Bridging the Gap: How Five Filipino Youth are Ensuring Inclusive Disaster Response for PwDs

Leoncia, a mother of two children with disabilities, faced a huge challenge while evacuating from her home during a typhoon in the Philippines a few years ago. With her husband away for work, she had to rely on relatives from another municipality to help her 18-year-old bedridden daughter with a physical disability and her seven-year-old son with a visual impairment evacuate from their residence. Their story inspired a group of youth leaders called "Team Yehey" to champion disaster preparedness for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the Philippines.

Team Yehey’s project, THRIVE, earned 1st Runner-Up honors at the Ideas Positive Run 11 Grand Finals in August 2024. Ideas Positive is a youth engagement program in the Philippines that engages youth in the country to create innovative solutions for public health issues in communities.  The THRIVE initiative by Team Yehey aims to develop an early warning system and educate the local community in Brgy. Sabang, Vinzons, Camarines Norte on disaster risk mitigation, and engage local youth in creating environmental and climatic solutions.

"We dream of helping build a healthier and more inclusive Philippines," said Ace Abu, the project head of THRIVE, during an interview with the team on DZSB 104.1 Spirit FM.

Team Yehey—comprising Abu, Dominica Calivara, Gwyn Hernandez, Nina Gaboy, and Jenard Paskil—focused on addressing the unique needs of PwDs in disaster-prone areas. For Abu, Calivara, and Gaboy, “their Catholic faith helped them motivation in reaching out to communities outside the church which their families have been serving since they were children”.

In September 2023, Team Yehey applied for Ideas Positive and was selected among the Top 20 out of 118 entries nationwide, advancing to the intensive screening process. Their entry, Project S.A.F.E. (Supporting Abilities, Fostering Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities), was a product of the initial needs assessment that they had conducted.

Project S.A.F.E. is a disaster preparedness initiative for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. With a ₱200,000 grant, it focused on three pilot villages: Bucayao, Panggalaan, and Buhuan. The project provided specialized training, and disaster kits, and promoted inclusivity. As part of the project, the Project S.A.F.E team developed an Inclusion Disaster Map for responders to locate PwDs and their needs during emergencies, formed partnerships, conducted community assessments, and collaborated with the Calapan City Federation of Persons with Disabilities.

After submitting a detailed proposal, and a video, and participating in a Q&A session, the team emerged as one of the Top 6 National Finalists, representing the National Capital Region alongside entries from Luzon and Mindanao.

On May 14, 2024, Team Yehey presented their project to the 9th Sangguniang Panglungsod of Calapan City, meeting public servants who could champion the program. “We also distributed emergency ‘go bags’ based on suggestions from the PwDs. These bags contained items like first aid supplies, flashlights, thermal blankets, and glow sticks for flood-prone areas,” shared Nina Gaboy, the team’s finance head during the interview.

The group’s dedication extended to collaborating with stakeholders like the Calapan City Federation of Persons with Disabilities and the Red Cross Oriental Mindoro Chapter, who helped design a tailored training manual for PwDs. Despite facing rejections, Team Yehey persisted, using creative approaches like theater performances to engage communities and decision-makers.

“There were rejections, but we were insistent and kept returning for reconsideration. We were tireless because we were having fun,” the group shared.

Abu expressed the team’s desire to sustain the project through policy dialogue and collaboration with local governments. He also shared concerns that some PwDs refuse to evacuate due to a lack of decent rooms at evacuation centers. Abu hopes future project replications will also include sectors like indigenous peoples and pregnant women, with their specific needs.

The project transformed not only the community but the team itself. “We no longer see PwDs as people below us. Immersing ourselves in their stories taught us that they are not just beneficiaries but partners. They have so much to contribute,” Abu reflected.

“We hope more villages in the Philippines will replicate the project, with Camilmil ( a village in Calapan) taking it on using its funds,” the team said. 

Courtesy: Radio Veritas Asia