Reconstruction with local architecture. Panay_Island.

Philippines. 2104 - 2017

Thierry Joffroy, Elsa Cauderay, Florie Dejeant, Olivier Moles

To cite this version:

Thierry Joffroy, Elsa Cauderay, Florie Dejeant, Olivier Moles. Reconstruction with local architecture.
Panay_Island. Philippines. 2104 - 2017. 2018. �hal-01874936�

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 CRAterre Editions

RECONSTRUCTION WITH LOCAL ARCHITECTURE

Panay Island, PHILIPPINES, 2014 - 2017
Capitalizing on experiences from two shelter projects in
the aftermath of the super Typhoon Haiyan
RECONSTRUCTION WITH LOCAL ARCHITECTURE
Panay Island, PHILIPPINES, 2014 - 2017
Capitalizing on experiences from two shelter projects in
the aftermath of the super Typhoon Haiyan

CRAterre Editions

We wish to express our sincere

thanks toAallEthose
&who took part
in the realisation of the projects
CCin this publication as
presented
well as those who facilitated and
AE contributed toAEthe capitalization
& &CC and to the
of experiences
CC development of this booklet.

1
Foreword
THIERRY JOFFROY
Architect – Researcher (HDR), CRAterre research Laboratory
Director of AE&CC research unit, ENSAG / Univ.Grenoble-Alpes
Within our changing world, one of the new global in parallel to field projects in various countries
trends is that natural hazards result in more (Pakistan, Indonesia, El Salvador, Haiti, etc.), a
and more severe destruction. Recent studies series of international seminars were organized
undertaken on such situations have revealed and several Ph.D. thesis conducted, leading to
that, often, the cause is that new building some first published results and a continuity in
designs don’t refer sufficiently to existing local reverse engineering and reverse design efforts
knowledge on how to cope with these hazards. by numerous research laboratories around the
People tend to neglect traditional building world.
cultures to apply standards which are most of
the time difficult to achieve, resulting in poor When in 2013 the Philippines was hit by super
resistance and sometimes errors that endanger typhoon Haiyan, more than thirteen million
people, more specifically in hazard prone areas. people were affected. At least one million
houses were damaged, of which more than half
were fully destroyed. In the specific context
To address this issue, for several years, CRAterre,
of Panay Island, a number of international
together with many other organizations has
organizations decided to offer assistance to
been working on the hypothesis that, before
local organizations as implementing partners,
making any proposal for a reconstruction
and two of them were supported by CRAterre
project, the local experience on coping with
through the different steps of the project’s
hazards should be examined. That involves the
implementation.
consideration of assets at different scales with
both its tangible (siting, urban planning, shape, Interestingly, these two projects, implemented
structure, building details) and intangible with the same overall approach, brought about
facets (alerts systems, building organization, similar but also different decisions. This led to
mutual assistance systems). The idea is that the the idea of giving a closer look to these two field
strengths within these various assets can be projects and to reflect on what could be learned
identified and re-used – and possibly adapted from each of them. This could be accomplished
- in the design of the proposals made as part through the mobilization of research funds from
of the housing design and the reconstruction the Labex AE&CC resulting in this publication that
project strategies, with the goal of remaining I am pleased to introduce as it actually provides
close to what populations can afford to do on us all with wholesome “food for thought” for
their own, thus with potential for increasing both scientific research and reconstruction
their long-term capacity for resilience. programs, and, moreover, with elements to
become more efficient when undertaking our
This proposed approach has been studied
common responsibility of helping people living
through a series of experimental field projects
in hazard-prone areas all around the world to
that have regularly contributed to the discussion
improve their resilience capacity.
on how it could be theorized so as to establish
new knowledge on housing resilience and also on Indigenous housing (left: traditional, right:
shelter project), barangay Dalagsa-an in Libacao,
the conditions for implementing it. To that end,
Aklan.
2
Index
Foreword & Prefaces 2
Risk mitigation 8
Culture of risk 10
Libacao
General approach 12
Projects & Partners’ presentation 14
A common methodology 18
Projects’ strategies 20
Activities & Results 24
Impacts & Perspectives 30
Lessons Learned 34
Sucess story & Bibliography 38

3
PREFACEs
DSAC PROJECT

The Diocesan Social Action Centre of kalibo (DSAC) Caritas Belgium & Secours cath0lique-caritas france
In November 2013, the DSAC Kalibo had been virtually inactive for In the aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan (November 2013), Caritas
many years, working with only one staff member, the director, and very Belgium and Secours Catholique - Caritas France, in collaboration with
limited funding. Having been revived through the Haiyan recovery and the Diocesan Social Action Centre of Kalibo as implementing partner,
rehabilitation projects, DSAC Kalibo is a very young organization. It started a rehabilitation program in Libacao, Aklan. As other NGOs were
had never been engaged in such colossal shelter project such as this willing to work in the area, the barangays Dalagsaan, Manika, and
Shelter Improvement Project for the Indigenous Peoples of Libacao, Oyang were selected as project areas and an integrated livelihood and
Aklan (Philippines). And so, the publication of this booklet is very shelter program was developed.
helpful for us as a social action center engaged in community-based
The overall approach was to strengthen local capacities for durable
development.
shelter and sustainable livelihood through integrated community-
DSAC Kalibo is most grateful to Caritas Belgium and Secours Catholique based activities (including shelter; livelihood; water, sanitation &
- Caritas France and to CRAterre for their technical assistance. Their hygiene; Disaster Risk Reduction and capacity enhancement), building
guidance, assistance and enduring support have placed DSAC Kalibo on existing locally available resources and know-how, local building
as a leading non-government organization in the area of shelter cultures and traditions and disaster-resilient practices. The expertise
reconstruction using indigenous materials and enhancing community of CRAterre was used to help the shelter section of the program.
capacities and skills towards resilience on Panay Island.
The remoteness and difficult access to the project area made the
The publication of this booklet, which is full of treasured experiences implementation challenging. However, we achieved designing,
and achievements not only of DSAC Kalibo but also of the Panay Center repairing or building 226 culturally acceptable homes using locally
for Disaster Response (PCDR) in Cuartero, Capiz, will guide and inspire available and traditional materials. The project trained approximately
DSAC Kalibo when similar disaster hits the Province of Aklan or other 100 local artisans in technical skills but also on DRR resilient housing
nearby localities here in the Philippines. features and awareness. In addition, by employing local labor
(approximately 8,000 Cash for Work days) and using local materials,
On behalf of the Panay-Bukidnon Akeanon in the Indigenous Cultural
the project invested most of the expenses in the local community
Communities of Barangays Manika, Oyang, Dalagsaan and Sitio
(approximately 350,000 EUR), contributing to a revival of the local
Taroytoy, we express our sincerest and unending gratitude to everyone
economy, while providing 226 families with safer homes. Finally, the
who made the publication of this booklet possible and made our efforts
iterative process, consistently involving the future homeowners and
and experiences worthy to become a future reference for those engaged
referring to (and strengthening) existing local expertise and resources
in similar undertakings.
not only resulted in the construction of safe and comfortable homes,
but also in the empowerment of IP communities.
The booklet highlights some of the housing features and good practices
of the project but also some of the challenges encountered. It is
certainly important to document these experiences and share them
widely.

4
Participatory risk mapping in barangay Manika, DSAC project in Libacao, Aklan.
5
Training on site, PCDR project, Cuartero, Capiz.
6
 PREFACES
PCDR PROJECT

PANAY CENTER FOR DISASTER RESPONSE (PCDR) Caritas Luxembourg

Armie F. Almero Nearly five years after Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines a lot of
Executive director, Iloilo City, Philippines. efforts were undertaken, lessons learned and best practices witnessed
on the long journey not only towards recovery but also towards
PCDR’s experience has shown that community participation in decision-
enhanced resilience, awareness and decent living conditions.
making, the partnership with People’s Organizations, as well as the
cooperation and support of local government units are essential to the Caritas Luxembourg was on the ground to assist the most affected two
success of any community intervention. This experience affirms PCDR’s days after the Typhoon hit. We supported the emergency appeals of
adherence to the Community Based Disaster Management approach, Caritas Philippines and cooperated with the non- profit organization
which recognizes people’s existing capacities, aims to strengthen Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR). Over the past years,
said capacities and encourages people’s participation in disaster we partnered, learned and grew with PCDR and supported twelve
management as well as in addressing the roots of vulnerabilities at communities on the Island of Panay in their rehabilitation efforts. As
local levels. Caritas Luxembourg, we hold our Filipino colleagues and the Yolanda
survivors in high esteem for their hard work, their creativeness, their
This booklet documents emerging good practices in Disaster Risk
wisdom, their power of endurance, their patience, their strength and
Reduction, how PCDR has worked with the communities to address
courage to deal with all the challenges that poverty, disaster, systemic
the damages caused by Typhoon Yolanda and how these communities
problems, and the search for sustainable alternatives pose.
resiliently coped therefrom.
At the end of the program, we see communities of fisher, farmers,
Our experiences and collective efforts bear examples of good practices
and vendors that grew together, and achieved successes of their own
and could be replicated and shared to others. These experiences
and for their communities. Not only were the communities supported
allowed us to realize the difference between resilience and resistance,
to repair their homes and to make them more resilient for future
to appreciate the value of local materials in construction, and most
disasters. Students furthermore have an affordable and sturdy
significantly, to foster our will to preserve our environment.
dormitory to board in and can regularly attend school and residents
The partnership with CRAterre and Caritas Luxembourg in implementing of mountainous areas can cross the Panay river safely through the
the shelter project enhanced our technical skills in construction and construction of a bridge. The communities were trained and developed
repair towards more resilient houses and structures. The experience their own community-based disaster management systems. They
in this shelter project also enriched our community-based disaster enhanced their dagyaw systems (mutual aid) and strengthened their
management framework by integrating structurally-sound techniques organization through capacity building and the hands-on work in the
and local building culture strategies in disaster management. Likewise, program. In effect, they feel better prepared in the face of calamities
this improved our work with the partner organizations by enhancing yet to come. Lifelong learning continues for all of us, but the program
their capacities, an essential step in allowing them to build resilient concludes with twelve hopeful, promising and resilient communities on
communities. the Island of Panay.
I hope that this booklet will inspire and yield appreciation for other The partnership with CRAterre is not only extremely valuable for both
partner Non-Government Organizations and People’s Organizations, Caritas Luxembourg and our partners but also for the beneficiaries. The
engaged in disaster risk reduction, in any vulnerable part of the lessons learned summarized in this booklet are a good basis for future
Philippines. beneficiaries and organizations to make use of it.

7
risk mitigation:
social or natural hazard vulnerability?

From November 6 to 9, 2013, the super typhoon Yolanda, (the

international name is Haiyan), struck the Philippines. It has been the
strongest tropical typhoon ever recorded, causing more than 6,000
deaths, affecting 16 million people, destroying and damaging over one
million houses and causing devastation across wide areas of the Central
Philippines, particularly the Eastern, Central and Western Visayas.
The Philippines is composed of more than 7,100 islands and islets, with
a population of over 101.6 million – around 55% living in rural areas. Manila
The country ranks 116th in the HDI (human development index) putting
it in the medium human development category close to Indonesia or
South Africa. Notwithstanding an apparent sustained growth, wealth
inequality is high and poverty remains a serious problem in the
Philippines. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) represent 15% of the
population and their contribution to the national income is important.
The country is located in an extremely hazard-prone area. It is ranked
among the countries deemed most vulnerable to natural hazards in the
INFORM index for Risk management (2018). On average, about fifteen Panay Island
calamities per year are recorded. Among them, storms and floods are
the most frequent but the Islands are also exposed to earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis.
The country has a long history of disaster response administrative
frameworks and policies and was even the first to establish a national
office focusing on managing emergency relief, and more recently
(2005), to implement a comprehensive risk response as well as risk
mitigation strategy. As for the civil society, there is a long and strong
tradition of community-based organization and pluralistic networks
engaged with local stakeholders in disaster response.
Given the number of calamities and disasters each year, the Philippines
has become an important case study area to understand community
Path of Typhon Yolanda path on the Philippines, November 2013.
resilience and vulnerabilities, as well as the link between poverty
8
and hazards. The relevant research carried out by J.C. Gaillard (2008) The same research study shows that, generally, the dominant view in
reveals that the data on natural hazard recollected from 1900 shows natural disaster risk management tends to emphasize the “exceptional”
a constant rate of events and intensity, but that the number of nature of hazards and not the “daily” character of vulnerability. This
casualties and the extent of damages have risen dramatically over the was highly visible in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda with a generic
century. This phenomenon is attributed to several factors related to disaster response focusing on reaction rather than prevention and
demography, urban migration, change of agricultural practices such as mainly based on natural hazard risk mitigation, without addressing the
the implementation of monocultures, the absence of social services and social vulnerability.
neglect. Above all, poverty and food insecurity lead a great number
of people to live in vulnerable situations, in areas exposed to natural
hazards.

Traditional housing in barangay Oyang in Libacao, Aklan.

9
 the Nipa hut or Bahay Kubo
Culture of risk

Issue
The high recurrence of hazard in the daily life of the Filipinos is part Extremely hazard-prone areas.
of their culture. Disasters are not seen as abnormal occurrences but
Description
instead as frequent life experiences. Researcher G. Bankoff (2007)
points out that the Filipino culture can be regarded as the product of The Bahay Kubo rural style house is a good example of
adaptation to the climatic and environmental context.
community adaptation to natural hazards. A number of scholars have
studied the deep integration of hazards into the fabric of Filipino Hazard resilient design
social and political life showing how disasters are a core element of The structure, composed of light materials (local wood, bamboo,
the Filipino identity. This is most evident in the agricultural system, palm leaves, rattan) behaves like reeds, as it is prone to bend
the half-nomadic rural lifestyle and in local building traditions. These under wind action but rarely totally collapse, reducing the
cultural and social specificities constitute the coping mechanisms that likelihood to injure inhabitants.
the Filipinos have develop for centuries to continue living in spite of Stilt houses are not designed to resist super typhoons and
constant threats. earthquakes but rather to make it easily to repair or rebuild
after the retrieval of scattered materials. Therefore, a damaged
A notable coping practice the Filipinos is the traditional mutual aid house can be used as a temporary shelter where the main
system known as bayanihan. This practice is in a real community spirit structure still in place receives scattered panels of bamboo. It
at all levels of the society, especially in rural areas, for intensive provides a decent place to live until the owners gather enough
field works or in house building activities. It is particularly effective resources to properly repair the house with new walling and
in post-disaster situations. Families are able to help one another and roofing panels.
quickly bounce back despite lack of funds. This was the case during Location
the recovery process after Yolanda, where the high efficiency of the Mainly in rural areas and seldom in suburban areas.
bayanihan practice impressed the international community.
Application
Those coping mechanisms highlight the cleverness of the existing Requires the knowledge and skills of local carpenters.
culture of risk awareness and mitigation. It reaffirms that the resilience Intervention / construction duration
of rural communities is based on a broad range of capacities involving
1-2 weeks to build,
social, economic and environmental components. Therefore it has
1 day to fix temporarily if damaged
quickly appeared relevant to strongly consider those specificities and
2 to 4 days to repair.
moreover to strengthen them to ensure the provision of appropriate
disaster response measures in the future.
10
Typhoon & emergency shelters Temporary consolidation

Issue Issue
Sheltering during and after typhoons.
Main structure’s stability during typhoon.
Description
Description
Low-rise constructions with a rectangular plan built using
Temporay wall propping up.
local natural materials (wood, bamboo, palm leaves, rattan) are
traditionally used as family shelters during and after cyclones. Hazard resilient design
Hazard resilient design Temporary consolidation with bamboo or timber is a very
common practice. The wall panels are propped up with full-
The very low height of the shelter and the roof extended to
length bamboo poles or timber logs and the roof is ballasted. If
the ground provide an improved aerodynamic shape reducing
possible, stilts are braced.
the impact of strong winds. When a typhoon is announced,
people gather their belongings and move into the shelters This consolidation principle prevents the building from bending
to be protected from the possible partial or total collapse of or collapsing. Generally, the consolidation system will remain
housing and other risks. Later, these shelters are often used after the emergency until the structure is repaired or rebuilt.
as temporary living spaces as the damaged houses are being Location
reconstructed / repaired. Roof, wall panel, wood stilts.
Location Application
On an open site protected from falling trees or other debris, Commonly known and applied.
close or far away, depending on the exposition context.
Intervention / construction duration
Application
Very short - 1/2 day.
Commonly known and applied.
Intervention / construction duration
Very short - 1/2 day.

11
General approach

Resistance or Resilience ?
The two following reconstruction projects present an approach based
on the resilience, rather than on the resistance of housing. The
analysis of the local building culture and its coping mechanisms makes
it possible to understand the extent to which house affordability, the
capacity to recover, accessibility to resources, the safety of users
as well as local skills and knowledge are factors to be put in balance
with the structural resistance of housing units. The adopted approach
assumes that local style houses reflect the local populations’ capacity
of resilience. In other words, while houses are designed to resist
strong storms and typhoons, it would be beyond people’s capacities
to seek for a structural resistance able to cope with less frequent
super typhoons. In such exceptional situations, rebuilding seems a
more accessible and affordable option, using salvaged materials or
otherwise. To illustrate this “resistance vs. resilience” approach, a
roof made of palm leaves is easily replaced without external assistance
Local Building Culture approach
and without the need to spend substantial savings. Palm leaves are
available locally and manufacturing doesn’t usually require extra- Improving local building cultures and developing post-disaster
familial skills. On the other hand, a CGI sheet roof covering is not easily responses based on existing good practices do not lead to some
affordable and households would require to access substantial savings kind of nostalgic return to the past. Several recent experiences have
or external assistance to recover their CGI sheet roof. proven that considering local building cultures is extremely valuable
when working towards the enhancement of community and housing
The nature of damages is another important perspective of analysis:
resilience. Identifying, understanding, recognizing and, where needed,
post-Yolanda field assessments showed that damages are likely
improving and strengthening local practices often result in very useful
linked to a pre-existent poor condition of structures. In many cases,
knowledge for the definition of relevant disaster risk reduction and
high winds and heavy rains just triggered a pending collapse. The
re-construction programs.
depreciation of local building traditions is probably one of the main
factors accounting for the weakening of housing structures and can be This approach ensures the respect of local culture and customs, the
perceived through the lack of maintenance and the unsuitable modern identification of the real basic needs and the valorization of local
modifications made on traditional buildings. knowledge and capacities.
12
 WHAT IS a LOCAL BUILDING CULTURE (LBC) ?
A building culture results from the adaptation of a community
to the environmental conditions of the territory in which it is
established - physical, climatic, social, economic and cultural.
As with biodiversity, a multitude of local building cultures exist
throughout the world and it is important to consider that all
of them evolve and change over time and that several building
cultures may coexist in a given territory.
(for further information see the practical guide Assessing local building
cultures for resilience and development, CRAterre editions, 2015)

Traditional on site building in barangay Madalag, Aklan.

Scale of intervention
After a major natural disaster, whatever the level of available funds
may be, only a small portion of the affected population, generally the
most vulnerable, is provided with support. The majority of affected
families will recover through self-rebuilding, using the local informal
building sector (Parrack, Flinn, Passey, 2014).
The purpose of the two following projects was to develop disaster
preparedness and risk reduction strategies applied to the housing
sector, based on the existing local resources, building practices, and
coping capacities. The projects paid special attention to economic
accessibility issues so that the duplication of proposed housing
interventions would be possible for a great number of households not Example of local building culture: structural elements are tied together
directly benefiting from the projects, thus significantly expanding the without nails using vegetable materials (here rattan).
impact of the project.
13
PROJECTS & PARTNERS PRESENTATION
DSAC Project

Kalibo

Libacao
LOCATION
Three barangays (Dalagsa-An, Manika, Oyang), in the municipality
of Libacao – Aklan. The three barangays are remote and difficult to
access (many villages are accessible only by foot).
LOCAL PARTNERS
Diocesan Social Action Center of Kalibo (DSAC)
FINANCIAL PARTNERS
THE DSAC OF KALIBO Secours Catholique - Caritas France (SCCF)
The Diocesan Social Action Centre (DSAC) of Kalibo is the social action Caritas Belgium
constituent of the Diocese of Kalibo. The DSAC-Kalibo provides support PERIOD
to vulnerable populations from 22 communities in the province of Aklan 2014 - 2017
in Panay Island. DSACs are responsible for the coordination of social
action activities in parishes and Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs). BUDGET
Livelihood improvement project: 836,786 ¤
The DSAC of Kalibo is one of the 85 DSACs of the Caritas network in the
Philippines under the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/ Housing construction and restoration project: 503,880 ¤
Caritas Philippines. The NASSA is the humanitarian, development and Overall objective
advocacy body of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It was created
To improve the living conditions of Indigenous Peoples affected
by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in 1966.
by typhoon Yolanda, supporting access to healthy, resilient and
It is a faith-based, non-governmental organization which supports
sustainable houses.
and sustains social action initiatives on peace advocacy, democratic
governance, children’s rights, sustainable agriculture, environmental beneficiaries
protection and disaster management. The project aims to benefit the overall communities from barangays
The DSAC Kalibo played a part in the three-year Yolanda Rehabilitation Manika, Oyang and Dalagsa-An. However priority was given to those
Program #REACHPhilippines, covering 166 communities across 9 whose housing had been totally damaged and not yet rebuilt, and
provinces and dealing with housing, water, sanitation & hygiene, among them to the most vulnerable families, that is to say to those
food security, livelihood, Disaster Risk Reduction, capacity building, lacking the capacity to recover on their own.
community organizing and ecosystem recovery related issues.
14
Indigenous Peoples
In the Philippines, indigenous peoples (IPs) have a holistic concept projects and extractive industries involving mining, dam construction
of the land, referred to as ancestral land and ancestral domain, and logging operations and to the degradation of the environment.
encompassing not only the territory but also its resources: the rivers, In Libacao, various indigenous communities live, among them the
the forests, the flora and fauna, the minerals underneath and the air Tumandok in barangay Dalagsa-an and the Akeanon-Bukidnon in
above. It is not a commodity to be sold or exchanged but a resource to barangays Oyang and Manika. They are mainly settled upland, in
be nurtured for future generations. remote mountainous areas and have managed to preserve their culture,
language, and rituals. They are represented by their own council and
The Philippine Constitution of 1987 recognizes the rights of indigenous
chieftain. One of the major concerns for them is the absence of land
cultural communities. Despite this national IPs law, they are among the
tenure. While they are recognized as indigenous to the area and
poorest and most marginalized sectors of the Filipino society. A major despite the pending claim with the National Commission on Indigenous
factor causing food insecurity and poverty among IPs is the loss of Peoples (NCIP) submitted in the 1990s, the communities have not been
their ancestral lands due to their displacement linked to development issued the Certificate for Ancestral Domain Title.

Shelter project in Libacao, example of an 8 posts house with kitchen extension.

15
PROJECTS & PARTNERS PRESENTATION
PCDR PROJECT

Katipunan Cuartero
LOCATION
Shelter project: three barangays (Putian, Manhunod-Hunod, Carataya),
in the municipality of Cuartero - Capiz
Iloilo City Student’s dormitory: barangay Katipunan, Tapaz, Capiz
LOCAL PARTNERS
The Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR) based in Iloilo

PANAY CENTER FOR DISASTER RESPONSE (PCDR) FINANCIAL PARTNERS

Caritas Luxembourg
The Panay Center for Disaster Response (PCDR) is an established
disaster response service institution servicing all four provinces of PERIOD
Panay Island and the province of Guimaras. It is a non-governmental 2015 - 2017
organization based in Iloilo City serving particularly vulnerable
BUDGET
populations during and after natural and human-made disasters.
Shelter project: 40,112 ¤
Since 1984, PCDR has been at the forefront of disaster relief and
emergency response activities, assisting a total of 152 communities Dormitory: 62.100 ¤
with relief delivery operations and rehabilitation programs. Overall objective
PCDR has established a local network of different non-governmental Shelter Project aims at improving the living conditions of the
and people’s organizations, which provide services and assistance population of Cuartero affected by typhoon Yolanda, through raising
in emergency response, mitigation and rehabilitation contexts. It awareness and supporting access to healthy, resilient and sustainable
maintains a pool of committed volunteers to carry on the different housing.
aspects of disaster response. PCDR seeks to reinforce vulnerable The dormitory will serve as a “home away from home” for 50 Tumandok
communities’ resilience to disasters by encouraging local and/or students who live in the far-flung barangays of Lahug, Tacayan and
collective ownership of resources and through participative approaches Sitio Tobi, Abangay.
to project conception and design. beneficiaries
PCDR has been a member of the National Citizen’s Disaster Response The shelter project targeted 3 communities of Cuartero, as some of its
Network (CDRN) since 1984, a broad alliance of seventeen regional members were beneficiaries of the Early Recovery Project but had not
NGOs all over the Philippines committed to serving vulnerable sectors been able to recover their homes fully.
through a Community-Based Disaster Management (CBDM) approach.
16
People’s Organizations of the barangays
Putian, Manhunod-hunod and Carataya BALAY TUMANDOK (student’s dormitory)
People organizations (POs) are independent associations The dormitory for about 50 Tumandok students was designed by Filipino architect
of citizens coming from all sectors of society which role Romel Romero in consultation with CRAterre. It consists of two buildings of 185 and
is to enable their members to protect and pursue their 75 m² (sleeping area and dining area) using wood and bamboo as the main materials
legitimate and collective interests and aspirations. In the and featuring several elements of the local architecture and various disaster-
Philippines, the number of POs has considerably increased resilient technical solutions. This achievement also serves to demonstrate good
since the 1980’s. Many of them are small and locally based. resilient practices to the communities.

Each of the three barangays covered by PCDR’s shelter TUMANDUK

project has a PO representing their communities. They TUMANDUK is an abbreviation for TUmandok nga MAngunguma nga Nagapangapin
were created with the support of PCDR in 2014 during the sa DUta Kag Kabuhi meaning Tumandok Farmers in Defense of Land and Life. The
Early Recovery Project (ERP) launched in the aftermath organization brings together different organizations and communities of IPs in Panay
of Typhoon Yolanda. POs played a key role throughout among them the Tumandok IP’s who have lived for generations at the borders of Iloilo,
the unfolding of PCDR’s program, allowing community- Capiz, and Aklan provinces and have fought for over more than four decades to protect
based and participatory processes at different stages: their ancestral land and their rights. It is this organization that expressed the need
assessment, decision-making, implementation, and to build a dormitory for students coming from remote villages. The organization
evaluation. The program also aimed at building PO’s played an essential role in its implementation and is responsible for its management.
capacities.

Student’s dormitory project in Tapaz, Capiz.

17
a common methodology

The project implementation methodology has been defined as an Implementation methodology

iterative participatory approach on the basis of complementary
The implementation of this iterative methodology makes each project
activities. This fosters greater project flexibility with the possibility
unique due to the reference made to its specific context. The two
of fine-tuning project activities as feedback from local communities is
following post-typhoon reconstruction projects illustrate this very
received. Also, this allows for a deeper holistic approach and a more
well: despite the fact that both projects were set up in the same region
Integrated Human Development.
of the Philippines, it is interesting to notice that the proposed iterative
The iterative method is based on the successive implementation of the and participatory approaches resulted in two different strategies in
following steps: analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. link with the specific characteristics of each territory.
The project cycle is repeated as often as necessary to enable a
The methodology pursues orientations which are deeply interdependent
permanent improvement of the technical proposal as well as to allow
and thus connected (see right).
project partners to build their own competencies progressively and
thus eventually becoming capable of handling all project activities on
their own.

Analysis Planning
Identification, understanding, Designing relevant strategies in
and contextualization - global collaboration with all partners,
assessment (LBC, context and to be implemented on a priority
local capacities, resources, basis and taking into account
building sector) the partners’ capacities

Evaluation Implementation
Evaluation, adaptation of results Implementation and
and definition of future activities. experimentation of project
Capitalization, promotion, and dissemination phases and activities

18
Awareness and Knowledge Planning and management
• Promoting and demonstrating the effectiveness of local • Involving partners and beneficiaries in all stages of the
building cultures. implementation process.
• Strengthening existing skills through the implementation of • Designing activities according to existing capacities.
training activities for builders.
• Designing projects that are able to respond to urgent needs
• Disseminating local disaster coping practices. as well as to long-term challenges.
• Supporting, in collaboration with operational stakeholders and • Prioritizing facilitation, rather than providing.
donors, the promotion and recognition of the value of local
• Focusing on direct beneficiaries while allowing the whole
building and risk cultures.
community to benefit from the project.
• Strengthening existing partnerships and creating new
• Adopting a participatory approach throughout the project,
cooperation and coordination opportunities among the
involving the community from get-go, especially through the
community, operational, academic and institutional
beneficiary selection process.
stakeholders.

Construction and Technique Local Capacity strengthening

• Learning from local building cultures and disaster coping • Building up stakeholders’ capacities by involving them in
practices and respecting them. decision-making.
• Developing strategies to extend the sustainability of local • Facilitating the transfer of responsibilities to local
materials and buildings. stakeholders.
• Ensuring resilience, sustainability, affordability, and • Strengthening existing partnerships and creating new
viability by implementing strategies based on local skills, cooperation and coordination opportunities among
resources, and materials that are easily accessible. communities, NGOs, CSOs, academic and institutional
• Reducing future risks and vulnerabilities through appropriate stakeholders.
and affordable technical solutions.

19
project strategies DRR test
DSAC Shelter Forum
& 1st evaluation
1st training
pilot house 1st repair

DSAC capacity building Additional houses building
DSAC demand Training of engineers & carpenters Reparing 6 houses as a test
Community-based beneficiary selection Technical options fine-tuning
Raising-awareness session Strategy fine-tuning
Building of 6 houses as a test Methodology fine-tuning
Barangay assessment
Yolanda
Nov 2013 March 2014 May 2014 Nov 2014 April 2015
PILOTE PHASE TRANSITIONAL PHASE
ASSESSMENT MAIN PHASE
6 months 5 months
2 weeks 2,5 years

Background Problem analysis and objectives of the shelter project

Typhoon Yolanda strongly hit the remote communities of indigenous The first assessment carried out showed that local building practices
peoples living in Libacao and aggravated their already difficult living are particularly well adapted to a typhoon-prone area and based on
conditions by damaging their main source of food and livelihood, local resources and so, affordable. The damages to the local houses
thier crops and their homes. The DSAC of Kalibo rapidly planned to mainly resulted from a lack of maintenance and depreciation of
traditional building cultures. In the meantime, many aspects of the
grant them assistance. In March 2014, a joint mission was led by the
local know-how, identified as typhoon-resistant, were still visible and
DSAC together with Caritas Belgium, Secours Catholique - Caritas
applied: specific wood connections, rattan tying, bamboo stabilization
France and CRAterre to jointly carried out an assessment in the field. system for roofs and walls, ventilation system to mitigate wind
It allowed to identify the urgent needs as well as the strengths and strength, etc. Loss of local knowledge was then identified as the main
weaknesses of the local building cultures and stakeholders. This was factor of risk and vulnerability for local communities. Another issue
a key step: the complementarity of shelter and livelihood issues was the unavailability of local materials, either as a direct result of the
faced by IP communities encouraged the implementation of a holistic damages caused by the typhoon, as was be the case with palm leaves or
approach this led to design a project strategy aiming at strengthening bamboo, or concerning materials adapted to long-term solutions, such
local capacities for both durable shelter and sustainable livelihood, as specific wood types for making posts, able to resist when embedded
through an integrated and community-based project, including into the ground.
shelter, livelihood, WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene), and capacity Thus, the core objective of the shelter component was defined as
enhancement activities. enhancing the local knowledge and capacity to build and repair while
20
 Technical evaluation

Capitalization &
feedback meeting
Community-based beneficiary selection in Paris
Scaling up of construction activities
Covering of additional remotest areas

Technical & DRR guide

Joint capitalization booklet
Nov 2016 Oct 2017

CAPITALIZATION
4 months
& posts house, shelter project in Libacao.

maintaining existing sustainable and resilient houses, on the basis of

locally available resources and know-how, the local building culture Challenges of the target-group, indigenous people
and disaster-coping practices. IPs are not used to receiving external support and maintain a rich
Implementation tradition of disaster-coping strategies. They live in very remote
mountainous regions with difficult access. The challenge was to
The shelter and livelihood program started in May 2014. A pilot phase fill the gap between their capacities and their emergency needs,
was implemented which was extended to a second phase to include while revitalizing, strengthening and enhancing their existing
repair and upgrading activities. The main phase started in April 2015. knowledge and practices.
The technical concepts and details were identified and developed For example, the IPs houses are made of wood and bamboo and
during the projects so as to preserve existing knowledge and improve covered with palm leaves (ambulang or nipa). While fallen lumber
housing structures, making best use of local resources and respecting and bamboo were easily available after the typhoon, the shortage
the environmental, cultural, social, technical and economic realities of of palm leaves was identified as an impediment to the recovery
the communities. of shelters. Rather than providing beneficiaries with CGI sheets,
it was decided to deliver them palm leaves from less affected
The selection of beneficiaries was conducted through a community-
areas until the recovery of local ones. This strategy ensured the
based process. The selection criteria were jointly defined by the continuity of local knowledge and the long-term accessibility of
communities and representatives of the DSAC. The list of beneficiaries this relevant and affordable roofing solution, which additionally
was proposed by each community, verified by the DSAC staff and has a good impact on the local economy.
published in the barangay for feedback collection.
21
project strategies
PCDR
Dormitory: start
of the buiding
DRR ToT
1st repair
1st training
pilote house

PCDR demand
Design prototypes Community-based selection
PCDR capacity building additionnal building/repairs
Training of Tlead & carpenters DRR sessions
Construction of 3 pilot houses Evaluation and fine-tuning
Pilot repairs Planning main phase
Yolanda
Nov 2013 Nov 2015 March 2016 June 2016 Aug 2016

ASSESSMENT PILOTE PHASE TRANSITIONAL PHASE

2 weeks 5 months 5 months

Background • Increased vulnerability towards strong winds and landslide due

to deforestation
Following Yolanda, PCDR received support from Caritas Luxembourg
to implement an Early Recovery Project. But critical sectors including
• Nonpreservation of native materials limiting access to affordable
and appropriate housing solutions
housing, DRR, and livelihood recovery remained in dire need of continued
attention and focus. Thus, PCDR and Caritas Luxembourg worked closely • Loss of confidence in local knowledge and preference for industrial
with the communities to elaborate a 2-year Rehabilitation Project for materials even though they generally prove less durable and are
12 communities in Panay Island. It followed a comprehensive multi- inappropriately implemented
sectorial approach and included various components related to shelter, • Insufficient housing-related DRR knowledge in relation with site
DRR, livelihood and capacity building. The shelter component targeted selection or general reinforcement solutions
3 communities of Cuartero where several beneficiaries of the Early Shelter project strategy
Recovery Project had not been able to recover their home fully.
The overall strategy adopted aimed at supporting the access to resilient
Problem analysis and sustainable housing and raising awareness on the relevance of local
architectures. The necessity to adopt a cross-cutting approach became
The first assessment jointly carried out in November 2015 by Caritas
evident. Several activities already scheduled in other components of
Luxembourg, PCDR and CRAterre, together with the communities, the Rehabilitation Project could be improved with additional building-
allowed to identify the problems, strengths, and vulnerabilities related resilience contents such as DRR capacity building and the construction
to housing, mainly: of a students’ dormitory in Tapaz. The latter was an opportunity to
demonstrate the viability of a well-built, contemporary community
22
 Technical evaluation

Participatory
capitalization
session in Cuartero
Capitalization &
feedback meeting
Scaling up of construction activities in Paris
Additional training sessions and workshops
Evaluation of carpenters skills and knowledge
Capitalization of the shelter component
Open-house visits and Forum event Technical & DRR guide
Joint capitalization booklet Example of repair/upgrading, shelter project in Cuartero.
PCDR booklet
Dec 2016 July 2017
Challenges: Environment severely affected
MAIN PHASE CAPITALIZATION
One of the main issues raised in Cuartero concerns the many
8 months 4 months
drawbacks and the adverse impact that GMO-corn crops have
generated, not only on the health and the environment but also on
the socio-economic conditions of populations. Through this form
of agriculture, indebted farmers become increasingly dependent
infrastructure based on local building culture principles. Therefore,
on corn traders and agrochemical companies.
the expected outcomes of the shelter component were:
In all three communities, the environment is severely affected by
1. To provide assistance to repair or rebuild damaged and destroyed
a high level of deforestation and pesticide pollution. In regard to
houses of the most vulnerable households affected by Yolanda in
housing, while the difficult economic conditions have inevitably
3 barangays an impact on the capacity of populations to properly maintain,
2. To enhance local knowledge and capacity to build, repair and build or recover their house after a disaster, deforestation, the
maintain sustainable and resilient houses, on the basis of absence of vegetation protection and the erosion of soils have
existing resources and know-how, the local building culture and increased the vulnerability of built structures to typhoons and
disaster-resilient practices landslides. Additionally, the depletion of natural resources, such
as wood and bamboo, has drastically reduced access to affordable
3. To raise community awareness on the importance of preserving quality construction materials and therefore to resilient housing
local resources and developing DRR knowledge to improve the solutions. Finally, in many cases, the relocation of houses result
sturdiness of the buildings through simple and low-cost solutions from the choice to extend a field rather than find a safe place
4. To raise PCDR’s capacities on technical and DRR aspects related protected from strong wind, flood and landslide exposure.
to housing Similarly, landlessness often forces the populations to position
their houses according to availability and permissions instead of
5. To provide technical assistance in the construction of the student safety considerations. This happens to be a serious threat in any
dormitory allowing the best use of local materials and local recovery context.
techniques.
23
ACTIVITIES & Results
Repair & reconstruction assistance
DSAC
ACTIVITIES
• Assessment of Local Building Cultures (LBC) in the
3 barangays
• Resource mapping and inventory of local materials
• Securing and guaranteeing the long-term land right
for selected beneficiaries
• Community-based selection of beneficiaries
• Development and fine-tuning of technical solutions
in an iterative process
• Definition of case-by-case interventions for the
strengthening/upgrading of existing houses
• Adaptation of specific and existing house design
principles for each barangay depending on locally
available resources, capacities and culture
• Development of adequate design solutions taking
into account the fact that some beneficiaries
received previous support from other NGOs
• Awareness raising sessions on LBCs and
community strengthening
• Reconstruction and repair activities.

RESULTS
226 households benefited directly from shelter
assistance in the 3 barangays:
• 120 safer houses rebuilt
• 106 houses repaired and improved
• 129 house extensions achieved
• 226 latrines built Shelter projetc in Libacao, example of a 6 posts house

24
 PCDR
ACTIVITIES
• Assessment of Local Building Cultures (LBCs) in the
3 barangays
• Development of adequate technical solutions and
design of pilot houses
• Community-based selection of beneficiaries
• Technical assessment of houses, definition of case-
by-case interventions and budgeting
• Reconstruction & repair (strengthening /
upgrading) activities
• Assessment and fine-tuning of technical solutions
and of the implementation process throughout the
project

RESULTS
46 households received shelter assistance in the 3
barangays:
• 30 houses repaired & improved
• 16 safer houses rebuilt

Shelter project in Cuartero, pilot house in ManHunoHunod

25
ACTIVITIES & Results
REINFORCEMENT of technical skills
S2.2.2.1 MAIN FRAME
Technical
DSAC sheet
RATTAN TYING

Truss / post and

beam tying

tying a least with 8

rattan wisps

Corner post /
S2.3.1.9 ROOF
Technical
DSAC
beam tying Guide
CLEATS (PURLIN TYING DETAIL)
minH3H minH3H
at least 8 rattan
wisps on each
side (6 for middle Nails have to cross to the other
post) side and points have to be bent
(on at least 1 inch)
1 or 2 cleats
per connexion
At least 4 nails on
each cleat.

Post / beam tying

at least 6 rattan
wisps on each
side


Middle post /
beam tying

at least 6 rattan
wisps on each
side

_ Shelter repair and improvement project, Panay, Philippines_V. September 2017

Cleats are necessary on all

connexions between purlins/batten
and trusses

_ Shelter repair and improvement project, Panay, Philippines_V. September 2017

A technical guide & 34 technical sheets

Through both projects, a technical guide including 34 technical sheets
based on local building cultures was developed. Since both projects
were located in the same region, local building culture similarities
as well as differences came up and were identified. Thus, technical
exchanges between both projects were relevant, and each project has
contributed to enhancing the regional knowledge of local building
cultures while widening the scope of technical responses.
This guide deals with the specific technical concepts and details
that have been developed through the projects to preserve existing
knowledge and improve housing in the targeted areas, making the
best use of local resources and respecting the environmental, cultural,
social, technical and economic realities of the communities.
To download: https://craterre.hypotheses.org/1858 Shelter projet in Libacao, pilot house in Oyang.
26
DSAC PCDR
ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
• Theoretical and technical training for • On-the-job training with pilot buildings
each target audience: local engineers, in all 3 barangays (1 run by CRAterre, 2
foremen, carpenters, and masons run by PCDR technical lead)
• On-the-job training with pilot houses in • 2 specific repair assessment training
the 4 barangays sessions on existing houses
• 2 specific training courses on house • 1 specific repair training session
repair • Continuous training on site and
• 2 refresher training sessions on new organization of further workshops and
house construction and repair refresher training sessions
• Continuous technical training on site

RESULTS RESULTS
• 4 pilot houses completed (community • 3 pilot houses completed (community
buildings) in the 3 barangays buildings) in the 3 barangays
• 3 engineers trained • 1 technical lead trained and 3 community
• 8 foremen trained facilitators fully sensitized in all
technical aspects
• 80 carpenters and 16 masons trained
• 3 foremen trained
• 43 carpenters trained

27
ACTIVITIES & Results
capacity building & awareness raising

DSAC PCDR
ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
• Shelter forum 2014 with DSAC partners on shelter • Capacity building for PCDR staff on training facilitation,
construction multi-approach construction project management
• Awareness-raising community sessions for disaster • Capacity building and training for carpenters to
resilient construction disseminate key messages towards beneficiaries
• Orientation sessions for communities and beneficiaries • Development of a Disaster Resilient Housing Awareness
on project system Workshop and training of trainers’ for PCDR community
• Internal training or capacity reinforcement for DSAC facilitators
staff • Dissemination of the Disaster Resilient Housing
• Internal evaluation and capitalization Awareness workshop by community facilitators in the 3
targeted barangays towards POs members, community
members and trained carpenters
• Continuous and on-site awareness raising towards
beneficiaries by carpenters and PCDR staff
• Organization of open house visits and a closing forum
by PCDR towards communities and local authorities

RESULTS RESULTS
• 6 animators were trained • 1 technical lead and 3 community facilitators gained
• 1,062 households (6,300 persons) participated in skills in facilitating training and managing repair &
community meetings reconstruction processes
• 80 carpenters, 8 foremen and 16 masons sensitized • 11 PCDR staff members trained as trainers to facilitate
the “Disaster Resilient Housing Awareness” workshop
• Increased awareness of local communities on resilience
features for housing • Increased awareness of local carpenters and an
enhanced capacity to share knowledge
• Increased awareness on the importance of sanitation
and hygiene practices. • Increased awareness for housing beneficiaries on
resilience features
• Increased capacity of DSAC in terms of procurement
and logistics • Over 200 community members participated in the
“Disaster Resilient Housing Awareness” workshops in
the 3 barangays
• First steps in sensitizing local authorities in Cuartero

28
 3.1 │ SOLUTION A: TREE BARRIER

3.2 │ SOLUTION A: BRACING OF THE STRUCTURE

3.4 │ SOLUTION B: THE WIND CAN PASS THROUGH THE HOUSE

DRR Training – Shelter resilience│ M3 - How to increase sturdiness of the building │ CRAterre 3

DRR Training – Shelter resilience│ M3 - How to increase sturdiness of the building │ CRAterre 11

DRR Training – Shelter resilience│ M3 - How to increase sturdiness of the building │ CRAterre 23

A Disaster risk reduction guide

Along with the technical guide, a Disaster Resilient Housing Awareness
training kit associated with a Training of Trainers (ToT) was developed
based on local building cultures. As for the technical guide, the DRR
guide is the result of exchanges between both projects adapted to the
different specific contexts. This educational material has been tested
and improved throughout both projects. The main objectives of this
guide are to:
• Raise awareness on the potential of local architecture
• Raise awareness on the benefit of protecting local resources
• Develop DRR knowledge on how to improve the sturdiness of the
buildings through simple and economic means
Raising awareness session in Cuartero. To download: https://craterre.hypotheses.org/1853
29
IMPACT & PERSPECTIVES
DSAC

Impact at the community level on their own. As a dissemination strategy to give the whole community
access to Build Back Safer / Better (BBBS) guidelines, more carpenters
Communities acted as true partners in every step of the project. IPs
than required by the project were trained. This strategy ensured the
were particularly sensitive to the approach integrating the specificities
permanence of skilled foremen and carpenters in the area.
of their traditions and culture. The awareness-raising session during
which technical weaknesses and their solutions could be introduced, Nevertheless, the lack of awareness activities has led to a limited
the sustainable structural options presented as well as the continued interest from non-beneficiaries. Misunderstandings regarding a
discussions among community members, carpenters, and engineers number of technical choices were also identified at the level of DSAC
allowed for the project to be particularly well-received. Indeed, technical team. This revealed the real need for refresher training
all initial negative reactions due to the poor image of local building activities during such projects.
cultures and resources were rapidly cleared away following the
Impact for the DSAC Kalibo
demonstration of the first pilot house. Thus, the 120 rebuilt houses,
106 repaired ones, 129 extensions and the 226 latrines achieved made The project was an opportunity to reinforce all partners’ skills while
the beneficiaries very proud. focusing on enabling as opposed to providing strategies. For both
local and international partners, it was a chance to experiment an
During the project, the implementation of some of the technical
LBC approach and its positive outcomes. This led the DSAC project
solutions by beneficiaries as well as non-beneficiaries was observed.
manager to show deep commitment in promoting it and the field staff
These cases of duplication highlighted the relevance of the solutions
to be very engaged in implementing all activities. But, the team had
suggested as well as the effective capacity of households to apply them
to deal with other partners implementing shelter projects based on
different approaches at the same time. Therefore, in order to achieve
the expected physical results in the limited time frame, outputs were
sometimes favoured over processes, with limited impact on awareness
and capacity building.
Regarding the proposed methodology, the DSAC and its partners
demonstrated the capacity to adopt an iterative approach, adapting to
feedback by stakeholders to unexpected constraints. The remoteness
of communities, seasonal farmer work, challenges concerning the
transport of materials, conflicts on land issues as well as dual
authorities (IPS and LGU) and local armed conflicts were dealt with
through the constant improvement of the project’s strategy. The
response quality was also re-evaluated and improved at each stage
of the project. This included, for example, the decision to add a kitchen
component to the houses in order to respond not only to a real need
but also to long-term improvement of comfort, health and safety
conditions. Another example was the type of water and sanitation
support adopted which promoted a multi-perspective and sustainable
vision.
Technical discussion among carpenters and the engineer in charge.

30
 Remaining needs & perspectiveS
When learning and knowledge management are integrated from
the start of a project, there is understanding of the different
stages of the project by all partners involved, while also offering
the opportunity of re-orientation based on M&E (monitoring
and evaluation). This enhances the project’s ownership so that,
later on, the lessons learned and good practices may be better
disseminated through the partners’ networks. As it turned out,
it was a real challenge for the DSAC to adapt to all its national
and international partners, each one carrying its own specific
project, involving different approaches and standards. It would be
relevant for the DSAC to consider the benefits of this experience in
order to develop and redefine its vision and approach, that would
be useful to handle similar situations that may take place in the
future.

Traditional way of making roof covering with ambulang (palm leave) and rattan.
31
IMPACT & PERSPECTIVES
PCDR

Remaining needs & Perspectives

Various housing-related disaster risk issues have
been tackled in Cuartero through different activities
of the shelter component (e.g. lack of vegetation
protection, scarcity of local materials, soil erosion,
etc.). Most of them find their cause in the adverse
effects of GMO-corn crops. They are linked to various
drawbacks, related to livelihood and agriculture,
faced by the communities. Looking forward, and in
order to address the root of the problem, it appears
that there is a real need for an holistic approach. While
efforts are already made at the level of communities,
what are the answers at the barangay, the LGU,
the Province levels to increase the communities’
resilience? PCDR has initiated an advocacy campaign
with the closing Forum event with the participation
of government agencies and local organizations, but
its impact could be quite limited. Advocacy campaigns
and further relevant partnerships are much needed,
where the relations between habitat resilience,
livelihood, and agriculture issues could be further
highlighted.
Assewssment training for carpenters in Cuartero.
32
Impact at the community level
The shelter project put a strong focus on increasing capacity and Furthermore, by establishing links among the components of the project
awareness. Therefore, all carpenters involved have enhanced their (sustainable agriculture, livelihood, tree planting, housing), PCDR has
knowledge and their understanding of resilience principles. Their developed a comprehensive understanding of local resources issues
interest and commitment in receiving and sharing knowledge with and has started to address them among the communities and other
the community have been tremendous. They feel more comfortable stakeholders such as government agencies and partner organizations.
applying the existing techniques that were highlighted and valued
Impact for the PCDR
throughout the project. Also, the project participated in enhancing
the teamwork and the cohesion among them. Carpenters were also key All staff members have appreciated and adopted the proposed LBC
actors in raising awareness. And many of them are willing to ensure approach. Their knowledge and skills (at different levels: technical,
the permanence of skills and the future dissemination of knowledge. community sensitization, training, procurement, budget, coordination
with local stakeholders, social) have greatly improved. Today, the
As a complement, various activities were carried out to raise
capacities at PCDR have reached a higher level amongst more staff
awareness among the community about the importance of preserving
members than expected. At an institutional level, the approach
local resources (materials, know-how, skills, social organization,
matched strongly with the vision of PCDR and its actions in the field.
mutual aid). Different target groups were involved in those activities:
At an individual level, the staff is willing to advocate and take action
local carpenters, LGUs (local government units) and POs (People’s
towards the recognition of LBCs as a way to improve the resilience of
organizations) members, housing beneficiaries, non-beneficiaries
communities.
(relatives and neighbors of beneficiaries, various community members).

Shelter projet in Cuartero, example of repair. Shelter projet in Cuartero, example of re-used material building for house.

33
Lessons learnED

The two projects presented in this brochure had the particularity of involving local authorities, government agencies as well as other
having been implemented in the same Island of the Philippines, Panay, relevant organizations. Further projects should, therefore, include
after it was hit by Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013. Though the two similar advocacy campaigns and actions to build partnerships and, as
projects had similar objectives, the fact that they were implemented much as possible, target relevant stakeholders from the onset.
in two different geographical areas and within different institutional
contexts led to make different decisions both regarding the building
techniques promoted and the project strategies. Thus, after the initial
assessment of the local building cultures that led to discussing their
strengths and weaknesses with the partners, similar activities were
planned, but in different strategical frameworks. That situation proved
favorable for reflecting on the lessons learned which could be useful in
the future in the Philippines and probably elsewhere as well.
Identifying local strengths before planning and making sure that
recovery of pride and self-confidence in local knowledge are part of
the project
A paramount step in both projects has been the participatory field
study of the local building culture at an early stage. A major challenge
to be addressed in the two contexts was the lack of maintenance due
to the recent depreciation of local building cultures associated with
the loss of confidence in local knowledge, but also with risks linked
to the non-preservation of local resources. As a response, the first
prototypes allowed the fine-tuning of a number of options (techniques,
site organization) and helped clear away some of the initial negative
perceptions. The quality of these first achievements has made it
possible to re-establish pride and self-confidence. In particular,
formalizing existing building techniques making use of local materials
through theoretical and practical training was highly appreciated by
the carpenters involved. To build on that, the projects promoted the Carpenters posing in front of their bracing work in Cuartero.
need but also the benefit of preserving local knowledge and resources,
as well as to take action towards their recognition. Addressing housing issues within the broader challenges of local
development and improvement of living conditions
After the pilot phases, it appeared critical to bring more awareness
than what had initially been planned, and adjustments were made to Along the implementation of the project in Cuartero, it gradually
reinforce awareness-raising campaigns aimed at the whole community. became clear that the problems with the evolution of the quality
Though very successful when conscientiously implemented, those of traditional housing were linked to the evolution of agricultural
campaigns remained probably insufficient, more specifically those practices. That led to consider that the two problems should be tackled
34
together, fostering the idea that issues should always be looked at would finally do their own selection of what they felt being feasible
through a holistic approach. and accessible financially to their future clients. That also avoids the
risk of establishing gaps between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries.
Retrospectively, it was realized that the identification of such links
at an earlier stage would have been very advantageous with potential Both projects faced scarcity of local materials, temporary or
leverage for both housing and agricultural recovery and resilience. permanent, leading to consider essential the protection of the
But at the same time, raising awareness takes time, and it is of resources available within the territory. But proposing a project
primary importance to let the communities understand the roots of based on local resources have appeared contradictory when materials
their vulnerability. It is clear that both projects have triggered new have to be sourced from other areas, which also involves more costs.
dynamics in valuing, maintaining and protecting local resources but, Still, in both cases, the adopted strategies prioritized the continuity
most of all, they have helped populations and decision makers to and enhancement of know-how while also considering the revival of
question their general resilience. local production, leading to handle the issue in a short and long term
perspective so as to obtain adequate responses.
Identifying, together with the community, the correlations between
issues in different sectors should then be understood as a key element
within the proposed methodological approach. That leads to the idea of
joint multi-sectorial assessments or enlarging the scope of the initial
assessment to make it possible to establish links between issues.
However, as it is very challenging to understand all factors in the initial
phase, context understanding should be taken as a continuous activity.
It has also been identified that establishing relationships between
recovery components allows to reinforce them individually. In Libacao,
when the primary intention was to design different projects, it was
decided to set a larger and more comprehensive response, allowing
to address issues together such as material scarcity and the lack of
local resources through a cross-cutting strategy. Moreover, within the
shelter component, it was decided to adopt an upgrading approach by
including a kitchen improvement component and a water & sanitation
component.
Upgrading and repair training in Cuartero.
Extending the impact: accessibility and replicability of the proposed
solutions, even by non-beneficiaries Adopting an iterative process open to both new construction and
repair activities
In both projects accessibility and replicability were strongly
considered. That led to abandon some of the proposed alternatives Both projects implemented assistance to housing repair and
that revealed to be non-relevant in terms of material accessibility or rebuilding with salvaged materials. These activities did get strong
cost. By prioritizing repair and rebuilding activities, close to the day- responsiveness, at a higher level than what had been expected.
to-day job of the carpenters, the projects anticipated the fact that they This observation confirmed the “culture of risk” of Filipinos, which
35
LESSONS LEARNED

materializes through both technical and social assets. In particular, the and sufficiently discussed to reach consensus and keep a sense of
local-style houses are easy to repair and upgrade, and the bayanihan ownership amongst stakeholders.
spirit (traditional mutual help system) proves to be efficient. This
Looking forward to preparing a better future
important finding leads to advocating for self-recovery support in any
post-disaster housing projects in the Philippines. This could also be In both projects, local partners were the main actors and, indeed, the
the case elsewhere. projects had not been tailored only to the local contexts but also to the
partners’ visions and capacities. Still, they invested a lot in building
Nevertheless, strategies and processes related to self-recovery
capacities within their organizations to implement the activities
assistance need to be further capitalized and studied, more specifically
planned.
as they have to be flexible (in terms of quantities and time) and require
specific condition survey skills (in particular for repair assistance). Looking forward, the challenge is to ensure the continuity of the
And still, the construction of pilot houses was very useful as a first step application of the knowledge developed and to further build capacities
to get things started. But one should consider that new constructions in preparation for the future. But the end of the projects resulted in
may not generate as much of an impact as assistance to self-recovery closing contracts for many and so, even though relevant activities
activities could. have been implemented to this end - this booklet being part of it - the
capitalization of experiences, processes and knowledge management
to prepare the future remains a question. To reach such objective of
sustainability, PCDR is considering to extend the scope of the project
through its national network, the Citizens’ Disaster Response Network
(CDRN). Also, the DSAC briefly approached the Garcia College of
Technology of Kalibo.
This situation leads to recommend exit strategies to be planned at the
early stages and at a larger scale, looking at potentials for fostering
institutional anchorage, either governmental (including local),
educational or non-governmental, or taking advantage of existing
networks.

Salvaged material and self-recovered transitional shelter in Oyang, Libacao.

That leads to recognizing the importance of allowing an iterative

process. Continuous evaluation throughout the two projects (both
formally and informally) allowed to question the interventions and
propose improvements along the way. This process was sometimes
difficult to understand but has always been accepted when well-argued
36
 Tj rpopose de mettre sur la quatrième
de couverture le texte qui était ici ;
potential of lbc, c’est une bonne idée,
mais du coup ça fat vide. AM, on pourrait
étirer les conclusions, non?

Trusses in front of an 8 posts house, shelter project in Oyang, Libacao.

37
Success STORY

The Carpenters of Hope

Extract from PCDR’s capitalization booklet
Survivors of super typhoon Yolanda continue to hold on to their hope that
one day their homes will not be ripped off by the force of winds. Years
after the devastation, carpenters underwent training on how to construct,
repair, and upgrade typhoon-resilient houses from locally-available
materials. And they rebuilt new homes. Paquito Dumaniel has been
supporting his family through carpentry for over three decades. He was
among the 43 carpenters to undergo training under CRAterre’s guidance.
For Paquito, this was the first time he experienced intensive training
involving the acquisition of skills and actual practice: “The training was
so meticulous and we appreciate that very much. Our patience was put
to the test as we were told to do things all over again to meet the [DRR]
standards set by the project, and we appreciate it so much”.
Paquito underwent training on disaster risk-reduction focusing on shelter
repair and improvement. He also learned that the local building culture
involving the use of locally available materials is indeed more resilient.
This, in combination with the proper use of bracing, setting up cleats and
blocks as well as choosing proportionate measurements and angles make
a resilient shelter. The trainees also learned that there are factors to
take into account before building resilient homes like the location and
vegetative cover of the area. This technology is not new to them as the
elders in their communities say their forefathers used to practice this
kind of carpentry long ago. Through the years “faster, easier and cheaper”
became the norm. The project intended to show that, with the natural
materials at hand, a native house can be resilient and far more cost-
efficient for vulnerable families.
Dojie Delgado proudly occupies the model house of barangay Mahunod-
hunod. It has become a reference house for all carpenters. Carpenters
would come and see if their own projects met the standards of the model
house. The model house is also offered as a venue for meetings held by
POs.
The project enriched the carpenters’ technical expertise. Now, Paquito and
other carpenters have a different perception of the construction. They do
not only build houses but homes where families are safe.

38
 Bibliography
Garnier, et al. (2013), Natural hazards, disaters and local development, Villefontaine,
CRAterre Editions.
CAIMI, et al. (2015), Assessing local building cultures for resilience development,
Villefontaine: CRAterre Editions.
CAIMI, et al. (2017), Local building cultures for sustainable & resilient habitats:
examples of local good practices and technical solutions, Villefontaine: CRAterre
Editions.
Bankoff, G. (1999), A history of poverty: the politics of natural disasters in the
Philippines, 1985-95, The Pacific Review, 12:3, 381-420.
Bankoff, G. (2007), Living with risk; coping with disasters. Hazard as a Frequent Life
Experience in the Philippines, Education about ASIA, volume 12, number 12.
Bankoff, G. (2009), Cultures of Disaster. Cultures of Coping. Hazard as a Frequent life
experience in the Philippines, United States Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
DALY, et al. (2016), Rebuilding Asia following natural disaster. Approaches to
reconstruction in the Asia-Pacific Region, Cambridge university press.
Gaillard, et al. (2008), Catastrophes dites « naturelles » et développement :
Réflexions sur l’origine des désastres aux philippines, Revue Tiers Monde, 2:194,
371-390.
Parrack, et al. (2014), Getting the Message Across for Safer Self-Recovery in Post-
Disaster Shelter, Open House International, 39 (3).
Yonson, et al. (4/2016), The Measurement of Disaster Risk: An Example from Tropical
Cyclones In the Philippines, New Zealand, Victoria Business School: SEF working
paper.

CRATerre, AE&CC Research Unit - ENSAG

CRAterre, the International Centre for Earthen Architecture, is composed of
two structures: an NGO and a research laboratory within the National School
of Architecture of Grenoble (ENSAG)/University of Grenoble-Alpes. Since 1979,
CRAterre has been working towards proposing valid responses to the global
housing challenge: the protection of the environment, the preservation of
cultural diversity and the fight against poverty. For this purpose, CRAterre
gathers a multidisciplinary team of researchers, professionals and lecturers and
Pilot House in collaborates with many partners worldwide to establish creative links between
Cuartero, first research, fieldwork, training and dissemination of knowledge.
carpenters training.
39
CREDITs
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
JOFFROY Thierry, Labex AE&CC Contacts
DSAC-Kalibo
Authors Fr. Dalida Ulysses Ibabao, Director
CAUDERAY Elsa, DEJEANT Florie, MOLES Olivier Archbishop Reyes St, Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines
+63 (0)36 268 3568
contributors [email protected]
DSAC Kalibo: MASIGON Jan, TAYCO Perry John, ZUBIAGA Vincint Jude Josef
PCDR
PCDR: ALMERO F. Armie
Armie Almero, Executive Director
Caritas Belgium: LEYSEN Joeri Lot 5, Block 8, Durian Road, Sto. Nino Subdivision,
Secours Catholique - Caritas France: DEVRIES Romain, HARO PÉREZ Pablo Brgy. Cagbang, Oton, Iloilo, 5020, Philippines
Caritas Luxembourg: RECKINGER Carole , WOLF Hannah +63 (0)33 510 8217
CRAterre: CAIMI Annalisa +63 (0)9 194716558
[email protected]
Graphic Design
CARITAS LUXEMBOURG
CAUDERAY Elsa, DEJEANT Florie, MISSE Arnaud Carole Reckinger, Project Officer
International Cooperation
REVIEW 29, rue Michel Welter, L-2730 Luxembourg
DELBOY Leticia +352 40 21 31
[email protected]
Image credits
CRAterre SCCF
Pablo Haro Pérez, Asia Project Officer
with the support of Emergency Department
106 Rue du Bac, 75341 Paris, France
Labex AE&CC / ENSAG / Univ.Grenoble-Alpes
+33 (0)145497370
Secours Catholique - Caritas France [email protected]
Caritas Belgium
Caritas Luxembourg CARITAS BELGIUM
Marisol Martinez, Desk Officer Asia
Cover picture: pilot house, Oyang, DSAC project International Cooperation Department
Back cover picture: training on site, Cuartero, PCDR project 43, rue de la Charité, 1210 Brussels, Belgium
+32 499 106143
+32 2 2293652
[email protected]

CRAterre - AE&CC
ENSAG, 60 avenue de Constantine, 38036 Grenoble, France
CRAterre éditions, Maison Levrat, Parc Fallavier, 2 rue de la +33 (0)4 76 69 83 35
Buthière– B.P. 53, 38092 Villefontaine Cedex, France [email protected]
Imprimerie du Pont de Claix, 9 ch. de la Plaine, 38640 Claix www.craterre.archi.fr
Edited on September 2018
ISBN (print): 979-10-96446-19-3 (digital): 979-10-96446-20-9
Legal deposit: September 2018
© 2018 CRATerre-ENSAG
40
Over the past 15 years, a number of housing projects undertaken in post-disaster situations
have adopted a “local building cultures” approach to efficiently support the initiatives of
affected populations, regardless of their location or origin.
This becomes even more pertinent when working in rural areas where, often, populations benefit
from the ancestral experience of living in their lands and so, possess a rich knowledge of their
environment and traditional housing, and of their strengths and weaknesses facing natural
hazards.
Both reconstruction projects presented in this booklet, undertaken in the aftermath of typhoon
Yolanda, are a good illustration of this potential. Moreover, they highlight how such an approach

ISBN (print): 979-10-96446-19-3

AE(or&rather the re-establishment) of resilience within local communities
favors the establishment
while also offering aCC vision for local development and well-being in continuity with the
local
AE culture, a principle AE
deemed as strongly valuable within the international humanitarian
community as a whole. &CC
&
CC