Changing cultural landscapes of disaster preparedness

Kapamagogopa is a Maranaw custom derived from the word ogop which directly translates to “help”. It refers to the practice of helping the needy as ordered by Allah. For the Maranaws, everyone has the duty to look out for one another and ensure that no one gets left behind.

Palawan Gulam, 48 works as the Secretary of Barangay Boganga in Marawi City and is part of the local project committee for the Strengthening Urban Preparedness through Pre-emptive Action in BARMM (SUPPA-BARMM). 

Palawan knows that this is not a stable job. On days when he’s not called to the barangay hall, he goes out to the sea to catch fish or find any construction work available for him. After all, he has seven young children to support and feed.

Through the SUPPA-BARMM Project, one of its implementing organizations, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction (PDRRN), has been able to visit Barangay Boganga regularly to conduct different disaster preparedness trainings. 

For Palawan, this has significantly changed how the barangay deals with disasters. 

With very little preventive structures in place, they relied on post-disaster remedies such as kapamagogopa. He cites the Marawi siege as an example. 

“Hindi namin inakalang magtatagal yun. Akala namin sa susunod na araw matatapos na (We didn’t expect that to have gone for so long. We thought by the next day it will be over),” he recalled. The siege lasted for five long months. 

While it remains to be an important coping mechanism to come together during and after disasters, this should not be a justification for poor pre-emptive measures that weaken the resilience of communities. Palawan understands this now. 

Barangay Boganga is geographically prone to flooding because it is located along the shoreline of Lake Lanao. When rains last longer than usual, they now make it a practice to assemble barangay-level officials and make necessary preparations.

Palawan reveals a thick folder from his desk that reads, Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan. “Ito kakatapos lang namin trabahuin.” (We just finished working on this), he said.

He hopes that these preventive measures on disasters supplement the Maranaw customs and practices centered around helping one another. 

SUPPA-BARMM is a joint project of IDEALS, Inc., PDRRN, Humanity & Inclusion, and OXFAM funded by European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. The project aims to improve disaster preparedness and decrease the vulnerability of highly at-risk communities in the cities of Cotabato and Marawi in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. At present, community-based disaster risk reduction and mitigation management trainings have been conducted to a total of 2,590 beneficiaries in Cotabato City and Marawi City.

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