Philippines: Shielding the most vulnerable
By Estrella Torres, Head of Media and Communication at Save the Children Philippines
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Recognizing the need to build disaster resilience among the young, Save the Children Philippines has partnered with DepEd and Prudence Foundation for the implementation of the three-year Education Safe from Disasters. This is to put in place and automate a management information system to improve disaster management in schools.
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The project, launched in January, aims to integrate safety and disaster resiliency in the construction and retrofitting of school buildings. The program will be pilot-tested in 16 schools divisions in Metro Manila.
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Save the Children Philippines also introduced a program—Batang Empowered and Resilient Team (BERT)—that trains children to become facilitators to help teach other children about risk reduction and resiliency.
The training was first introduced to child survivors of Yolanda to equip themselves with the right knowledge and skills in disaster preparedness. More than 3,000 children in the Visayas have since then become BERT facilitators.
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