ASOG-HHI’s DisasterNet-Philippines conducts community dialogue on safer settlements

The Ateneo School of Government supported by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s DisasterNet Project presented its case study findings, “Building Safer Settlements: Understanding Context and Solutions” to the Sitio Kislap community last October 29, 2017. 
 
The case study features Sitio Kislap community, an informal settlement in Barangay Fairview, Quezon City, its challenges, ways of adapting, and potential recommendations to enhance disaster preparedness and safer settlements.  To validate the findings of the case study, ASOG held a dialogue with community organizers, women leaders, and residents of Sitio Kislap.
 
Community members put forward their insights to put the study findings into practice such as enjoining all neighborhood leaders’ participation in these forums and garnering their commitment to ensure residents’ cooperation in disaster preparedness and environmental management activities.  With the community, ASOG identified the use of social media; creation of reader-friendly materials (pamphlets, tarps), and target mothers in information dissemination to enable change in their community. 
 
This case study serves one of the activities of ASoG-Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s DisasterNet project which aims to improve the country's resilience and preparedness to natural disasters through research, networking and partnership building, knowledge sharing and dissemination.  
 
A working paper on this case study will be completed by November 2017.