by Maria Rufina Salas
CCARPH co-sponsors the third session of the National Resilience Council’s (NRC) COVID-19 Knowledge Series, entitled “Resilient Recovery of the Most Vulnerable: Challenges & Opportunities”.
Dr. Anna Marie Karaos (CCARPH Project Advisor[1]) was among the keynote speakers alongside the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Go Negosyo!, D.M. Consunji, Inc., and CARD-MRI (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development – Mutually Reinforcing Institutions). In her presentation, Dr. Karaos provided context on the urban poor population in the country, vulnerability profile of Metro Manila, and urban poor livelihoods & urban economy. She mentioned in her presentation that the informally employed can become statistically invisible, especially when it comes to delivery and access to social protection. Dr. Karaos also highlighted on the role of the informal sector’s solidarity networks, and on pathways to resilience-building of the urban poor.
Dr. Karaos presented contextual references from CCARPH (ADMU-MO-NRC[2]) research on informal livelihoods in Metro Manila, and its vulnerability maps of Pasig, Valenzuela, and Muntinlupa cities. Her presentation combines all three Work Themes of the project, especially on a) understanding the evolving exposures, and contextual vulnerability & capacity (Work Theme 1.2), b) examining the elements and indicators of a resilient city (Work Theme 2.1), and c) enhancing the capacity and transferring knowledge for climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction for resilience (Work Theme 3).
“As far as the urban poor are concerned, they are very interested in getting back and returning to their livelihoods. One of our partner-NGOs have asked and said that they would be willing to accommodate fewer passengers, and not even increase the fare as long as they will be allowed to go back to work. There’s a willingness to adjust to health and safety requirements, as long as they will be able to go back to work,” Dr. Karaos responded in the open forum session, facilitated by Mr. Austere Panadero (CCARPH Project Advisor[3]).
Mr. Panadero moderated the discussion to recognize input from both speakers and participants, as well as ensure a coherent discussion on recovery of the vulnerable.
Ms. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga (CCARPH Principal Investigator, and NRC President) closed the session by presenting the ways forward. “Context is important to understand the data. By context, we refer to historical, socio-cultural, economic, physical and environmental aspects. Recovery for a member of the urban poor is distinctly different from social protection needs. There is a need for context to know who is vulnerable,” says Ms. Yulo-Loyzaga.
[1]Dr. Anna Marie Karaos is a member of the ADMU board of trustees, faculty at the Department of Sociology & Anthropology in ADMU, and the Associate Director of the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues
[2]Ateneo de Manila University – Manila Observatory – National Resilience Council
[3]Mr. Austere Panadero is the former undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and currently the Executive Vice President of the Zuellig Family Foundation.
If you missed the webinar, you can watch the replay found in the website of NRC, via resiliencecouncil.ph
For more details about CCARPH, visit coastalcitiesatriskph.com, and facebook.com/CCARinthePhilippines.
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