Finally a promise of compensation for the internally displaced from Marawi

Since 2007 DIB has cooperated with organizations in the Philippines to strengthen the resilience of local civil society in relation to the frequent natural disasters that often hit the nation. In 2017 the catalyst for our humanitarian assistance was not a natural disaster, but instead an armed conflict between IS sympathizers and government forces, which devastated the city of Marawi and uprooted thousands Filipinos from their homes. This was the starting point that got our organization to be involved in humanitarian assistance. Since that we have worked on organization and resettlement of the internally displaced persons in Marawi and the Philippineswho were affected by a typhoon and mudslides in Guinobatan and by the typhoon Odette in 2022 in Ubay, Bohol. Read more below.

Here in 2024 we also received funds to evaluate the effects of our work through our approach to disaster prevention local planning (BDRSSP). It also gave us the chance to look into how we can strengthen the concept and make it easier for local governments to implement it independently. We are really looking forward to this!

Organizing and rehousing people in catastrophe-affected contexts (2021-2024)

The Guinobatan area is one of the most dangerous places to live in the Philippines, as the area is on the slopes of one of the most active Volcanos in the world - The Mayon Volcano. The Volcano has erupted seven times in the last 20 years, and furthermore a Typhoon hit the area in late 2020, which flooded the area and resulted in volcanic mudstreams that brought devastation to the surrounding rivers and area.

Therefore, with support form CISU, we have again joined forces with Alterplan and the local organization Sac Legazpi (Social Action Center and Doicese of Legazpi). We want to secure the most vulnerable villages and create better infrastructures, make sure that the area has an effective evacuation plan ready and support the establishing of local organizations that can be representative of the communities and their dire needs.

Rehousing the local philippines

In some of the most vulnerable area, there is no choice but to rehouse the people affected by the disasters, and we will ensure that the new settlements will have a sufficient infrastructure and offer ways of income, so the prerequisites are there for them to establish a normal life again.
Our main ambition is though to avoid rehousing if possible, if the analysis shows that sufficient infrastructure can be established in the villages. Our ambitions are therefore to strengthen the local communities, in whatever way seems best for them.

Our project was implemented in three local rural villages in Guinobatan, with aproximately 16.000 residents. We have picked these areas because they were the most recommended for rehousing and because the local government had reached out to SAC Legazpi to get help in handling the situation. Hence, our job should be to rehouse some of the most vulnerable families, and help those who do not have the possibility of rehousing. Here, we used our barangay disaster risk sensitive shelter planning (BDRSSP) - an approach to implement necessary infrastructural measures and organize the local residents so that their voices and needs are heard by the government. The project ends in spring 2024.

From humanitarian assistance to rehabilitation in Marawi (2018-2025)

More than half a million people fled their homes as a result of the fierce fighting in Marawi from May 2017 and five months on. The majority were sheltered by friends and family or were housed in unofficial camps or community centers, and therefore received little or no governmental assistance. This is why DIB, in collaboration with our long-standing filippino partner organization ALTERPLAN, the NGO network PHILSSA and the local partner ICESDev, embarked on a project with the most vulnerable IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) as a target group - that is, those who found shelter outside the official evacuation centers.

With support from the emergency aid pool Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF) (DERF) under CISU, from July 2017 to April 2018, we focused on ensuring the basic needs of the "unofficial" IDPs in the form of funding for various urgent needs, health monitoring and prevention measures and psychosocial support. The effort reached 1539 households, corresponding to approximately 6079 persons, spread over three locations.

IDPs create their own advocacy

During the first intervention period, a civil society organization emerged among the IDPs, called Lombay ka Marawi (LKM) – Marawi, rejs dig. Our second effort - a six-year project - aimed to strengthen this organization and the IDPs' ability to be heard and have their rights met.

From July 2019 to September 2022 we worked on a third project which like the previous ones is funded by CISU Civil Society Fund. The project's main goal has been to foster an inclusive and democratic rehousing and rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons in order to build and sustain Lombay Ka Marawis' capacity to deal with the demands for resettlement and reconstruction, as well as the financial support for the victims of the conflict by themselves.

Projektets udgangspunkt var meget ambitiøs, men på grund af adskillige og uforudsigelige udfordringer, såsom  corona-pandemien, der gjorde samarbejdet med partner og udførelsen af opgaver svær, har projektet ikke opnået alle sine mål. Udover corona pandemien har der været udfordringer i  at gennemføre mange tiltag og mål på grund af samarbejdsvanskeligheder med de filippinske myndigheder og den lokale administration. Men på trods af vanskelighederne har projektet opnået vigtige fremskridt, såsom vedtagelsen af “Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act” i april 2022, som Lombay Ka Marawi var en central fortaler for.

Through the project those families affected by the conflict have received access and support to claim their rights for compensation and help. Over 300 families have been moved from tent camps to temporary apartments, where they can live for the next 5 years, while other 37 families have received permanent apartments. Further 1000 families have received access to financial support in the form of payments to sustain their essential living costs.

Compensation, rehousing and support for alternative livelihoods

In 2023 we got approved a new project to work further to support IDPs to seek for compensation for their losses during the siege and subsequent fighting. The timeframe to request compensation is from June 2022 to June 2023, and this is a process that require both documentation and patience. Our partners in the Philippines, LKM and ALTERPLAN, work both to help the members of LKM to assert their claim within the time limit, as well as to ensure better housing conditions (both existing and in the new rehousing projects) and to access alternative income opportunities. In other words, they have a lot on their plates.

Videos concerning emergency aid in Marawi

Cesar Padilla has produced this videos to describe how the residents of Marawi were forcefully displaced and the subsequent consequences. Here one can catch a glimpse of how DIB's humanitarian project has helped many vulnerable people in cooperation with our partners ALTERPLAN, PHILSSA and ICES DEV:

Emergency aid for the victims of the Odette Typhoon (2022)

In December 2021 typhoon Odette hit the Philippines and caused catastrophic damage. Many villages were left in ruins and since we already had a partner in the area (ALTERPLAN) we immediately sent an application fo funds with CISU for emergency respond. The main goal was to secure for those people who were hit the hardest, a chance fo rehousing and access to basic needs (clean water, electricity...). We also offered wages to those villagers who were involved in the reconstruction of the destroyed buildings in the villages. The project lasted 9 months and it was a crucial help to the locals, as there was no help from other sources.

Our contribution focused on thre of the hardest hit villages in the area: Cuya, Cagting, and Guintaboan, and our rehousing secured the help to the most vulnerable groups (children and the elderly).

2007-2018: Disaster prevention and development planning

DIB's engagement in the Philippines and partnership with ALTERPLAN goes all the way back to 2007. Since 2007 we have worked together in the implementation of three phases of the project Disaster Risk Sensitive Shelter Planning with disaster prevention and development planning as its purpose. Through the involvement of slum dwellers, civil society organizations and local authorities, we have worked to educate in risk analysis and promote citizen involvement in the preparation of local plans for four cities across the Philippines. All four cities are particularly prone to frequent natural disasters, especially in relation to the many floods, which most often go beyond the poor slums, and can not cope with the massive devastation. With the local plans, slum dwellers have been given priority by the local and regional administration in relation to improvements in the local area and have been trained to develop and manage a local project themselves.

Our partners in the Philippines have produced this film that gives an insight into the project and its importance locally.