Tarlac City, Philippines | 28–29 August 2025
To reinforce frontline disaster governance, the Philippine Preparedness Partnership (PhilPrep), through the Talagháy (Resilience) project supported by the Asian Disaster Readiness Fund (ADRF), funded by the Gates Foundation, conducted Strengthening Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC) workshops in Barangays San Isidro and Tibag. The two-day activity aimed to review and reorganize existing BDRRMC structures, clarify roles and responsibilities, and strengthen barangay-level communication protocols for disaster preparedness and response.
Rebuilding Foundational Disaster Governance
The workshops responded to findings from earlier focus group discussions and community visits, which revealed that both barangays had incomplete disaster risk reduction and management plans and non-functional or poorly organized BDRRMC structures, despite existing national mandates under Republic Act 10121. These gaps prompted targeted capacity-strengthening to re-establish functional committees and ensure that disaster risk reduction is effectively mainstreamed into barangay governance.
Participation and Capacity Building at Barangay Level
A total of 52 participants attended the workshops, with 26 participants per barangay. Sessions in San Isidro (28 August) and Tibag (29 August) included barangay staff and committee members, with balanced participation of women and men. The program covered the legal basis of BDRRMCs, committee structures, roles and responsibilities, disaster history review, hazard mapping, and an introduction to community-based early warning systems.
Facilitated discussions led by representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Tarlac City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (TCDRRMO) helped clarify compliance requirements and operational roles, while participatory exercises enabled barangay officials to validate committee membership and identify gaps in existing arrangements.
Preparing for Early Warning System Implementation
The workshops also served as a preparatory step toward the upcoming Early Warning System (EWS) rollout under the Talagháy project. Due to time constraints, the review of Barangay Tibag’s organizational structure was continued in a follow-up workshop on 10 September 2025 at the PDRF Emergency Operations Center. Both barangays were assigned preparatory tasks ahead of the formal EWS workshops scheduled for October, including coordination for procurement, installation, and partnership formalization through memorandums of agreement.
By strengthening the institutional foundations of barangay disaster committees, the initiative supports more coordinated, accountable, and locally led preparedness and response at the community level.
Call to Action
To learn more about how ADPC and the Asian Preparedness Partnership are strengthening local disaster governance and preparedness across Asia, visit www.adpc.net and www.app.adpc.net
