Be prepared

One of the most cherished memories of my childhood include the fun and empowering Girl Scout activities such as first aid training, camping, games and the shared camaraderie with new friends. The trainings instilled in me not just the member’s sense of pride in helping other people, the school and the community but also helped shaped my character.

From these arsenals of learning exposures sprung the values of discipline, leadership, respect, confidence and a strong sense of responsibility that is ideally embedded in a Girl Scout. Each Girl Scout can be and is an agent of change in the society.

“Be prepared”  is the Girl Scout’s  timeless motto that is especially apt in the current era of climate, social and economic uncertainty that we all face. We are most vulnerable, as the 2011 World Risk Index considers the Philippines as the third most disaster prone country in the world.

Preparedness for disasters and significant disruptive changes entails long-term planning and effective coordination and collaboration among stakeholders. It requires time, sincere efforts, dedication and human and financial resources and, of course, more catalysts  of change. Women and young girls have proven that they are.

Two weeks before his death, former Interior and Local Government secretary Jesse Robredo, a strong champion of participatory governance,  signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) national president Dr. Salud Bagalso for the GSP “to encourage municipalities and barangays to organize girl scouts community-based troops that can help the government’s environmental and disaster preparedness efforts” (www.dilg.gov.ph). This is a laudable move that would attain the goals of saving lives, properties and bolstering the capacity of our people to prepare for and bounce back from disasters.

It is equally heartening that more organizations are involved in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) programs. The Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA), Inc. Cebu Chapter  had its 10th General Assembly and Seminar-Workshop on  Sept. 27 to 28 at Cebu Normal University with the theme “Trauma and Disaster Management : Capacity Building for Counseling Practitioners.”  It was a great honor to speak before and share insights with the officers and members of PGCA led by the dynamic national president  Dr. Benedicta O. Lascano, Cebu Chapter president Marivic G. Diwa, vice President Portia Dacalos and the president of the host university, Dr. Marcelo P. Lopez. We look forward to more endeavors with PGCA and CNU related to environmental protection and resiliency building for our citizens.

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Oct. 13 is the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR).  This year’s theme is “Women and Girls–the [in]Visible Force of Resilience.”

As the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction website emphasizes, “The theme for IDDR 2012 does not imply that women and girls are invisible.”  The theme was conceived for the following reasons:

1. It is about drawing attention to the fact that their efforts to protect and rebuild their communities before and after disasters are often unrecognized and that invisibility is a socio-cultural construct.

2. It is about highlighting that their ability to contribute is hindered by lack of inclusion and poor understanding of gender inequality.

3. It is about celebrating the contribution women and girls are making before, during and after a disaster.

4. It is about moving beyond the tendency to view and portray women and girls as victims. And even though women and girls feature disproportionately among the casualties of disasters they are ‘active victims’.

5. It is about stories of action and initiative by women and girls, and it also seeks to shed light on the obstacles that prevent them from participating in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. (https://www.unisdr.org/2012/iddr/about.html)

The IDDR12 logo can be downloaded from the UNISDR website, https://www.unisdr.org/2012/iddr/resources.html.

Here are suggestions in planning events that are in accord with the 2012 IDDR theme:

1. Submit news, events, stories, images, and videos of outstanding action by women and girls in disaster prevention, recovery and risk reduction or by someone whose accomplishments you wish to spotlight.

2. Showcase what women and girls are doing to contribute to disaster resilience.

3. Organize public events to increase understanding of gender concerns in DRR processes.

4. Lobby national and local governments as well as community leaders and decision makers, academia, and international organizations to ‘Step Up’.

5. Mobilize the public at large to demand changes to the socio-cultural/political framework that exacerbates the exclusion of women and their vulnerabilities.

6. Encourage men and boys to get involved.

7. Think Big – Gender equality and risk reduction principles must guide all aspects of disaster mitigation, response and reconstruction.

8. Get The Facts – Gender analysis is needed to direct aid and plan for full and equitable recovery.

9. Nothing in disaster work is “gender neutral.”

10. Work With Women – Women’s community organizations have insight, information, experience, networks, and resources vital to increasing disaster resilience.

11. Resist Stereotypes – Base all initiatives on knowledge of difference and specific cultural, economic, political, and sexual contexts, not on false generalities.

Respect and develop the capacities of women and girls.

We agree that  “Gender inequality puts women, children and entire communities in danger when natural hazards strike. The weakest link can mean the destruction of the entire chain. Gender inequality is a weak link – strengthening that link strengthens resilience.” (www.unisdr.org/2012/iddr/about.html)

Each of us can  facilitate,  promote and commemorate IDDR  with meaningful activities that will hopefully open the minds and hearts of our people and authorities in mainstreaming a  culture of safety and prevention through DRRM and integrating gender equality in the various plans and programs, as pathways for building resiliency.