Together We Stand

[ 84 ] approach. The community, having been involved in prior- itizing local needs, planning and implementing projects, and controlling resources, ensures that disaster responses are appropriate and sustainable. Such involvement gives the community a sense of ownership of projects, thus ensur- ing their full implementation. Finally, CDD can reach large numbers of poor people directly, allowing the Government to work at the scale required during post-disaster operations. In 2013, ADB approved US$372 million to restore basic social services and rebuild Yolanda-affected communities in 554 municipalities across 39 provinces in nine regions. ADB accounts for 33 per cent of KC-NCDDP’s total financing, with the World Bank contributing 42 per cent (US$479 million), the Australian Government, 1 per cent (US$11 million), and the Philippine Government, 24 per cent (US$270 million). KC-NCDDP developed a disaster response mechanism that was implemented in the first cycle of community subpro- jects to address the rehabilitation needs of communities. It has four cycles of implementation, in which community grants for the first two cycles were frontloaded during the first cycle to immediately meet the needs of communities. Cycle 1 implementation is carried out through the accel- erated community empowerment activity cycle (CEAC), which is a five-stage process: social preparation, community planning, community-managed implementation and forma- tion of a community-based organization, community-based monitoring, and transition. This mechanism determined the community investment grant allocation depending on the extent and severity of damage to communities, entitled all communities to receive investment grants, expanded the menu of eligible subprojects to respond to the rehabilitation needs of communities, and allowed emergency procurement of construction materials. It also ensures KC-NCDDP does not duplicate the assistance of non-governmental and/or civil society organizations, humanitarian groups and government to communities by mapping all municipal-level projects being done by programme staff during the social prepara- tion stage in close coordination with local governments and communities. The entire process empowers communi- ties by giving them access to assistance to plan and decide on where they will invest their resources in a participatory and transparent manner, and to articulate their needs to the local government. It also strengthens social cohesion and promotes volunteerism, key elements for achieving commu- nity resilience. In the aftermath of Yolanda, communities with CDD experience were found to be more resilient as it was easier for them to mobilize community members to help in emergency response and recovery. Also, KC-NCDDP provided a source of income for community members, including women, by allowing them the opportunity to work in subproject construction and receive wages. Through the CEAC, KC-NCDDP helps communities achieve access to basic social services, particularly in a post- disaster environment. KC-NCDDP takes into account the Image: Department of Social Welfare and Development Community members participate in the construction of drainage subproject under KC-NCDDP in Leyte Province T ogether W e S tand