Caritas: Yolanda survivors declare support to climate change and community-managed disaster risk reduction

Palo, Leyte – The Archdiocese of Palo Relief Unit (CARITAS Palo) together with some Yolanda survivors formally declared Tuesday their commitment to support the goals of the first national community managed disaster risk reduction summit held last month in Cebu City.

The support was strengthened through a commitment signing of the Caritas Declaration on Climate Change and Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction at Palo Chancery, Palo, Leyte.

In a press statement, Caritas Palo Director Fr. Al Cris Badana emphasized the importance of the involvement of the communities in addressing climate change and disaster risks knowing the impact of super typhoon Yolanda that wrought havoc to the people in areas affected by the typhoon.

“A plan of action to address climate change and disaster risks must be undertaken using community-managed disaster risk reduction (CMDRR) as the strategy citing the poor as the most vulnerable,” Badana said.

Aside from signing of the declaration of commitment, at least 200 survivors from 15 barangays in the municipalities of Palo, Santa Fe, Alang-Alang, Mayorga, Dulag and MacArthur, all in Leyte presented to the participants how their communities are actively participating in community-managed disaster risk reduction (CMDRR) measures.

The move is in solidarity with the on-going climate change conference in Paris, France after Pope Francis highlighted the adverse effects of climate change on the poor and other vulnerable groups.

It was learned that the Archdiocese of Palo through Caritas Palo and NASSA/Caritas Philippines extended assistance to Yolanda affected barangays in Leyte to stand up and be resilient despite the enormous devastation.

To date, a total of Php150 million was already invested by Caritas Palo to build resilient communities in Leyte.