Kabangis sa Bagyo: DevCom dept launches radio drama on disaster preparedness

According to the 2014 World Risk Index, the Philippines is one of the world’s most vulnerable and exposed countries to natural disasters, which annually cause extensive economic damage and loss of life. This problem is further exacerbated by climate change and is expected to cause more frequent and intense meteorological events, such as typhoons and storms, in the coming years.

Among all the regions in the country, Eastern Visayas is one of the most at risk to these extreme events due to its geophysical location that directly faces the Pacific ocean. In fact, Eastern Visayas faced the wrath of Super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon in history, in 2013 which caused 95.5 billion pesos in damages, killed around 6,000 residents, and displaced 4 million Filipinos, based on numbers from the Typhoon Haiyan Strategic Response Plan.

One of the major reasons for the high mortality of natural disasters is the lack of proper disaster preparedness and response before, during, and after the calamity among Filipinos.

To address this problem, the ‘Bagyo, Sagubangon Ta (Be Typhoon Resilient)’, a community drama laboratory spearheaded by VSU Department of Development Communication (DDC) head Dr. Christina A. Gabrillo, launched a disaster preparedness radio drama on December 22, 2020.

The radio drama, titled ‘Kabangis sa Bagyo’ or ‘The Wrath of a Typhoon’, followed the tragic story of a couple, Maricel and Bryan, and their son Samuel, as their family was torn apart by a typhoon and the struggles they encountered during its aftermath.

The aim of the radio drama was to raise awareness, promote sustainable practices, and empower action among Leyte communities towards disaster preparedness.

Amplifying disaster preparedness in Baybay City

In partnership with the Baybay City Local Government Unit (LGU), Baybay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Officials of Barangay Candadam, and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Baybay City, the radio drama will be broadcasted to the entire 92 barangays of Baybay City, which is inhabited by more than 100,000 residents.

The radio drama will also be specially targeted towards the 40,000 youths in Baybay City with the help of the commitment of the SK Federation of Baybay City, led by Hon. Mark Michael Unlu-cay.

Telling the story of survival despite the pandemic

The radio drama project was inspired by the stories and struggles of Super Typhoon Yolanda victims and survivors.

Originally planned to be implemented early last year, the launching of the radio drama was extended up until December 2020 because of COVID-19.

According to Dr. Christina A. Gabrillo during the Facebook live streaming of the radio drama, they experienced various challenges in the production of ‘Kabangis sa Bagyo’ because of the on-going health crisis.

“At the start, we thought of really using one community in Baybay City to produce the radio drama. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we faced ‘VUCA’ situations, which are filled with volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. But despite all these uncertainties, we were still able to produce the radio drama”, said Dr. Gabrillo.

Due to the strict community quarantine measures, the radio drama production team was forced to conduct some of its activities virtually, which also faced its own challenges, such as schedule conflicts and internet connectivity issues.

The ‘Bagyo, Sagubangon Ta’ community radio drama laboratory was developed as an offshoot during Dr. Gabrillo’s fellowship in the 2019 Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) at the East-West Center in Hawaii, USA.

Aside from Dr. Gabrillo, the prime movers of the radio drama were Sean O. Villaginzalo, Carmela A. Yamada, Kathleen Mae B. Valencia, Danica P. Godinez and Jeanie Rose S. Deluza from VSU, Karen Y. Teves from the APLP 2018, Lance C. Boyd from the East-West Center, and Jerica Marie Casal, Mary Jane Lamoste, and Ferdinand Tamulto from Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

‘Kabangis sa Bagyo’ was first broadcasted on December 22, 2020, via Facebook, GROOVE FM at Baybay City, and DYDC-FM at VSU.

The radio drama can be streamed through the official DYDC-FM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vsudydcfm104.7/videos/844393556403721.