Public Administration Students Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Workshops in Real, Quezon Province

In the midst of the regional and national disasters (Japan earthquake and flashfloods in Visayas and Mindanao) that gripped the country and the whole world, students of Public Administration 191 (Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation – a course of Prof. Ebinezer Florano) of the National College of Public Administration and Governance of the University of the Philippines (UP-NCPAG) cast their fears aside and went to the Municipality of Real, Quezon Province to conduct community-based climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation workshops on 16-18 March 2011. The workshops enabled them to have hands-on experience in managing them, and at the same time, assist the municipal government jumpstart the formulation of their own local climate change action plan mandated for all local government units (LGUs) under the Climate Change Act of 2009.

Real is a 3rd class coastal municipality at the northeast side of Luzon island bounded by Lamon Bay (east), Rizal and Laguna Provinces (west), Municipalities of Nakar and Infanta (north), and the Municipality of Mauban (south). It has a total land area of 563.8 square kilometer and is composed of 17 barangays with 33,073 residents as of 2007 (Wikipedia 2011).

Real has had it shares of natural disasters. In December 2004, 500 people were either proclaimed dead or missing after the municipality was ravaged by Typhoons Violeta, Winnie, and Yoyong (Wikipedia 2011). Other hazards that constantly sow fear among the residents include flowing debris, slope failures and landslides.

The class conducted vulnerability assessment using the “Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit” developed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Coastal Services Center which consists of seven steps: (1) hazard identification, (2) hazard analysis, (3) critical facilities analysis, (4) social analysis, (5) environmental analysis, (6) economic analysis, and (7) adaptation opportunity analysis.

During the hazard identification and prioritization stages, the participants agreed that the municipal government should focus on preparing for the following hazards which they ranked in terms of frequency, area of impact, and magnitude: (1) typhoons/storm surge, (2) flashfloods, (3) landslide, and (5) tsunami. The class was happy to learn that two of the hazards that they pre-identified (sea-level rise (SLR), floods, and earthquakes) were among the prioritized hazards by the participants who listened intently on the on the students’ reports, based mostly on scientific reports and maps gathered from NAMRIA, PHIVOLCS, PAG-ASA, and DENR-GMB.

During the climate change adaptation workshops, in response to the pre-identified hazards, the participants enumerated and ranked the following adaptation measures:

• Sea-Level Rise: (1) mangrove planting, (2) RICE (research, information, communication, education), (3) seawall construction, (4) relocation of affected residents and establishments, and (5) non-privatization of coastal areas.

• Earthquakes: (1) RICE, (2) zoning ordinance, (3) construction of resilient accommodations, (4.5) relocate affected residents, and (4.5) population control.

• Floods: (1) RICE, (2) watershed management, (3) relocation and provide buffer zone, (4) tree planting, and (5) construction of seawalls and dikes.

The workshops were attended by municipal government staff from the following offices: agriculture, planning and development, social work, tourism, engineering, municipal administrator, etc. Mayor Joel Amando Diestro and Municipal Administrator Manuel Meraña approved the holding of the workshops. Students who conducted the workshops were: Diane Zapata, Ayesha Mambuay, Ace Cardenas, Noelle Rivera, Kaizzer Tanada, Leizle Arlando, Ishmail Bahjin, Mabelle Romero, Camilo Bugayong, Mitchka Nicanor, Nikki Grafil, Gian Pantaleon, Beatriz Caday, Angelica Herico, Raphael Itchon, and Raeon Laspinas.