{"id":31040,"date":"2023-08-25T04:50:51","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T04:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/?p=31040"},"modified":"2024-03-18T03:18:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T03:18:00","slug":"world-bank-ready-to-rebuild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/m2comms.com\/2023\/08\/25\/world-bank-ready-to-rebuild\/","title":{"rendered":"Reel Impact: Documenting Local Disaster Resilience for the World Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The M2.0 Communications team<\/a> has always wanted to tell narratives of real change.<\/em> However, finding the right one that speaks to them isn\u2019t always easy. It wasn\u2019t until the opportunity to help the World Bank<\/a> on their mission of disaster risk management transformation popped up. For the M2 team, who grew up experiencing the devastation of natural disasters, this wasn\u2019t just a professional endeavor; it became a personal journey of purpose and fulfillment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Philippines experiences about 20 typhoons<\/a> a year due to its geographical location. Aside from constant heavy rainfall, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions<\/a> are also prominent because of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Unfortunately, many communities face challenges in responding effectively to natural disasters due to limited knowledge and resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been multiple initiatives that inform how to operate such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)<\/a>\u2019s four thematic areas of disaster management and the United Nations\u2019 Sendai Framework<\/a> but the problem lies in making sure that learning all of them was interesting and accessible. Thus, the Ready to Rebuild<\/a> (R2R) training program was created. A comprehensive series of educational materials that tackles all facets of natural disaster response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Passion to Production<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When M2.0 Communications entered into a partnership with the World Bank in 2020, the goal was clear: produce the content<\/a> that would effectively communicate the R2R program to the right people in order to make the right impact. Beejay Castillo<\/a> was tasked to lead the team. This wasn\u2019t just another project for him as an Executive Producer. The R2R program was an opportunity for Beejay to tap into one of the main reasons why he became a storyteller in the first place.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was always hoping that I would work on something related to social change, community mobilization, and governance because those were my interests. I wanted to make an impact in my own unique way. Creating stories was my platform to have a voice. I wanted to share that<\/em>,\u201d Beejay said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Beejay, the foundation of a good story comes from a good conversation<\/strong>. This is the standard he holds his team to. Prior to working with the World Bank, his knowledge on disaster risk management was limited. All he knew was that the Philippines lacked the proper capabilities. Since the country was experiencing multiple natural disasters<\/a>, only a slight focus was given on response and not much else. No mitigations and no full recoveries.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beejay and his team approached this project from a much more personal perspective. Beejay grew up in the Quezon province wherein they would experience extreme weather conditions that would render their communities damaged for months at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve experienced spending months having no electricity or housing our neighbors because their homes got washed away,\u201d<\/em> Beejay recollects. When the team was working with the World Bank on the R2R content, they had their own experiences in mind. They were doing this to make sure that no one else would know what it was like to fear for what nature will bring. The next generation of Filipinos would be better equipped with disaster risk management and it starts with the work Beejay and his team did with R2R. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind the Scenes of Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a collaborative effort between the World Bank<\/a> and essential government bodies such as the Department of Science and Technology, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the M2 team traveled to 10 communities around the Philippines. The team wanted to immerse themselves and listen in on the stories of the community leaders and citizens about natural disasters and how the R2R program has fundamentally changed the way they operate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe strength of our partnership with the World Bank and the different LGUs was unheard of. It came to a point that my team wasn\u2019t just acting as content support, we were given opportunities to make key decisions ourselves,<\/em>\u201d<\/strong> Beejay said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One particular LGU in Mindanao stood out to Beejay and his team. Prior to the introduction of the R2R program, the extent of their disaster risk management plans was just written on a few pieces of paper that were handed down from previous years. Once a disaster strikes, that\u2019s the only time they\u2019ll be taking action to loosely respond to damages. This is the epitome of why the R2R program is needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the core of this initiative was a clear and unwavering message: to equip individuals with the aptitude and know-how necessary to anticipate, respond to, and recover from the hazards that threaten their communities. Beejay and his team sought to bridge this gap through engaging training methodologies, including explainer videos and video storytelling. What were originally lectures that would last hours, were condensed into 20-minute videos that go over key points and actionable next steps to follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capturing a Safer Tomorrow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After all the traveling and training sessions, the work was still not done. In order to prove how effective the R2R program was, M2 produced \u201cImpact Reports<\/a>\u201d, a series of documentaries showcasing how the training transformed disaster risk management practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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