Journeying with Children Toward a Resilient BASECO

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Children are the group most affected by disasters, especially in developing countries like the Philippines, which belongs in the top ten countries most vulnerable for disasters and extreme weather events. With rapid urbanization also taking place throughout the world, urban disaster risk reduction is a strategy that most cities have adopted.

This case study documents children and youth’s participation in a local urban disaster risk reduction (DRR) program in the Philippines. It focuses on BASECO, an urban poor community situated in a reclaimed area of Manila City, the capital of the Philippines. The community is highly vulnerable to disasters, which has resulted in a long history of repeated displacement.

Through interviews with youth leaders, barangay officials and World Vision staff, this case study zooms into the experience of BASECO and highlights World Vision’s two-pronged approach to developing and implementing a CF-DRR program in the community.

Using World Vision’s Cities for Children Framework, the study emphasizes the importance of child and youth participation in addressing disaster risk and vulnerabilities in urban contexts. Child-focused disaster risk reduction initiatives such as this encourages better preparation of children, families, and communities for shocks and effective recoveries. Thus, promoting just and inclusive cities where children thrive in safe, healthy, resilient and prosperous environments.