World Vision, MovePH partner for #ZeroCasualty

MANILA, Philippines – World Vision and Rappler’s citizen journalism arm, MovePH, signed a partnership Monday, October 20 to collaborate on disaster preparedness and response as well as climate change education through Project Agos. 

Together, the two organziations will promote the #ZeroCasualty culture online and offline. #ZeroCasualty is Rappler’s campaign to build community resiliency to weather any disaster and save lives.  

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian, aid and development organization that provides emergency assistance to children and families affected by natural disasters and conflicts. They also work with communities in developing longstanding solutions to alleviate poverty and advance social justice.

The Christian organization has spearheaded relief, rehabilitation, and recovery efforts in the Philippines, looking at both short-term and long-term solutions to different sectoral problems. 

The partnership aims to empower and educate World Vision’s communities on disaster resiliency and mitigation through the Project Agos microsite. World Vision will also provide stories for Rappler on its programs on the ground. Rappler will be able to tap into World Vision’s extensive nationwide network of disaster managers and community leaders. 

“We are happy that we’re partnering with one of the leading social news agencies in the country. Media plays an important role in raising awareness and keeping people informed before, during and after disasters,” Josaias dela Cruz, World Vision Philippines’ executive director, said.

World Vision has supported many of Rappler’s initiatives, including the Hunger Project, the Social Good Summit 2013, and the PH+Social Good Tacloban in 2014.

For disaster resiliency

Project Agos is an information and communications platform that combines top down government action with bottom up citizen involvement to help communities adapt to climate change, and become better prepared for disaster mitigation, response, and recovery. It is operated by MovePH, Rappler’s civic engagement arm. (Read: #ProjectAgos: One-stop shop for climate change)

The project has 3 components that aim to use technology to disseminate critical information. Each part includes the following features found in the Project Agos microsite:

• PREPARE – Weather alerts, climate change and disaster stories, practical tips, case studies on best practices, hazard and risk maps
• RESPOND – Disaster Information Map (reports of public infrastructure damage, flood, rescue needs, relief needs); partners are given access to running list of incidents
• RECOVER – Stories of resiliency and recovery and best practices

MovePH director Zak Yuson and partnership manager Voltaire Tupaz signed the Memorandum of Agreement for Rappler while executive director Josaias dela Cruz and public management director Filomena M. Portales represented World Vision.

“We are grateful for the support of World Vision for Rappler. We look forward to working closely with the World Vision team to harness the potential of social media and their wide community network for disaster preparedness and climate resiliency education,” said Yuson.  

“Citizens’ voices can be amplified through social media as we work together in advancing disaster risk reduction and mitigation together with the Government, civil society and disaster-affected communities,” dela Cruz added. – Rappler.com with a report by David Lozada