Immediately after tropical storm "Ondoy" inundated large sections of
Metro Manila, the World Bank began engaging in discussions with
various groups in government, civil society, private sector, the
United Nations, and others involved in or supporting relief and
rehabilitation operations. With a view to the Post-Disaster Needs
Assessment (PDNA) Plan, the Bank invited the Institute of Philippine
Culture to undertake a Quick Appraisal of the social dimensions of the
impact of Ondoy on urban poor communities in Metro Manila and nearby
areas. Ms. Angela Desiree Aguirre, Dr. Mary Racelis and Dr. Czarina
Saloma-Akpedonu manages the project which runs from 19 October to 4
December 2009.
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In September 2009, the Institute of Philippine Culture also welcomed a
World Bank-funded project that provides qualitative monitoring data on
the impact of the Global Crisis in the Philippines. Part of a
five-country World Bank study, the research covers Metro Manila, the
Bicol Region and CARAGA. Dr. Agustin Rodriguez directs the 12-month
study which entails four quarterly rounds of monitoring on selected
groups (e.g., coconut farmers, families of overseas workers).
The Institute of Philippine Culture likewise completed two research
projects: a project on children's participation in community planning
with Ms. Angela Desiree Aguirre as project director was completed in
August 2009. Sponsored by the United Nations Childrens Fund, outputs
of the project included a workbook that other barangays can use in
soliciting and integrating children's views and needs in the planning
and delivery of services to the community. In October 2009, a research
project examining the nature and trajectory of social change was
completed. The project, funded by the Office of the President of the
Ateneo de Manila University and conducted by Dr. Czarina
Saloma-Akpedonu, Ms. Leslie Lopez and Ms. Ma. Elissa Lao, studied the
initiatives of the Ateneo de Manila University in local governance,
public education and job creation within the proposition that social
change is about making institutions work and enabling groups to link
with each other.
Also in the same month and using funds from the Ford Foundation
Capital Depletion Grant, the IPC initiated three research projects:
two projects are being directed by Dr. Mary Racelis. The first is a
study entitled ?In Search of a Cultural Fit: The Convergence of
Traditional Social Organization and External Issue-based Community
Organizing for Aeta and Agta Empowerment". The project aims to develop
a culturally-sensitive manual for community organizing. The second is
a project entitled, "Paano Naman Kami?: Voices of Youth in a Manila
Informal Settlement", aims to integrate an oft-neglected sector in
society, the youth, in development activities. A third project, "Does
Research Make a Difference?: Let's Listen to Payatas" being directed
by Ms. Angela Desiree Aguirre, examines what works when a community
utilizes the insights from IPC research projects. In particular, the
project aims at helping the community apply the learnings from the IPC
projects on GIS mapping and children?s participation in community
planning. This project is the first in a series of projects that the
IPC wishes to conduct to examine whether or not research does make a
difference in society.