Cristina Lim’s scientific contributions

The Philippines is a hazard-prone country, with typhoons as the most prevalent types of hydrometeorological hazard. Coastal communities like Nato in the Municipality of Sagñay in Camarines Sur are especially at risk from these hazards. To address this, the Philippine government implemented the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act to incorporate plans from the grass-roots level (Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan or BDRRMP) in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework. However, the formulation of the BDRRMP is perceived to be slow resulting partly from the lack of knowledge and skills in drafting the plan. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was utilized wherein a household survey for 298 respondents was conducted to gather data on Nato’ s socioeconomic situation, resources, gender roles, community practices and dynamics in relation to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM). Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was also conducted in the formulation of the BDRRMP for Nato. Based on the findings, the socioeconomic situation of Nato is characterized by self-perceived poverty where deprivation from non-food needs is experienced more than food needs. The knowledge and practices of the community about DRRM in Nato are generally characterized by a degree of indifference unless the hazards are occurring. Community mobilization and inter-agency cooperation are therefore necessary in the formulation and implementation of the BDRRMP, which is why this study aimed to describe the socio-economic situation of Nato; determine the knowledge and practices of local residents in Nato and draft a BDRRMP incorporating the information gathered from the first two objectives.