BALSA Mindanao (Bulig Alang Sa Mindanao/Help for Mindanao) is a citizen-led mobilization for disaster response and climate justice advocacy in Mindanao. The People's Media Lab will be a community-access new media training initiative for those in the frontlines of rebuilding and rehabilitation of typhoon-destroyed areas. The Philippines was ranked 4th most vulnerable country from climate change and extreme weather in 2012 (UN).
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
Nearly 90,000 families from Compostela Valley & Davao Oriental have lost their homes. Their livelihood on coconuts, rice, and bananas worth billions of pesos perished. More than 2 million are in dire need of food and emergency assistance. Relief has been tied up in politics and red-tape, with the people having only social media as a recourse to tell their own stories of their experiences, needs, and hopes for rebuilding their communities.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The participants will learn how to create digital content and use various social media platforms to tell their stories from their own perspectives. They will learn how to engage local, national, and international audiences, as well as learn how to use these platforms to educate themselves on existing ideas, proven methods, and case studies of post-climate disaster rebuilding efforts.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
BALSA Mindanao is a broad Mindanao-wide network formed in response to the humanitarian crisis after Typhoon Sendong. It is a continuation of the efforts of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao & Panday Bulig NGO which pioneered the humanitarian campaign for Northern Mindanao post-Sendong. We are looking for future partnerships with the Computer Professionals’ Union, Mobit Mindanao, independent bloggers & media artists, etc.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
We hope to train 10 to 12 participants (at least two from each community affected by Typhoon Pablo), with two central coordinators to assist them. Using a buddy-system, they will learn how to use mobile phones and social media platforms as digital storytelling tools to document the post-disaster developments in their communities. They will also learn how to train other members from their communities.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
- education towards citizen media best practices
– connection to similar projects & groups worldwide
– share links and information how to improve the People's Media Lab, i.e. how to create a People's Media Lab mobile classroom
Contact name
Honey Mae Caffin
Organization
Panalipdan Southern Mindanao