P6.9B Project to Help Eastern Visayas Communities Prepare for Disasters

Posted on October 1, 2026 at 1:49 am

Tacloban City — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Eastern Visayas (DSWD-8) is preparing to implement a five-year, ₱6.9-billion project that will help vulnerable communities prepare for disasters and climate-related risks.

The Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP) is supported by the World Bank and will be implemented in communities exposed to typhoons, flooding, landslides and other natural hazards.

DSWD-8 Deputy Regional Program Manager Ricardo Matobato Jr. last said the project will give communities a bigger role in deciding what measures are needed based on the risks they face.

The program will use the community-driven development approach of Kalahi-CIDSS, allowing residents to take part in planning and carrying out projects in their areas.

Eastern Visayas is regularly hit by typhoons and is also vulnerable to flooding and landslides. The project is intended to help communities prepare before disasters happen, rather than focus only on assistance after a calamity.

Over the five-year period, communities will be able to work on projects that address local disaster risks, improve preparedness, strengthen local capacity and help protect livelihoods.

Matobato said the approach has been used under Kalahi-CIDSS for more than two decades, with community participation at the center of the program.

The PCRP will complement existing government efforts to reduce disaster risks and help vulnerable communities better prepare for and respond to natural hazards.

Photo courtesy: DSWD Eastern Visayas