawan po sila kung ano talaga ang function nila bilang barangay official. Malaki po naging tulong nung training Sir.
“This time unlike before I’m not the only one who does all the work and roam around our barangay to inform the people. My fellow barangay official is more active now, I think that was because of the training they we were enlightened about their functions in the community as a barangay official. The training we did actually helped a lot Sir.”
Brgy. Sagrada, Viga
Wala pa yung bagyo Sir, lahat po kami pati po mga nag-iikot. Lalo na po nawalan ng kuryente, gumawa po ngparaan, lahat po umikot po. Manu-mano po yung pagkalat ng impormasyon at pagcheck ng mga sitwasyon ng mga tao. Hindi po kami nahirapan Sir, madali lang po kahit may konting problema, madali kasi madami po kaming nagtulungan. Kahit nga po ngayon, nag-iikot pa rin ng barangay at naglilinis po. Sa susunod mas madali na to kapag may mga gamit na po kami.
“Even though typhoon Kristine has not yet hit us we already go out to inform our people about the storm that’s abut to hit us. Especially when the electricity went out, we find ways, everyone went around the barangay. We did the information dissemination manually and monitor our people if they are safe. We did not struggle, it was easier this time even though we encounter few challenges. Even this time, this early in the morning we went out to do clearing operations. Next time it will be a lot easier if we have equipment.
-Dapat Sir kahit mahina ang bagyo may relief pa rin.
“Even though the typhoon was not strong enough there should be a relief operation.”
MDRRMO Viga
Hindi kami nahirapan makipagtulungan sa mga barangay Sir dahil sila mismo napaka-aktibo na nila. May mganakapagpasa na nga din po agad ng reports nila. Though kulang pa sa ilang barangay na malalayo, pero mas madali ngayon, kahit sabihing hindi kami nagrabi malaking pa rin pinagbago lalo nitong mga partner nyong barangay.
“We did not struggle in working with the barangays it’s because they are more active than before. There are some barangays who were able to submit their RDANA early. Though we are missing some RDANA it is because many barangays were too far away, however this time it was really different. Even though we can tell that typhoon was not really that strong, there has been changes with the barangays especially those barangays you conducted trainings.”
MDRRMO San Miguel
Ay ngayon pa nga lang malaki na pinagbago ng mga barangay, mas mabibilis na sila ngayon. Pano nalang sa susunod kapag naexecute na nila mga plano nila. Kahit mahina yung bagyo, may epekto pa rin sya pero hindi ganun kabigat dahil mas alam na ng mga barangay mga dapat nilang gawin. Natatagalan lang report nitong mga isolated barangays, pero ganun pa man yung pag-aalala natin ay hindi na bothering kasi alam nating may kaalaman na sila.
“There has been a lot of change with the barangays, they were faster this time. How much more next time when they have executed their plans. Typhoon Kristine may not be that strong, it has still an effect however it’s not that extreme because barangays knew exactly what they have to do. There has been a delay in submission of RDANA especially on the isolated areas, however the worry we have is not that bothering because we knew that they have the capacity.”
Typhoon Kristine Response in municipality of Baras
Before we went out to go and visit Baras, ASDSW was able to communicate with the MDRRMO Department Head Engr. Khalil M. Tapia. Asking how the barangays were performing this time. Engr. Khalil shared his thoughts that it was a lot easier this time. The response in every barangay was a lot easier, even though they haven’t issued an advisory, he noticed that barangays were moving for their own preparation for the typhoon. They have observed that the moment they issued the advisory about typhoon Kristine 29 out of 29 barangays conducted right away an emergency meeting “Yes po Sir, lahat nagconduct na ng emergency meeting pag receive ng advisory galing sa amin, dati mga 4 to 6 lang ang agad agad nyan nagmemeeting, ngayong 29 barangays na.” said Engr. Khalil. This is a lot different from the past.
This indicates the part of the BRITE Training where they do a simulation on how they are going to act if there is an emergency. This reinforced the value of the last day where simulations test procedures and ensure that all officials know their responsibilities.
The municipality of Baras appreciates and sees the importance of the BRITE in their locality that is why they have decided to officially adopt the BRITE program as their official tool in training barangays on crafting their Barangay DRRM Plans. The MDRRMC of Baras has made a resolution institutionalizing BRITE as one of their tools in capacitating their barangays. This is the very first municipality who has institutionally adopted BRITE because of the success it indicates within the municipality. The value of the process was reflected in the actions taken during the Typhoon Kristine response.
Mr. Frances as the BRITE Champion and lead trainer summarised the impact of BRITE, especially as he facilitated the process on his own to complete the last of 29 barangays.
ASDSW facilitator Ritchie Bugaoisan “With a smile and excitement on his face, he told me that it was really something”. “iba talaga sa pakiramdam Sir, grabe mag-pasalamat nung mga barangay. Grabe yung appreciations nila, naiyak talaga ko sir, sobrang natutuwa ako na naappreciate nila yung training. Nagpapasalamat din daw sila sa oras ko, sa pagturo sa kanila. Ngayon nga Sir kapag pumupunta ko ng mga barangay kung dati Hi lang ngayong niyayakap nila ko kapag nakikita nila ko.”
“It felt nice, they were grateful. I even got emotional because they really appreciated the training and myeffort. This is why I’m glad that I did the training. They said that they are thankful for my time for teaching them. Now, every time I visit them they would even hug me unlike before they
will just say Hi and that’s it.
The training did not just provide knowledge to the barangays but it made the connection between barangays and MDRRMO waystronger than before which is a very good indicator that Baras is a more resilient municipality. As a facilitator, we aim for these things to happen. Now, barangays do not hesitate to go to MDRRMO to ask fortechnical assistance on crafting their BDRRMP. This may be a simple action but many municipalities failed to do this. If the barangay clearly communicates their needs to the MDRRMO they will receive guidance.
Oftentimes the success of the program comes down to the partners LGU having a champion to own the process. ASDSW is not just a training organization, but it teaches, coaches and then becomes a cheerleader. In Baras we had a strong champion that understood the importance of community participation vs consultation. When the facilitators saw the enthusiasm then they moved to enabling the model to spread and working as true partners took on the partners suggestions and tried different methodologies as we are also on a learning journey with our partners. The facilitators also own the program and work with the partners not as teacher/student but as a partner with a common goal of building and strengthening governance systems to improve the ability of the LGU to provide basic services, reduce risk and to respond in times of crisis.
Wefirst visited barangay Danao, which was isolated by a massive landslide and asked:
- Howdidtheyrespond to Typhoon Kristine?
- Whatistheir understanding between relief and response?
- Whatistheir perspective on the idea that help from other agencies is not around?
- Doyoufeelresilient? Why?
Brgy. Danao (Secretary and Captain)
-Mas madali at organized na sir yung response namin, hindi kami nahirapan kahit na-isolate kami dahil sa landslide. Mas madami na kaming nagtutulungan. Mas responsible na yung ibang mga member ng barangay dahil madaling araw palang nag-iikot na talaga kami, wala pang kain kain nag-iikot na kami. Kailangan talaga mag-ikot dahil nawalan ng kuryente.

“It was easier and well-organized the response we did, we did not struggle even though we were isolated due to the massive landslide. This time, many are working together. They are more responsible this time because early in the morning without breakfast or anything we already went out to inform our people. We had made sure everyone is informed and ready, we struggle a little because of the electricity.”
-Malaki po naging tulong ng training kasi po madami na po talaga ang nakakaalam kung ano po ang dapat gawin lalo na po kaming mga barangay officials.
“The training helped us a lot because many people from the community knows exactly what to do, especially us, the barangay officials.”
-Ramdam ponaminnamasresilient kami kasi po na-isolate man kami kinaya po namin ng wala pong tulong galing sa labas. Magaan po sa pakiramdam na sa kabila ng kakulangan sa kapasidad ng barangay namin kinakaya po lalo na po siguro kung magawa namin yung mga nasa bagong plano namin ngayon.
“We felt resilient, even though because of the landslide we were isolated. We still managed to stand on our own without help from outside. It felt nice, despite of our weaknesses and lack of capacity we were able to manage, how much more if we execute the plan we have made.”

Brgy. P. Teston (Brgy. Captain & Secretary)
-Naglibot na po kami agad pagbaba ng advisory, isa-isa po naming pinuntahan yung mga bahay. Pinaliwanag na po namin kung saan po sila pwede mag-evacuate kung sakaling tumaas po yung dagat. Nung evacuation na po, wala po kaming naging problema dahil alam ng mga tao kung saan sila pwede pumunta, naasikaso din po namin ng maayos.
“The moment we received the advisory from the MDRRMO we immediately went out and to every house one-by-one. We explain to the people where they can evacuate in case the sea water level rises. During evacuation, we did not encounter issues because people are well informed on where to go, we are also able to accommodate them well.”
-Maganda sa pakiramdam Sir na nakatulong kami kahit kami lang po kahit walang tulong na dumating samin, masarap sa pakiramdam na kaya namin na kami lang.
“It felt nice that we can help our people even though we lack some resources and help is not around, it felt nice that we managed even though it’s just us.”
(We clarified something with the barangay officials and community who were listening, if you managed to respond well now despite your current weakness, how much more if you execute your BDRRMP. This idea excites every individual in the room.)
Brgy. Caragumihan (The whole council)
-Nagmeeting po kami agad-agad Sir nung marecieve namin yung advisory ng mdrrmo, nag-activate din po kami ng Emergency Operation Center (EOC). Well organized po ang committees namin, nagagawa po talaga nila yung mga assignment nila, wala pong nagtuturuan kung ano ba gagawin. Smooth din po pagconduct namin ng RDANA.
“We conducted emergency meeting the moment we received the advisory from MDRRMO, we even activated our own Emergency Operation Center (EOC). Every committee is well-organized, they managed to fulfill their responsibilities without causing problem with one another. We conducted RDANA without issues as well.”

-Yung early preparations po namin, may ready na po kaming stock pile month of september palang po. Yung iba po kasi, kapag may bagyo na o pag tapos na yung bagyo tsaka palang mamimili, kami po hindi na. namimigay na po kami ng relief, kaya po sa panahon ng bagyo hindi po kami nagkukumahog.
“With our early preparations, we already have a stockpile early in September. Unlike other barangay who prepare the needs of their community in times of calamity, here in our barangay we prepare early so in times of disaster we are not cramming on doing this and that.”
-Maganda po na walang dumating na tulong from other NGOs, kung kaya naman imanage ng barangay kami nalang kung kaya lang naman namin. Hindi po kami umaasa. Masaya po kami na kaya po namin, na resilient naman po ang barangay namin kahit po kulang pa po kami.
“It’s a good thing that if there is no help from other NGOs the barangay can still manage on our own. We did not expect help. We are happy that we made it, we found out that somehow our barangay is a resilient barangay despite our weaknesses.”
-Hindi pa man nagagawa karamihan na laman ng plano pero magaan na sya kahit papano sa barangay, howmuchmorekungmagawatalaga yung mganasa plano. Di baleng paisa-isa, ang important na susundan nyo yung directions na gusto naming puntahan.
“Right now, we still haven’t done many PPAs on our plan, however it felt nice on our end, and how much more if we manage to execute every PPAs in our plan. It does not matter even if it’s a slow process what matters is that we know the directions where we want to be and we will do it
one-by-one.”
*(This barangay was the only one who has activated their own Emergency Operation Center (EOC). This barangay is not that big, however they take the situation very seriously. This was witnessed by the MDRRMO, and I asked if they have documented the situation and telling them that they can use it to inspire other barangays on something they can do to respond even better, by posting it and acknowledging the barangay who did well through their facebook page. Another realization for the
MDRRMO, something they are looking forward to do in the future.)
Frances Ramirez MDRRMO Staff
-Nakakatuwa, nakakaproud na may mga barangay na kami na mataas ang kakayanan magrespond.
“This is nice and I am proud that I can see that we do actually have a barangays with a high capacity to respond in terms of emergency.”

Barangay Nagbarorong
-Malinaw sa amin Sir ang designation ng mga barangay officials, time to time nagrereport ang bawat is a, importante na samin ang communication. Ako po bilang punong barangay, tutok po ako sa supervision ang kagawad natin sila talaga ang super action. Dapat po kasi binibigyan talaga ng responsilidad ang mga kagawad kasi kung hindi, umaasa nalang palagi sa punong barangay. Na-priority din natin itong mga kabahayan na malapit sa landslide areas na mag-evacuate sila.
“Their designation is clear to everyone, from time-to-time everyone reports to me, communication is very important in times like this. As a barangay captain, I focused on supervision and the ones who were acting on the ground were my barangay kagawads. We have to understand that we should give them their responsibility so they will not always rely on their barangay captain. We also prioritized these households who were in the landslide prone areas to evacuate to safe houses.”
-Nagpapalaro ang barangay pagka tapos ng bagyo as response, nagtatanggal ng stress. Palaro at prizes na rin para kahit problemado napapalitan pa rin ng saya. Itong mga bagay na to, hindi ito magagawa ng ibang NGOs kaparaanan nalang ito ng barangay.
“After the typhoon we have hosted games for the children, to make sure that we are able to release the stress. Games and prizes making sure that even though it was a stressing time we can still make our people laugh in times like this. These are the things that you can not expect from NGOs to do, this is one of our ways as response here in our barangay.”
Barangay Salvacion
-Kumpara Sir nung dati mas napadali yung response namin, mabilis po yung communication namin kasi isang team na talaga kaming gumagalaw hindi na gaya ng dati na nagtuturuan pa.
“Compared to the past, we are able to respond well this time, communication was faster because we are a team that is working with our community unlike before where people who would always rely on someone else to do the job.”

-Sa panahon sir na walang tulong na dumating samin, nakikita namin yung pagkakaisa ng council kung ano po ba yung mga pwede naming gawin para pomakatulong sa mga ka-barangay namin. Malungkot lang din po sa part na kung walang tulong na dumating kulang po talaga yung maibibigay na serbisyo. During bagyo sir, buhay na buhay po talaga bayanihan dito samen kasi po sobrang daming putik gawa ng landslide po jan sa taas namin. 11pm po bayanihan po talaga nagpapala ng mga putik kahit medyo madilim at umuulan. Magaan yung problema Sir kasi nakikita mong nagtutulungan mga tao sa barangay. Malaking tulong po talaga yung training Sir.
“In times that help is not around, we saw the unity of our council, looking for a way so we can do more for our people. However, the fact that help is not around it makes me sad for the reason that service is limited because our resources is not that big. We witnessed during typhoon Kristine the spirit of bayanihan because of the heavy rain, there was a huge landslide on the road making us isolated, there was mud everywhere. 11 at night, everyone is shoveling the muds out of the way even though its dark and rainy at the moment. Even though there’s a problem we still felt at ease because we can see that we are helping one another.”

Two different mindsets of barangays that indicate resiliency:

Note that Brgy. A was the barangay where the barangay officials did not actually participate in the BRITE training. During the visit, they are the ones who made up their answers so they can relate to what we are talking about. If the barangay council will commit to the project, we should not push it. This is the result of doing that.
On the other hand, Brgy. B represents all of the barangays who participated well during the training. During our visit to many barangays in Baras, their answers were all the same even though there was one kagawad who would disagree but in the majority, all of the barangays gave the exact same answer. This indicates resiliency is increasing in their community without them knowing. As Program implementers and facilitators when we discussed this we illustrated that they are increasing their resilience and they have the power to do better. This is the Empowerment Function of BRITE!
The Social Entrepreneurship Sector… We are all startups again!
Early on in 2020, at the height of anxieties around lockdown and the pandemic, we got in touch with Ashoka Fellow Kevin Lee to understand what this historic moment would mean for social entrepreneurs. Written in May of 2020, many of Kevin Lee’s points still hold a sense of urgency that we cannot hope for the world to return to the way it was before. Social entrepreneurs are and will still lead the charge in shifting mindsets and approaches. As we near the one-year mark since the beginning of community quarantines, this piece captures a lot of what was to happen during that moment and time (and what still needs to happen today for us to fully recover from the effects of the pandemic!)
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There is no post-COVID-19 world in the foreseeable future, but we do have to face a post-shutdown world. Social Entrepreneurs and the Non-Government Social Impact Sector as a whole are critical for an inclusive recovery by communities, the prevention of an overloaded health system, and support for the government at all levels in their functions as duty bearers.
Unlike disasters that the Philippines are familiar with, the damage is not a loss of assets, infrastructure, or crops, but the damage from the pandemic is economically and socially devastating nonetheless. To prevent large loss of life, we’ve had to economically shutdown the country which, compounded by the global shutdown, has resulted in massive economic disruption, job losses not seen since the great depression, and governments borrowing large percentages of their GDP to finance social safety nets and economic stimulus packages.

The pharma industry is fast-tracking vaccines. However, rollout is a long way off and we have to limit health impacts, while maintaining a functional economy. We know that quarantining and good hygiene behavior limit spread. These steps have slowed the progression of the disease to where it is somewhat manageable by the health system, but at a great economic cost.
Pandemics are scary, and with modern media, the proliferation of non-fact-driven information has made it more difficult for communities and individuals to understand real risk, how to properly mitigate that risk, and how to avail of social safety net programs. Food security, personal safety, access to general and reproductive health services, business continuity, access to water and sanitation, and continuation of education have all been compromised, losing many of the poverty alleviation gains of the last two decades.
We as social entrepreneurs are now in a new world. Community priorities have changed back to survival, and our normal ways of working are potentially harmful. Our funding from traditional sources is shrinking. Our timeframe for scalable success has been reduced from years to months. Our operating framework has been destroyed, so we are back to “startup mode.”
Social Enterprises are created to solve an issue from a certain period of time in a certain context. As a large percentage of the population moves into extreme poverty, the priority of these issues may change. Organizations will have to look at their relevance and reimagine themselves in the new future. Their experience and networking are necessary for the challenges facing the country but they may have a new focus.
Behavior change by communities and organizations will be the key for the country to thrive. Traditional awareness-raising needs to be replaced by behavior change programming. The behaviors we are changing will be difficult due to overcrowding and because these go against our basic human communal behavior of social interaction. Communities must understand how their new behaviors will reduce their risks. This is not a temporary change in behavior but will be new social norms.
As Social Entrepreneurs and NGO changemakers are reimagining their focus and implementation, there is also a new financial reality. More traditional fund sources such as United Nations, Overseas Development Agencies, International NGOs, foundations, corporations, etc., will shrink and become performance-based. We will have to articulate clear outcomes and outputs to set the tone on what high performance is and explain why we are investing in less tangible deliverables such as behavior change and capacity development for Barangay and City/Municipal LGUs to enable them to cope with the future in the COVID-19. We will also have to expand and diversify the humanitarian/development economy and challenge this economy on how the money is spent in recovery efforts and include strengthening our organizations.
So what could these products look like?
· Systems and capacity strengthening for LGU officials so that they can collect and analyze data. This information is used by the national government for informed decisions. It can also inform local officials of their current situation and gives them the ability to concretely inform their constituency on their situation.
· Behavior change programming so that LGUs and their constituents can modify behaviors within their local context while understanding why they are doing this and what the rewards will be. This includes clear messaging and transparency so as to mobilize communities as rights holders to work towards a collective goal.
· Building systems to analyze the impacts of the new behaviors on the abilities of communities to survive and thrive. This needs to consider vulnerabilities of marginalized sectors and understand the concept of equity vs equality for targeting of government and non-government social safety net programming.
· Development of a new local economy replacing disrupted sectors, leveraging the strengths of those sectors, and providing opportunities for marginalized and vulnerable groups so that they can move out of the lower decile economic groups.
· Expansion and improvement of basic service delivery for health, wellness, water, and sanitation services to lower decile groups.
· Education products and outreach to match the new normal and provide hope to children, youth, and parents for the future of their families.
We have to not just adapt, but we have to accept this challenge as a moral imperative. Without systemic type changes, we cannot prevent the loss of all the poverty reduction gains over the last two decades. Our poorest communities are no less valuable than those living in the towers of Makati and BGC. Increasing the number of people living on less than 2 meals a day should be unacceptable to all of us. We have the tools and resources to work with the government to make this happen. It will not be done with pilots and small steps, but will require our sector to take big swings at the problem, always look to scale, adapt, and change to meet the challenges. The world as we knew it will not return, the future is now!
About the Author
Kevin Lee was educated in New Zealand, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical). After graduating, he worked as a consulting mechanical engineer, specializing in heavy industry in the north island of New Zealand. From 1995 to 2001, he worked in the steel industry in Georgia, U.S.A. After spending two years working as an industrial emission control equipment project manager, Kevin joined the Peace Corps as a water and sanitation volunteer in the Philippines. After his term was finished, he stayed in the Philippines and co-founded A Single Drop for Safe Water. ASDSW/SDCS is now 5 offices with close to 80 staff working throughout the Philippines. He was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2014.
Working Differently Challenge: What true partnership looks like
True localisation happens when local organisations develop their own theories of change, design their programmes, and mobilise resources to implement. It’s not when international NGOs subcontract local organisations to implement programmes.
As the pandemic and its economic impact started to bite, A Single Drop for Safe Water (ASDSW) in the Philippines reflected on how humanitarian assistance should change in the face of this extended crisis. Working with social enterprises like Ashoka, Xchange, Firetree Trust, and Limitless Lab, we developed a programme that looked at and improved the systems in place for emergency response, and worked to strengthen these systems to better serve impacted communities.
This programme recognises that barangays (local government units) are the sharp edge of the spear for government working with and to serve communities. It recognises that traditional responses are unsustainable in this environment; the largest resources are local communities and government.
BRITE, which stands for “Barangay Resilience and Innovation Through Empowerment”, harnesses the power of human-centered design and design thinking to engage with barangays and key community members to identify gaps and develop solutions, all within existing government frameworks to strengthen governance, community engagement and accountability.
As the theory of change was developed, we engaged with our current Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) funder, Arche Nova, to pilot the programme in Puerto Prinsesa in Palawan Province for 20 barangays classified as geographically isolated and disadvantaged. It was a key step toward working with the Puerto Prinsesa’s local government to ensure the sustainability of efforts beyond funding.
Working with Limitless Lab also enabled us to start developing a design thinking workshop for disaster risk reduction officers and emergency responders. We then approached Latter Day Saints Charities as long-term partners, and have now received approval to pilot the design thinking process and the entire programme in Maguindanao Province.
When we heard about Start Network’s Working Differently Challenge, we felt that what we were doing was the perfect fit, so we started approaching its members in the Philippines. After listening to our pitch, Islamic Relief was interested in the concept, so we submitted an application and were eventually selected to receive funding, as well as technical support from Thoughtworks.
This support will work to improve current programme areas, but could also contribute to a national programme and be institutionalised as the local BRITE network expands. Furthermore, Islamic Relief’s openness to good, locally developed ideas is evidence that they are committed to the Charter for Change. They truly consider local organisations to be equal partners, providing space for them to drive potential programmes. Even though we had not formally worked with Islamic Relief in the past, we feel that the respect shown by the organisation bodes well for a positive implementing relationship.
Repost from: https://startnetwork.org/news-and-blogs/working-differently-challenge-what-true-partnership-looks-like
Barangay Resilience and Innovation Through Empowerment (BRITE)
BRITE is a community empowerment approach developed through the collaboration of a Single Drop for Safe Water, Inc (ASDSW), Ashoka, Limitless Lab, Firetree Trust and Xchange – organizations geared on technology innovation for empowerment. This empowerment approach was born out of the desire to support local government units for resilience and preparedness in the face of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Barangays have the most direct impact on the implementation of government policy. Stopping the spread of COVID requires widespread behaviour change. Barangays are some of the strongest influencers of community behaviour and decisions made by barangay leadership has an immediate effect on the quality of life of their community. However, barangays have limited access to life-saving aid, correct information, and adequate resources to respond to needs of and build the resiliency of communities during this pandemic.
The BRITE approach envisions the barangay to have accessible healthcare, reduced Covid 19 transmission, secure livelihood, continuous education, secure food supply chain, peace and cooperation through improved governance, communication, behavior change, service delivery and impact mitigation. It employs human-centered design, non-linear and systemic view of the situation, and multi-sectoral collaboration as tools for its empowerment goals.
Often times, the barangays found themselves lacking access or proper explanation of national and local policies. Policies and guidelines are confusing and left to each person’s interpretation. There is also lack of funds for protective personal equipment, supplies such alcohol, learning materials, laptop and WIFI connection. Information system is not established and therefore inaccurate and coming from different sources. The situation is aggravated by the barangays having no plans for risk reduction and response for a pandemic.
Arche Nova funded the implementation of its pilot run in 20 barangays in Puerto Princesa City, implemented by its partner ASDSW . It ran from April-December 2020. The implementation started at the height of the Covid 19 pandemic and the barangays scrambling to cope up with protocol issued by the national and local IATF.
As a process, the BRITE approach involves community self-assessment, simulation of ideal scenario, action planning and designing solutions based on local context, validated and participated by multi sectoral segments of the community. The pilot barangays, after undergoing the workshops on updating their barangay disaster risk reduction plan and solutions design were able to identify their top 3 priority gaps and were able to design solutions for these priority gaps. The piloting of this innovative approach is considered a success by implementing partners in that the barangay officials have these to say at the end of the process:
“We saw the clearer direction of our barangay.”
“With clearer process on planning, unlike before we just gave the responsibility to our councilors and we consolidate them and that’s it, we have our barangay development plan.”
“We saw our priorities that should be addressed immediately.”
“We now have a preparedness (contingency) plan for the pandemic.”
“We are proud that we developed this kind of plan.”
The new face of Sultan Kudarat- a WaSH success story
Implementing the Phased Approach to Sustainable
Sanitation (PhATSS) in local governance and programming- Sultan Kudarat

ASDSW has been working in Central Mindanao since 2007 with various partners including UNICEF. Within this period, ASDSW has continuously worked with local government units and communities to institutionalize WaSH governance and build and strengthen technical capacity of partner implementers. This has expanded to WaSH in educational institutions as per the Dep-Ed’s 3 Star Approach and WaSH in Schools (WinS) and Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD) Program. The Phased Approach to Sustainable Sanitation (PhATSS) in Sultan Kudarat Province (SKP) as framework for WaSH development was also introduced on 2017. Parallel to WaSH intervention in SK Province, the ARMM region also institutionalized WaSH through the creation of the Regional Subcommittee on WatSan (RSCWS), under the supervision of the Regional Planning and Development Office. Additional capacity development activity was also conducted in the whole of ARMM region and Region 12 through the conduct of Managing WaSH in Emergency and Contingency Planning, attended by the PDRRMOs, DepEd Superintendents, PPDOs, PHOs or their representatives.
The program concentrated on leveraging LGU efforts at all levels for improving the WaSH situation in SK and ARMM provinces.
The SK Province has adopted the Phased Approach to Sustainable Sanitation (PhATSS) as the operational strategy of the national policy on achieving the Philippines target for Sustainable Sanitation. They utilized PhATSS strategy in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 6 on Water and Sanitation.
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By the end of 2018, two (2) of the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat Province reached 100% Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) status namely Bagumbayan and Esperanza. Overall, a total of 336,892 people or 69,240 household in the province are living in a ZOD community. Four (4) of its barangays passed the G2 (Improved Sanitation) final verification. This achievement was made possible by the participation of all actors on its implementation, believing that informed people is key to development as informed communities can drive development and become effective vehicle for positive change.

The table shows the rate of population and barangay that reached G1/ZOD status and G2/improved sanitation status.
The success of PhATSS in Sultan Kudarat is a testament that empowering the communities to take responsibilities in improving their quality of life and managing their resources and capacities initiates development, as communities are transformed from being misinformed skeptic and passive
observers to educated participants and advocates for WaSH. Putting in place the enabling environment, as what the LGUs and other participating agencies, ensures sustainability of the program. This is what A Single Drop for Safe Water envisions and advocates for with our communities and partners in the countryside.
Schools got it right in Sultan Kudarat!
WaSh in Schools (WINS) is a national policy of the Department of Education aimed at educating and instilling proper WaSH behaviors in students to create a far-reaching impact in children’s health and performance in school. This program have lots of success stories all over the country and have brought significant improvements in schools that are actively supporting and implementing it.
The success of WINS also depends largely from the collective support of the school management, the barangay officials and the parents. In the municipalities of Lebak and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat, WINS is having a headway in the lives of children in inculcating positive WaSH behavior.
WINS in Lebak
Bgy. Salangsang in the municipality of Lebak is a far flung barangay populated by majority of Manobo and Tiruray people. These are indigenous people who are basically highland dwellers, relatively nomadic in culture and lives mostly on the bounty of the forest. There is high illiteracy rate among the group, very few are educated and largely subsistent farmers. The place is about 25 kilometers away from the town proper and local transportation is difficult. It’s usual to see people riding horses just to reach the town as road condition is hard and a times dangerous for motor vehicle. Livelihood is mainly agricultural; coffee, corn and wild honey. Manobo and Tiruray children attend the only elementary school in the barangay. Previously, interaction among children depends on whether one is “Christian” – mostly Ilonggo or Ilokano, and “Tribu” – Manobos or Tirurays. The tribu do not usually mingle with the other group, not so much on ethnic
discrimination, but more of their own choice. Based on the way of life that they’ve been used to, they very seldom take a bath, or wash their whole bodies, or brush their teeth, much less use soap and water to wash their hands. According to the teachers, the tribu children felt that there is something different with them.
With the introduction of the WaSH in Schools program, the students were introduced to the key messages and behaviors in WaSH: the use of toilets for defecation, hand washing with soap and water during critical times, tooth brushing using fluoride toothpaste, daily bathing, drinking water from safe sources, and general cleanliness of the surroundings. The school management instituted WaSH teams in schools in every grade. The WaSH teams lead and guide their “wards” in daily WaSH activities such as handwashing and tooth brushing. They serve as mentors and guides. The school also instituted signal/warning system so that the students are guided whenever they heard it. The president of the Supreme Pupil Government does this warning- three short blasts means students to get ready for handwashing, one long blast after 5 minutes means they go out and wash their hands in preparation for lunch. Every students is required to brush their teeth after lunch. At first, they were taught and guided how to do this, then eventually becomes the norm in school.
As narrated by a Manobo teacher, it is common behavior in their tribe to defecate just about anywhere, tooth brushing is done by using crushed guava twig till it softens, and this is done usually only when
something was stuck between teeth. Daily bathing or face washing is not a norm, therefore, Manobos or Tirurays smells. With the introduction of WINS, IP children were taught improved WaSH behaviors, provided with initial supplies and now happily mingles with other children. There is no more unseen divide among the children as the “difference” was now eradicated. As a result, all children are now happier, healthier, well-groomed and more social. These same children brings change at home as they become WaSH advocates in their own families. Tooth brushing, handwashing, daily bathing and general cleanliness of the surroundings became the new norm.
The School management, understanding that supplies need to be replenished, started resource mobilization for sustained WaSH supplies and facilities. They solicited support for OFW friends, demanded support from their own Barangay and municipal government and from local businesses. The Barangay LGU provided improved water source for the schools, the municipal LGU constructed additional toilets and repair of water facilities, and other donors provided WaSH supplies such as soap, toothbrushes and tooth paste. At some point, the UNICEF, through the A Single Drop for Safe Water, provided Php 30,000.00 for materials for the improvement of their WaSH facilities. The parents and community provided labor as their equity counterpart.
The whole community, thru the WINS, was transformed into an empowered, motivated WaSH advocates. The BLGU, recognizing that promotion of health should be primary service, education as the only way to help them improve their lives, and also the need to support the school so that they attain the G2 status, is more than motivated to provide assistance. Now, the school have functional WaSH
facilities, have water available and a cleaner and more organized surroundings. The children are excited to go to school and discrimination among “Christians” and “Tribu” is no longer an issue among students.
WINS in Kalamansig
Kalamansig is another coastal and mountainous municipality in Sultan Kudarat, adjacent to Lebak. It also has high population of the Manobo and Tiruray. It’s very similar to Lebak in terms of livelihood, terrain and people groups.
When WINS was introduced to the LGU, the Limulan Elementary School was among those who were empowered to improve WaSH in their school. The principal, heartened by the support received from UNICEF through ASDSW was inspired to implement the program. At first, the children were coached, discipline was instilled, and before long, improved WaSH behavior took root. This is reinforced by a consistent messaging and practice through their daily WaSH activities, guided by the 3-star approach.
By understanding the interaction that should be between schools and local government units and the parents, the principal linked up and demanded support from the barangay and the municipal LGU. The parents were also engaged and enjoined to support the program.
The principal knows that water supply is crucial to changing the WaSH behavior of students. Through
strengthened coordination and networking, the Barangay LGU provided water supply by providing distribution pipes connecting the school to the existing Barangay water system. They now have functional toilets. Some donors also come to support the program especially in providing replenishment of WaSH supplies. Global handwashing celebrations are now observed by other schools, not just in Limulan ES. As noted by the principals, proper WaSH behaviors such as handwashing and tooth brushing are now part of children’s behavior, a new norm, even the parents are also educated on WaSH because of the children.
End note:
Both these schools realize that collaboration is key to successful and impactful implementation of the WINS program- the government, the community and the school (students and teachers). They may face challenges along the way, but both commits to sustain the program. They have already something to show for success, children and parents are now informed WaSH advocates, so there’s no other way but forward… and ONWARD.
WaSH Advances in Sultan Kudarat
Sultan Kudarat is a 1 st class province in Mindanao. It has 249 barangays in 11 municipalities and 1 component city, and a population of 812,095 (PSA 2015 Census of population). The Department of Health 2016 FHSIS report showed Region XII, to which Sultan Kudarat belongs, having 90% access to Safe Water and only 34.31% households with complete basic Sanitation. On the same vein, the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey showed only 68.6% of respondents in Region XII have access to improved sanitation. That leaves a gap of 31.4% for unimproved sanitation which included shared, unimproved facility and open defecation.
Before the introduction of the Phased approach to Sustainable Sanitation, the LGUs of these coastal municipalities have no clear direction towards development relative to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Like most LGUs in the country, WaSH intervention is always construed as infrastructure-focused support, very little or none at all towards behavior change or targeted support to households.
When A Single Drop for Safe Water first introduced PhATSS to the local government officials of Lebak and Kalamansig, the officials accepted and supported the concept. Several capacity-building trainings were given to LGU health implementers particularly in WaSH strategic planning, verification process in ZOD certification and, sanitation marketing. The barangay officials and communities were brought on board and so started the PhATSS fever in these municipalities.
The Municipal Mayor advocates for strict implementation of the PhATSS, supported by an SB resolution ensuring its implementation in the barangays. The Sangguniang Bayan allocated a small amount to support the vulnerable households in their material needs for toilet construction. This fund support is through soft loans to targeted households as identified by the rural sanitary inspectors and barangay officials. The RSIs implemented a stricter household monitoring coupled with stronger and more visible hygiene promotion through the 4Ps program and Rural Health Unit services. The LGU of Kalamansig also allocated a small amount as reward for barangays that attained the ZOD status. This reward can be utilized to further improve the WaSH need of the community.
The municipalities of Lebak and Kalamansig is host to indigenous peoples group Manobo, Tiruray, and B’laans. As customary with the indigenous peoples, most have nomadic culture. As such, it is challenging for PhATSS implementers to motivate them to build toilets because of this culture. Hygiene education also served as another challenging issue.
The lowland communities comprising mostly of Maguindanaons, Visayans and Ilokanos, though not nomadic in nature, also faced the same challenge. At first, some people are simply indifferent to cleanliness, especially in disposal of trash and used diapers. Trash is everywhere and people just don’t care. Nevertheless, the barangay officials never lose hope. The Barangay Chairmen, case in point, of Barangay Salangsang of Lebak and Barangay Datu Wasay of Kalamansig, saw to it that the barangay officials personally visit the households so that they see the real situation and know the needs of the people. The households were spared the burden of going to the barangay hall to ask for support but was visited by barangay officials instead. This way, the people were motivated to participate, appreciated the process by which their need has been addressed.
Furthermore, the RSIs, having embraced the vision of PhATSS have fires in their hearts. They started with renewed advocacy for cleanliness, integrating WaSH messages in the family development sessions of the 4Ps, in prenatal consultations, in immunization drives, and continuous monitoring, emphasizing on the negative impact of unimproved WaSH practices.
Soon, the effort of RSIs and the support of the local government paid off. Slowly, the concept of PhATSS started to take root in the communities. Households started to build toilets, some do it on their own,
some others with material support from LGU. Then one by one, barangays were declared ZOD, then the innate competitiveness of the communities set in. Some barangays moved up to G2 status, and this status was displayed in strategic points in the community. Even the far flung communities of the
Manobos and Tirurays were verified and declared ZOD. This is even more meaningful. This achievement became a monument of success of enabling environment put in place. The IP communities now don’t want to leave their place because they wouldn’t want to leave or relocate their toilets. The toilet became a reason to stop their nomadic way of life. They started to appreciate and trust the government and became confident to mingle with their Christian neighbors. They learned to improve their WaSH behaviors and therefore no longer feel discriminated.
Coupled with water facilities support, the nomadic culture was greatly reduced- the constructed toilet
became a way that gave them permanence. The general surroundings were maintained free of scattered trashes and cleanliness became the norm. The lowland communities also could not be left out, the reason being if this can be attained by the IP communities up in the mountains, hardly accessible with lesser access to necessary hardware, how much more they who have relatively easy access to needed support.
The success of PhATSS in Sultan Kudarat is a testament that empowering the communities to take responsibilities in improving their quality of life and managing their resources and capacities drives development, as communities are transformed from being misinformed skeptic and passive observers to educated participants and advocates for WaSH. Putting in place the enabling environment as what the LGUs of these 2 coastal municipalities ensures sustainability of the program. This is what A Single Drop for Safe Water envisions and advocates for with our communities and partners in the countryside.
HRC Answers the call!

On 24th December 2017, Typhoon Vinta devastated the municipality of Palawan. It was also after this event that diarrhea cases started to rise in Balabac. On January 3, 2018, the A Single Drop for Safe Water (ASDSW) received a formal request for assistance for Balabac. The HRC, led by ASDSW, then sent a Rapid Assessment team to the area to provide initial targeted response and conduct damaged assessment.
After the rapid assessment activity, ASDSW lobbied for support from long time donors for a full scale emergency response back to the municipality. Several donors heeded the call, among them are UNICEF who provided hygiene and water kits and other cash support for mobilization and other activities, and Seaoil Foundation Inc. and Latter-day Saints Charities for other water and hygiene materials. Four Barangays will directly benefit from the response, namely Barangays Melville, Agutayan, Salang and Ramos.
On the provincial level, HRC works in coordination with the Provincial Health Office, the Provincial DOH Office, the Provincial DILG office and the PDRRMO. The team travels back to Balabac on March 14 and is expected to stay in the area till the middle of April 2018. HRC is grateful also to the support of Bishop Edward and President Larry Caduada and the energetic volunteers for the storage of the WaSH materials in the temple building of the Church of Christ of the Latter-day Saints in Malvar Street, Puerto Princesa City.