Photos by Lyndon Arbes / Louie Bullanday for Action Against Hunger

MOVE UP 4 signs agreement with Cotabato Provincial Government

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KIDAPAWAN CITY — The MOVE UP 4 Mindanao reached another milestone as the disaster risk reduction (DRR) project signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Provincial Government of Cotabato last July 15, 2021, at the Provincial Capitol, North Cotabato. Roger Cabiles (Action Against Hunger Head of Project and Consortium Manager of MOVE UP 4) and Efren Piñol (North Cotabato Provincial Administrator) were the main signatories during the ceremony.

In photo (L-R): Delilah Chua (Action Against Hunger Head of Iligan Base). Roger Cabiles, Jr. (MOVE UP 4 Consortium Manager & Head of Project for Action Against Hunger), Efren Piñol (Cotabato Provincial Administrator), and Mercedita Foronda (PDRRMO Head)

The agreement outlines the partnership between the two parties which supports the promotion, adaptation, and replication of MOVE UP 4’s tested urban resilience strategies. Mercedita Foronda (Head of Cotabato Provincial DRRMO), Delilah Chua (Action Against Hunger Head of Cotabato Base), Lyndon Arbes (Action Against Hunger Deputy Head of Project), and Louie Bullanday (Action Against Hunger DRR Supervisor) were also present as witnesses of the ceremonial signing event.
The partnership is a leap towards achieving the project’s goal of building the resilience of urban poor communities by strengthening disaster preparedness, response, and management capacity of the national government and local government units.

Written by Joyce Sandajan   |   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, or the consortium members. Neither the European Union nor any of the consortium members can be held responsible for them.

REACH 2 Project analyzes market capacity and demand trends in Lanao del Sur to bridge gaps on food security

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Providing healthy food that’s enough for the entire family is a usual concern for those struggling from unemployment. Additional threats like emergency situations and an ongoing health crisis make it even more difficult to combat food insecurity.
This is a common ordeal for many of the communities we are working with and one of the ways we address this is through our cash-for-food programs. For this intervention, our REACH Mindanao project went around the local markets in Lanao del Sur to analyze market capacity and demand trends in relation to the availability and accessibility of goods. This assessment will give us a better understanding of the needs and capacities of both consumers and local micro-businesses.

Photo by Jeffrey Simprota for Action Against Hunger

Photo by Jeffrey Simprota for Action Against Hunger

Through the market assessment, we will be able to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic affected market operations, price changes, and understand any changes in the traffic and volume of consumers in comparison to pre-pandemic times.
From the information gathered, the goal is to strengthen our strategies and processes as we prepare to roll out new set of food security & livelihood (FSL) activities in the next months.
The ‘Response to the Unmet Humanitarian Needs of the Most Vulnerable Populations in Mindanao Affected by Conflict, Disasters, and the COVID-19 Pandemic’ (REACH) Project is funded by the European Union and is implemented by ACCORD Incorporated, Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) Inc., Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), United Youth of the Philippines-Women and Oxfam Pilipinas.

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We Are Currently Looking for an Operations Officer in Manila

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We are currently looking for an Operations Officer in Manila. For further details, go to https://bit.ly/3dLTl9q
Interested applicants meeting the requirements should:
1. Click the link
2. Read the details thoroughly
3. Go to the bottom right corner of the page
4. Click the “Apply for this Position” button
Given the urgency of this position, the vacancy may close on or before ?? ???? ????.

In celebration of #NutritionMonth, Help Us Provide Life-Saving Aid To Families At-Risk

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Do you believe that hunger is predictable?
If you answered yes, you’re correct! Hunger is indeed predictable, preventable, and treatable.
Unfortunately, until now 33% of Filipino children under the age of five are suffering from chronic malnutrition.
So in celebration of #NutritionMonth, make a donation (any amount helps!) and help us provide life-saving aid to families at-risk.

We Know The Fight Against Hunger Can Sometimes Be Overwhelming

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Hey there! We know the fight against hunger can sometimes be overwhelming. But every step you take to end hunger makes a difference!
Whether big or small, your support is seen through the eyes of families we’ve reached and how they’ll no longer have to worry about their next meal, or walk miles and miles just to get clean water.
That’s why we’ll never give up – and you shouldn’t either.
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MOVE UP 4 launches Webinar on Mainstreaming Social Protection Initiatives at the Local Level

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A webinar on ‘Mainstreaming Social Protection Initiatives at the Local Level’ was launched last Thursday, June 24, which was organized by the Moving Urban Poor Communities Toward Resilience (MOVE UP) project in partnership with the Local Government Academy. The webinar was attended by almost 500 local chief executives and local government unit staff from all over the Philippines.
Roger Cabiles, Action Against Hunger Head of Project and MOVE UP 4 Consortium Manager, presented the Urban Resilience Model and Basic Concepts on Shock-Responsive Social Protection while Atty. Melchor Mergal, Municipal Mayor of Salcedo in Eastern Samar, shared the successful implementation of an Anticipatory Action in DRRM project in their municipality.

Written by Joyce Sandajan   |   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, or the consortium members. Neither the European Union nor any of the consortium members can be held responsible for them.

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USAID-funded DRR Project Strengthens Community Resilience by Empowering Women

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We recognize gender inequality as both a cause and effect of hunger. Until now, there are communities where women have less access and control over resources while also having limited participation or representation in decision-making, therefore putting them at risk.

This is why one key strategy of our USAID-funded Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Project in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is empowering these women to strengthen their barangay’s resilience through community savings groups (CSG). The main goal of CSGs is to encourage and create a saving culture in the community while offering a unique financial opportunity for participating households.

Photo by Michael Ryan Queman for Action Against Hunger

Last month, 30 women from Barangay Gawang of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao participated in the Community Savings Group Orientation held by Action Against Hunger on June 16, 2021.  Because CSGs provide a level of financial security even without any access to formal banking services, all women gave their commitment to creating a savings group for the barangay. Once established, the collective savings can offer a safety net for the members’ households in times of disasters and other emergency situations.

A community savings group (CSG) is a community-based program where a group of vulnerable and at-risk persons in a community agrees to save a certain amount periodically and depositing the savings in a group account. Savings groups are a way for people without access to formal banking services to access some financial security. Savings groups are owned, managed, and operated by the members, using a simple, transparent method where groups accumulate and convert small amounts of cash into savings that can be used in times of crisis. This way, economic security is increased and financial services are brought closer to communities for promoting secure investment with savings.

The group can further decide to focus on savings or invest in personal or collective livelihood activities to improve household income. In most cases, the group also engages in giving loans. Moreover, not only does the CSG provide potentially better financial opportunities for families but also empowers the participants—in this case, the women of Barangay Gawang—as they engage in financial planning, decision-making, and active community involvement.

Photo by Michael Ryan Queman for Action Against Hunger

‘Strengthening Local Resilience and Building Capacities in Areas at High Risk of Natural Hazards in BARMM, Mindanao’ is a disaster risk reduction (DRR) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID-BHA) and implemented by Action Against Hunger Philippines with the support of local government units and partner stakeholders.

Read more: Our Approach to Gender Equality Read more

We Are Looking for a Base HR Officer in Cotabato

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Hello! We are looking for a Base HR Officer in Cotabato. For further details and to apply, go to this link: https://bit.ly/3pWuVPs
Interested applicants meeting the requirements should:
1. Click the link
2. Read the details thoroughly
3. Go to the bottom right corner of the page
4. Click the “Apply for this Position” button
Given the urgency of this position, the ??????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ????.
?? ??????? ????? ????????????? ?? ?????????? ?????????? ?? ????? ??????, ???????????, ????, ??????, ???????? ??? ?????? ???????????. ???? ?????? ???? ?? ????????? ????? ????????? ??? ????????????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????????? ??? ???????? ?????? ??? ????????????.
?? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ?? ???????? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????????, ?????? ???????????? ??? ?????, ???? ?? ?????????, ??? ??????????. ?? ?????? ??? ?????, ?????? ???????, ???????????, ??????? ??? ?????????? ?? ????? ???? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ????????. ???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ?????????.

Happy Philippine #IndependenceDay from Action Against Hunger

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Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan, Pilipinas!
Happy Philippine #IndependenceDay from Action Against Hunger. Mabuhay! ??

#FlashbackFriday – One Of The Ways We Help Communities Is By Enabling Them To Be Prepared In The Event of Disasters Or Emergency Situations

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#FlashbackFriday – One of the ways we help communities is by enabling them to be prepared in the event of disasters or emergency situations, all the while being financially resilient. For instance, more than a year ago we coordinated with a of group of empowered women in making an impact in their livelihoods and their whole community.
*Photos were taken before the pandemic*
Barangay Caimpugan in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur sits along the Gibong River—a source of irrigation for some 6,000 hectares of rice fields in three municipalities of the province. Because of its close proximity to the river, its residens often experience floods during the rainy season, especially with heavy rains induced by tropical storms causing the river to overflow. Aside from this, clean and safe drinking water is hard to come by since the baranagay is not coverd by public water utility services.
For the Caimpugan Women for Strength (CAWOFS) Cluster Level Association, a federation of 6 self-help groups (SHGs) composed of women, this reality does not deter them from aspiring for a better future.
What they needed was a sustainable source of livelihood to be able to contribute to their families’ income while striving to learn more about the ways they can reduce the impacts of flooding to their community.
An opportunity came with the contingency planning and resilient livelihood workshop through the I-RESPOND 2, a project funded by Kindernothilfe (KNH) and implemented by Action Against Hunger aimed at improving the capacities of partner barangays on disaster preparedness and resiliency. CAWOFS actively shared their ideas and together with their barangay local government unit (BLGU) leaders learned how they can best prepare for and mitigate the impacts of disasters. The Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (BDRMC) was strengthened with the inclusion of the officers and members of the CLA into the different committees. Together with the BLGU, they were able to develop a contingency plan on flood.
The Resilient Livelihood discussion also helped them craft a plan to provide earning opportunities for their members while helping to solve one of the community’s problems – clean water supply. They developed a business plan around distribution of safe drinking water to the households. In January 28, 2020, the group received the seed capital worth 50,000 pesos from the I-Respond 2 through Foundation for the Development of Agusanons, Inc. (FDAI), a local KNH partner.
“This business will help us a lot. Everyday people need clean drinking water. And every day is a challenge for most households. We know that the rainwater is not as clean anymore but we have no choice but to use it”, said Lilibeth Lalangan, the CAWOFS President. Now, with the operation of the water refilling business, members of the Volunteer SHG will have another source of income while providing access and clean drinking water to the community.
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