DAVAO CITY — After tropical storm Kabayan ravaged their communties in December rendering over 1,400 families to starvation, Mandaya residents in the hinterlands of Barangay Pichon, Caraga Davao Oriental, want to learn more about modern disaster mitigation methods.
Barangay Pichon is one of the 17 barangays in Caraga, Davao Oriental, it was the most devastated area when tropical storm Kabayan made a landfall in the adjacent town of Manay town.
The town used to be among the greenest area of Davao Region but illegal loggers who enjoyed political backing continue to cut trees until it was totally denuded at the expense of the tribes safety.
The village is two hours uphill ride from the national highway, it is the paradise of Mandaya tribe.
People are into traditional farming using organic method in farming rice, corn, planting abaca, banana and rootcrops.
The village was food sufficient until the early 2000, but when lowlanders started to appreciate the beauty of the place, the culture changed but the tribe is strongly working to preserve their culture and beliefs as people.
Digital technology has also taken tool among young generation, most of them are no longer into farming and many of the migrated to the provincial center working as attendants while others as househelps for a greener pasture and to feel the new world living their own village for survival and for their own welfare.
The Impact
The recent calamity led the tribe to convene and decide to learn scientific methods to help disaster mitigation, “We need to be scientific and learn methods so we can practice it in our own way,” Banugan added.
“We need to be trained how to respond and to survive when help is not coming, we must learn how to survive as people,” she added.
For decades, members of the indigenous peoples survived various calamities but the impact of typhoon Kabayan devastated the community and rendered them hungry for days as the bridge connecting their village to the town center collapsed due to the floodwaters.
“The mudslides and landslides was terrible, even horses cannot wade through the mud and the road is not passable,” said Mandaya Tribal chieftain Christine Banugan. Even the water falls and reservoirs were damaged.
Disaster Mitigation
For decades, “We as Mandaya people learn to be resilient, but more than resiliency, we need to learn and be equipped with knowledge to mitigate every situation,” Banugan said.
While she recognized doing the traditional rituals and prayers for “Magbabaya (God)” help ” then wade through the challenges, ” we need to learn how to survive and protect ourselves and cushion the impact of climate change, it is gettong worse and we need to prepare for it aside from doing our best to reforest our communities.”
Our forest is gone, one watersheds are depleted because mining activities in nearby provinces have affected the vegetation of our soil.
Office of Civil Defense XI regional director Ednar Dayanghirang told newsline “We will have a massive information-education campaign focusing on vulnerable sectors this year, we have identified the muslim communities and the IP communities to be our top priority.”
“Everyone in the family must be aware how to protect their communities and themselves during calamities and -they should know how to respond in a given situation.”
Community assessment is also necessary for the residents to be ready to the possible challenge they will be facing.
Distance and the lack of basic information about disaster mitigation often complicates the situation, Banugan and Dayanghirang agreed .
In the meantime, the residents have slowly recovered but many have started to plant trees within their communities.
