Building a Relationship with CSOs

When the Typhoon Ompong hit the Philippines in 2018, the Cordillera Administrative Region had already been experiencing several weeks of rain and the mountains were already water logged, causing landslides that claimed more than 100 lives in the mining town of Itogon, Benguet.

The EMPOWER Project was developed following ADRA’s Typhoon Ompong Emergency Response. Its aim is to strengthen the resilience of high-risk communities by reinforcing civil society relevance in disaster and climate risk governance.

It was officially launched in Itogon, Benguet last July 22, 2020 and was attended by officials from the local government different Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) within the municipality.

Since then, the EMPOWER team has been meeting the representatives from the target CSOs – farmers, women, youth, persons with disability, & senior citizens, to personally introduce themselves, as well as get to know the organization and their needs.

These meetings are essential to the success of the project because it allows the ADRA team to get to know their target and also ensures that trust is being build between our team and the community.

*EMPOWER is joint project of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency and Humanity & Inclusion through funding support from the European Union