The United States Peace Corps, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently launched the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Toolkit, a comprehensive training guide designed to help Peace Corps volunteers and their partner communities build resilience by enhancing their disaster preparedness capability.

The DRR Toolkit contains resources on developing disaster preparedness strategies, conducting risk assessments, managing community resources, and strengthening early warning systems.  As an inclusive training guide, the DRR Toolkit promotes the active participation of all community members in pre-disaster planning.

From October 14 to 18, the Peace Corps gathered 28 of its volunteers, staff, and work partners from the Philippine government and non-government institutions for an orientation training based on the DRR Toolkit in San Mateo, Rizal.  Funded by USAID, the training program deepened collaboration and knowledge exchange between the Peace Corps and its work partners, helping strengthen the disaster preparedness programs of local communities.

“The DRR Toolkit is a vital resource for helping communities build resilience and reduce the impact of disasters and extreme weather events,” said Peace Corps Philippines Country Director Marguerite Roy.

“The toolkit is very inclusive and can be easily integrated and used as a guide in the participatory planning and mentoring activities in the communities,” said Engineer Raoul Cam of the City Planning and Development Office of Ormoc City, Leyte.  “I will be glad to endorse the toolkit to my colleagues in the local government unit and partners in other sectors that are involved in the DRR advocacy.”

To help participants observe DRR practices in action, they also visited the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) office and the Marikina City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Since its establishment in 1961, over 9,300 Peace Corps volunteers have served alongside host communities across the Philippines to address the country’s most pressing development priorities, including the disaster preparedness of vulnerable communities.