A trip to Barugo

Morning Treats

Santol fruit photo from
www.daleysfruit.com.au/newsletter/May2006.htm

Trevor took a stroll down the street and returned with a bounty of fresh fruit and baked goods. Most mornings we’ve eaten bananas and mangoes, but he decided to pick up a few other fruits for us to try. He cut open a guava and we snacked on half of it for breakfast. The fruit that neither of us recognized was a santol. The outer rind is slightly bitter but inside the seeds are encased in a sweet, white, fibrous membrane. Dennis walked in the kitchen just as Trevor and I were undoubtedly looking a bit perplexed about how to eat the fruit. He chuckled and gestured to just pop the seeds in our mouth and suck the casing off. So tasty! We packed up the left over guava and karan-un (Waray for bread) and we snacked on them throughout the day.

Barugo supports bottom-up planning

We set off on a northwestwardly drive towards Barugo which is located on the northern part of Leyte island, nestled in the cove of the Carigara Bay. There we met with Ms. Judith Borrel, the Municipal Planning and Development Officer (MPDO), Mr. Polcamar Canonce, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (MDRRMO), Ms. Shiena Acebo, the Administrative Assistant, and Mr. Elised Periaranda, an engineer working in solid waste removal.

left to right: Ms. Acebo, Mr. Canonce, Mr. Periaranda,
Dennis, and Marie

Barugo is dominated by relatively flat terrain, with mountains rising to the east and to the
southwest. Coconut and rice farms occupy the majority of the inland agriculture while the eleven coastal communities rely more on fishing. Because of its location and landform structure, flooding, liquefaction, tsunami, and storm surges are the hazards that pose the greatest risk to residents. The planning department gave us some additional socioeconomic information for Barugo; as a fourth-class municipality they are financially dependent on the national government. Mr. Canonce reported that 86% of Barugo’s revenue is generated from national government – very little is generated internally. Though they are financially reliant on the national government, they are interested in implementing systems that reduce their reliance on the national government to receive information.

One theme that emerged from this meeting was the importance of information dissemination. They believe that the residents need to receive information quickly, clearly and concisely. Mr. Canonce explained that in the week preceding Yolanda, they drove through each community and using a bandillo (megaphone) to tell everyone that a storm was coming and residents needed to prepare. He stressed that Yolanda was unprecedented, and the damages sustained by the region were inconceivable. He mention, as we have heard so many times on this trip, that residents didn’t understand the term "storm surge." So, when national forecasting agencies issued warnings, residents didn't understand the severity of its impact. Dennis suggested that perhaps “lulop” would have been more effective term to use during the Yolanda warnings. He described lulop as a local term understood more broadly as a violent flood that is generated from the ocean. At our Sunday meeting in Candahug, members of the barangay council verified that this would have been a more accessible term for residents.

Marie and Trevor explain the project to members of the
Barugo Planning department

Ms. Acebo illustrated the department’s stance on providing education to barangay. She stated that all 37 barangay have been given localized hazard maps on liquefaction, landslide, flooding. The barangay chairmen were asked to post the hazard maps in a conspicuous place in barangay hall. However, because residents' literacy skills vary, the Ms. Acebo stressed the importance in translating this information into simple, accessible language. She also explained that educational programs are already in progress to protect mangroves and other critical habitats of Barugo. Regarding disaster risk reduction, in February 2014 the planning department started educating residents about typhoons and preparation and evacuation procedures. So, it's clear that Barugo is working hard to provide accessible information to its residents.

Ms. Borrel proudly explained that the municipality values a “bottom-up” approach to planning. This means they not only regard the residents’ input, but they believe it is critical to the planning process. Ms. Acebo chimed in that they take a localized approach – they require 80% of approval from the barangay before projects can be implemented. Barugo started the community-based thematic mapping process with GIZ three years ago. Members of GIZ trained the planning department staff on how to facilitate the mapping process. Then the members of the planning department worked directly with each barangay, each of which have completed eleven thematic maps. Ms. Borrel stressed that they believe every barangay should implement thematic mapping so that the community can participate and be proactive, instead of just reacting to disasters. She said, "we want the barangay to help the [national] government help themselves."

Above is a sample of community-based map completed in one of the barangays in Barugo. The planning department provided base maps and overlay materials to the barangay council. Then the barangay council members generated the information, including creating a legend for each overlay. Then the maps were presented to the entire community at a barangay assembly where the residents had the opportunity to validate the accuracy of the information.

We shared our experience in Candahug, when we weren't entirely successful in communicating why thematic mapping could be helpful. Trevor asked the planning department how they navigated the social landscape if and when a barangay captain didn’t buy-in to the process. Ms. Borrel mentioned a best practice out of Cebu, where the barangay is divided into zones so the group members all know each other and each group is easier to manage and facilitate. She said it's important to ask, "What can participants get out of the exercise?" However, they indicated that there was little resistance in Barugo and they had the full support of the Barangay Development Council to do the thematic mapping. The barangay chairmen were told that they wouldn’t be able to identify what the needs of the community are without it. Therefore, all of the barangay chairmen supported the process.

Mr. Canonce said that in addition to reviewing the location of their evacuation centers, they are also working on a contingency plan for disaster risk reduction of the entire LGU. This plan will consider the worst case scenarios for landslides, liquefaction, storm surge and flooding which will then be disseminated to every barangay. The plan was drafted by a group of 45 participants with diverse backgrounds including: school leaders, civil society leaders and department heads. This plan has four key components:

1. Identify disaster scenarios in advance.
2. Determine key policies in advance.
3. Define objectives, identify activities, and assign responsibility in advance.
4. Prepare a plan in advance, which will ultimately save lives and properties

They believe this plan is critical to the future of an efficient and proactive LGU. As we discussed the role of partner organizations working with the LGUs, Ms. Acebo said that NGOs could step in to help disseminate information to the barangays. The others agreed that this would be a place where NGOs would be immensely helpful.

Around Barugo and Carigara

We drove us across town to get a good view of the mangroves. Fortunately it was low tide, so we had a really good view of the root system of these trees. They grow in a clay-like soil and require regular inundation of tidal saltwater. The mangroves in Barugo are right at edge of downtown area, which buffer the community from the bay’s waters. This means during storm events, the town's infrastructure has some protection as the mangroves diffuse the wave intensity.

Mangroves at low tide.

Dennis and his family are from Barugo, so he gave us a quick tour and then drove to the next town over, Carigara. On the drive, he asked us if we’ve had a chance to eat dried fish during our visit, and he gestured out the window towards several long lines of tables covered with small fish drying in the sun. When we arrived at the Carigara market, he led us to the dried fish stand. He spoke to the vendor for a few minutes before he decided on a variety. It was butterflied and dried with the skin and bones still intact. He said this is the traditional way of preserving fish in the region. As we walked through the market we passed produce stands showcasing the regional fruits and vegetables. Beyond the produce was the meat section of the market where slabs of pork, carabao, whole chickens were displayed in the shade.  I can’t deny it – Trevor and I were a little concerned at the amount of raw meat sitting, unrefrigerated, in the 85 degree afternoon. But who are we do judge? – this is the local food system.

Filomena, on the left, explains that carabao milk and sugar
are boiled for 5 hours over a wood fire in the first step in
the process to make pastilla de leche. 

Earlier in the day, as we were driving to Barugo, Dennis told us about pastillas de leche, a delicacy that is made in Carigara. As he tried to explain it, Trevor and I fired so many curious questions at him that he finally said, “you’ll just have to try it.” So just before we packed up and left Carigara, we drove down a residential street and stopped at a sizable two-story house. Dennis cut the engine and said, “this is it.” We walked up the wooden steps, worn by the wind where we were greeted by Filomena.

The resulting mixture cools and is rolled, sliced, and
packaged before it's sold.

Filomena welcomed us into her home and business where several people were hard at work. First she pointed to the front room of the house where at least a hundred swallows were nesting on the ceiling. She said she was happy to have these birds claim this room as their home and mentioned that the nests are used in some Chinese cuisines. We walked back to the main entry and she pulled a bag our from the display cabinet. She gave us a sample of the pastilles de leche and cinnamon cookies - just a taste of the delicious treats made in the kitchen. The texture of the pastillas de leche is like a crumbly cheese. It has a strong smokey flavor, and though it's made with sugar, it's not overwhelmingly sweet.

As we walked back into the production area, Filomena explained to us the cooking process. First, they have to get carabao milk, which is the domestic water buffalo of the Philippines. She said they have a distributor who delivers the milk to them on a regular basis. The carabao milk is the boiled over a wood fire for five hours. Once the mixture starts to cool, it is rolled out into mold. It's then cut and individually wrapped in paper.  So, of course we had to buy some before we left! We thanked Filomena for the tour and headed back to Tacloban.

A cat, relaxing in Filomena's window, demonstrates the best way to cope with a hot afternoon in the Philippines.