Panay Center for Disaster Response, Inc. (PCDR)

The Panay Center for Disaster Response, Inc. (PCDR) is a non-stock non- profit disaster response organization which serves vulnerable sectors of natural and man-made calamities. Through its organizing and advocacy work among the less vulnerable sector, PCDR maintains a pool of committed volunteers to carry on the different aspects of disaster response. PCDR generates the broadest support for its programs. It develops local and international linkages to increase its capacity to respond to calamities in ways which are most meaningful to the victims.

PCDR is an active member of the Citizens’ Disaster Response Network, a broad network of disaster management NGOs committed to serving the vulnerable sectors using the community-based disaster management approach.

HISTORY

The past years were times of calamities. In November 1984, typhoon “Undang” and “Nitang” unleashed their fury on the hapless island of Panay, laying waste vast tracts of agricultural lands, fishponds and residential areas. Property lost and destroyed, estimated at more than 23 million pesos. So, widespread was the damage that relief operations initiated by the non-governmental organizations, government agencies and volunteer groups were certainly inadequate at the same time militarization struck the countryside in the government’s counter-insurgency drive. Massive worth of property were damaged, livelihood lost but the more harmful effect was in terms of lives shattered as countless fled from their homes for safer places. Fact-finding and relief missions conducted by the human rights groups, service-oriented institutions and peoples organization were of great support to the people affected but, these however remain palliative measures to address the most immediate of needs. These facts brought to the front the need for a program of relief and rehabilitation based on the strength of the community in Panay a program that does not limit its services to victims of natural disasters but also to victims of man-caused disasters.  Such program should be a continuing endeavor with the strong support of the less vulnerable sectors.

So, in August 1985, a consultation was held between Ecumenical Regional Development Assistance (ERDA) a church based institution and Organic Farm Field Experimentation Research Station (OFFERS-Panay) a service institution for farmers, regarding the relief and rehab institutional work and would link up and coordinate with other institutions. It was then that CREED was put up, but later the name was changed to CRREED. In January 1996, CRREED received a monthly support of 10,000 pesos from CDRC for six months. CDRC came to Panay and gave an orientation on relief and rehab work. After six months of operations CRREED ran out its operational funds but there was an urgency of their services. The BOD members agreed to a monthly monetary contribution to defray the operational expenses. CRREED office temporarily transferred to the house of a member of the Board. On its second year of existence since August 1995, the institution had been operating mainly on board’s contributions, donations of friends and concerned individuals.

CRREED establishes linkages with individuals, groups, and the various organizations in its area of operation. It spearheads the establishment of the Network for Disaster Response – Panay with 22 member institutions and peoples organizations. The formation of Network for Disaster Response-Panay, provides additional strength in the delivery of program services in terms of human and resource finance generation and mobilization.

In the past oil spill disaster campaign in Guimaras island, CRREED is in the forefront of the broad alliance, Save our Lives! Save our Seas! (SOS) – Panay and Guimaras. It has led the delivery of immediate relief services in the island and through its various visits in the area. CRREED has seen first hand the situation, assessed the immediate needs and identified what remain to be done in the long term effort. It was the first time that CRREED was faced with an oil spill disaster from a sunken ship and helped rehabilitating the community through livelihood projects.

CRREED have extensive experience in rehabilitation of rural farmer communities, especially with the indigenous people. Likewise, it is in the forefront of the five-year rehabilitation project on Food Security, Nutrition and Improvement Program I, II & III (FSNIP I, II &III) implementing in the provinces of Capiz and Northern part of Antique.

After 22 years of existence, majority of the members of the Board were migrated in other countries, due to its vacuum in positions the remaining three BOD members and staff decided to fill-in the vacancy and make a new name a little bit shorter than CRREED. It was then that Panay Center for Disaster Response, (PCDR) Inc. was born on April 2008 with nine (9) BOD members. PCDR was registered in SEC on June 19, 2008.

Last June 2008, when typhoon Frank ( FengShen) hit panay island PCDR was able to launch a Task Force “Buliganay” for the victims of typhoon Frank. (Buliganay means helping one another)  This Task Force Buliganay spearheaded the clean up activity in districts of Jaro, Mandurriao, Lapaz and Molo, Iloilo City and other municipalities of Iloilio Province. This was a packaged activity of Relief Delivery Operation in the whole island of Panay.

PCDR distributed food and non-food items to more than 5,000 affected families in the province of Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo and Antique. They were Women, Fisherfolk, Farmers, Farm workers, Urban poor, Drivers and Church people.

VISION

• Where people have effective control of their lives.
• Where they are prepared, responsive and resilient in times of disasters.
• Where they can independently chart their progressive and ecologically balance future.

MISSION

• To assist affected and vulnerable communities and sectors in coping with disasters.
• To bring about the realization of people-based and people-oriented disaster response in the communities.

GOALS

• For Panay Center for Disaster Response, Inc. (PCDR) to become an effective partner of communities in disaster preparedness and response.
• For PCDR to be a recognized and respected NGO on disaster response works in Panay.

STRATEGIES

• Organize Disaster Preparedness Committee
• Disaster needs capacities assessment
• Networking with GOs and NGOs
• Resource mobilization
• Education and trainings related to disasters
• Publication in all sorts of media

PRINCIPLES

• Reliance on the people’s capacity and creative   responses.
• Premium on disaster preparedness
• Sustainability of programs and Projects.
• Stewardship of the earth and its resources

PROJECTS FROM 1996-2008

1. Food Security Nutrition and Improvement Program (FSNIP I-III)

• Caritas Neerlandica (CN)
• Dutch Inter-Church Aid
• Netherlands Government

2. Preparedness Support Program

• Dutch Relief and Rehabilitation Agency

3. El-Niño Services

• Diakoniches Werk

4.  Measures to mitigate the impact of oil spill on fisher folks, off the coast of Guimaras

• Canada Fund

5. Upholding the Rights & Welfare of Children & Women affected by armed conflict

• UNICEF

6. Major Emergency Assistance for Victims of Typhoon Frank

• Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

[catlist id=38]