CDRC at 30 : Relevant, Effective and Timely in the Face of Disasters

10683746_10154668423635612_2429349476521412632_oQuezon City, Oct. 5, 2014 – The Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC) celebrates its 30th Foundation Anniversary on October 6, 2014 with the theme “CDRC: 30 Years of Helping People Help Themselves; Providing Relevant, Effective and Timely Response to Disasters.”

CDRC was founded from a relief campaign which provided support for the victims of Mayon eruption and six devastating typhoons in 1984. Now, through its National Office, 16 regional centers, more than 400 disaster preparedness committees and together with various people’s organisations and overseas and local partners, CDRC continues to build community resilience to disasters nationwide through its disaster preparedness and mitigation, emergency response and rehabilitation programs and services.

When Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) wrought destruction, CDRC was at the forefront of giving immediate relief assistance to the survivors, giving out food packs and shelter kits. Under its early recovery assistance, its livelihood programs, managed primarily by concerned, committed and capable citizenry and people’s organizations, benefited 6,972 individuals from the provinces of Leyte and Samar alone. Three hundred families will initially benefit from the typhoon and earthquake-resistant houses which will be constructed through bayanihan or the pooling together of the beneficiaries’ labor power until everyone’s house is built. Recipients of livelihood and infrastructure programs and services also engaged in psycho-social activities to reduce community anxiety and suffering caused by the deadly typhoon.

As the country faces increasing risk to disasters at an alarming rate, CDRC’s evolving and dynamic development strategy called Community-Based Disaster Management (CBDM) remains significant and effectual in pushing people and their organizations to take responsibility in disaster management. Through orientations, trainings, organizing and mobilizations, CDRC develops people’s capacities, enabling them to prepare before, act during and bounce back after a disaster.

Risk reduction and disaster preparedness are after all, not only CDRC’s, but the people’s concerns.

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