Ateneo holds preliminary site visit, risk assessment, and stakeholder mapping workshop in Bohol for the Sustainable and Disaster-Resilient Housing Project

The Ateneo School of Government, through the Ateneo Policy Center (APC), held its first field visit for the Development and Pilot Implementation of the Health Promotion Playbook for Healthy Communities (Sustainable and Disaster-Resilient Housing) Project last 13-17 May 2024 in the Municipality of Ubay, Bohol. The Health Governance Team of the APC was joined by project partners, the Department of Health - Health Promotion Bureau (DOH-HPB), the Central Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CVCHD), and the Technical Assistance Movement for People and Environment, Inc. (TAMPEI). 

The team was welcomed by Ubay Municipal Administrator Atty. Ernesto Golosino, along with officials from the Municipal Planning and Development Office, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Municipal Health Office, Municipal Engineering Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, and council members from Brgy. Bood and Brgy. Poblacion. The local government expressed their appreciation for the collaboration and for being selected as the project's pilot site for constructing the sustainable and disaster-resilient housing prototype.

The field visit aimed to assess the municipality's exposure and vulnerability to various risks and hazards and identify the roles, interests, and commitment of various stakeholders to promoting and building disaster-resilient housing. During the week-long visit, the team conducted several activities, including household survey, risk assessment workshop, stakeholder mapping workshop, and preliminary visit to the pilot site.

The household survey was done in Brgy. Poblacion, one of the identified disaster-prone barangays in the municipality. Together with nurses from the DOH Nurse Deployment Project (NDP) and barangay health workers (BHWs), the team captured on-the-ground information on various environmental and health risks, common housing structures, and the experience of homeowners during disasters. 

Concurrently, the team from TAMPEI and ASOG, along with the municipal engineering officer and municipal assessor, visited Brgy. Bood for a preliminary inspection of the site where the prototype unit will be constructed. Available site plans, maps, and reports were requested to inform the prototype design and construction process.

Following the survey and site visit, workshops were facilitated by the project’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) consultant, Ms. Karen Tria. 

The risk assessment workshop examined the municipality’s historical hazards, existing vulnerabilities, and overall adaptive capacity. The session was opened by APC Senior Research Fellow and Principal Investigator, Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, who emphasized the significance of reducing a community’s vulnerability to disasters through capacity building, particularly in terms of resilient housing. 

During the stakeholder mapping, participants identified the relevant institutions that can be tapped and their potential roles, interests, and commitment to the project moving forward.

Both workshops were attended by municipal officials, barangay council members, and representatives from national government organizations like the Pag-IBIG Cebu Housing Business Hub, and the National Housing Authority (NHA) - Region VII Office. Civil society and private sector organizations were also present.