Thirty-one (31) young leaders and partners from various sectors gathered at the UP Visayas Office of Continuing Education and Pahinungod (OCEP) Training Rooms on 17 October 2026 for the “Manguna Kita: A Learning Session on Disaster Risk Reduction and Participatory Risk Assessment.”
Organized by Bana-ag Iloilo Youth Coalition (BI!YC), in partnership with Asia Pacific Alliance for disaster Management Philippines (A-PAD Philippines) and UP Visayas OCEP, the learning session aimed to deepen the participants’ understanding on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), and equip them with practical approaches in participatory risk assessment and community risk mapping, which are essential in action planning to reduce and manage risks in the community.
The resource persons for the learning sessions were Ms. Darlene Joy D. Calsado, University Research Associate II of the UP Visayas Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS), and Mr. Marianito M. Ramirez, Jr, University Extension Associate of UPV-OCEP. They shared their knowledge and expertise to help strengthen the participants’ understanding of DRR and CCA and the importance of the youth in disaster preparedness, risk-informed decision-making and community resilience.
Among the participating organizations were Arangka LGBTQ – Pavia; I Love Lambunao Volunteer Team; ISAT-U Student Republic; One Network, Ph; Salingsing Youth Organization – Carles; Sidlak Youth – San Joaquin; Ugyon Youth Organization, Inc.; and WVSU Development Communicators Society. Representatives from Iloilo Provincial DRRMO and Iloilo City DRRMO also took part in the activity.
This learning session serves as a pre-congress learning initiative for the BI!YC’s Iloilo Youth for Good Governance Congress (IYGGC) 2027, laying the groundwork for a meaning youth participation in governance, disaster risk reduction, and collaborative community action.
Written by Marianito M. Ramirez, Jr., OCEP
