Institutionalizing social protection and anticipatory action in the Philippines
The Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries and the province of Catanduanes is frequently exposed to typhoons due to its location on the eastern seaboard. In 2020, super-typhoon Goni devastated livelihoods, affecting over 42,000 households and causing USD 103.3 million in agricultural losses. In 2024, six typhoons struck in one month, with super-typhoon Man-Yi severely damaging crops and displacing 1.5 million people. These disasters, compounded by the lasting consequences of COVID-19, have impacted the economy and food security of Catanduanes province where over 30 percent of the workforce relies on agriculture and fisheries for their livelihood.
This good practice factsheet documents FAO’s efforts between November 2020 and December 2024 to pilot and institutionalize activations and emergency expansions of the country’s social protection system in support of farming and fishing households, in anticipation and in response to shocks. In response to super-typhoon Goni in 2020, FAO provided cash assistance to vulnerable farmers and fishers in Catanduanes to contribute to restoring livelihoods and food security. Afterwards, FAO conducted a simulation with local authorities to strengthen the national social protection system’s capacity to deliver timely aid ahead of a forecasted typhoon. As a result, in November 2024, while anticipating the impact of super-typhoon Man-Yi, FAO and local authorities were able to activate anticipatory action protocols to protect lives and livelihoods and mitigate the risk of food insecurity.
FAO’s work in Catanduanes illustrates how social protection systems can be both leveraged and reinforced to operate effectively in anticipation of and in response to shocks. By embedding early warning triggers and developing activation protocols, timely support can reach at-risk communities before disasters strike.
SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Social protection: Whenever FAO complements government efforts in addressing disaster risk, leveraging the social protection system through a formal agreement with the government should be the preferred option. Such partnerships offer several advantages, including effectiveness, stronger national ownership, better localization, as well as time- and cost-efficiency. Additionally, as illustrated by the interventions described in this factsheet, the provision of advice and capacity development to further strengthen the system itself is key to meaningful collaboration and the long-term sustainability of these interventions.
- Capacity development and institutional strengthening: The active engagement of local government partners and the establishment of a robust proof of concept are critical drivers of FAO’s efforts in institutionalizing anticipatory action through the national social protection system. Within this intervention, the active involvement of local authorities was facilitated by regular monitoring of project progress with local government offices, presenting pertinent implementation updates, and finding solutions to emerging challenges. The strong proof of concept relied on recurrent piloting and frequent capacity development initiatives, in particular simulation exercises, to test protocols and readiness. Developing government capacity in the use of data collection tools such as Kobo Toolbox for post-distribution monitoring also proved a valuable means of guaranteeing effective data gathering and analysis.
- Community engagement: Beneficiaries were essential partners in the implementation of all social protection interventions in Catanduanes. Their engagement throughout the process ensured full participation, including in supporting one another, empowering them to lead recovery efforts and anticipatory actions in their own communities. The involvement of beneficiaries in the evacuation of fishing boats and disseminating early warnings and information on collecting cash assistance was instrumental in ensuring the protection of key assets and the distribution of cash transfers.
- Cash assistance: The provision of cash is widely recognized as a valid assistance tool that fosters multiple, positive impacts among beneficiaries and their communities. It also enables a wider set of needs to be addressed while easing the delivery process, as compared to in-kind distributions, and is suited to large-scale, timely distribution in the short time window between early warning and hazard occurrence. The active participation of partners at all levels enabled also the timely and successful implementation of cash transfer distribution. Online platforms and digital solutions played a critical role in the project’s operations. Direct partnerships with financial service providers with a wide reach and flexibility are essential for anticipatory cash distribution due to the limited time window available. The preferred option should be to use the same financial service provider that serves the national social protection system, either by contracting directly with the government administration or through a parallel contractual agreement. This modality can also contribute towards making a strong case for the digitalization of social assistance.