Community Immersion

-is a means for NSTP trainees to value the critical role they play in nation building as
they begin to have a deepened sense of awareness and involvement in real situations
the communities that encourage them to do civic works like dimensions in education,
health, entrepreneurship, environment, safety and disaster management, sports and
recreation, morals of citizenry and other social welfare concerns. It is a scheme
intended for them to contribute significantly in upholding the youth and members in
nation building by setting the ground works of development in the grassroots level.
CWTS2 Course Outline:
I. Myself
II. Basic Life Support
III. Disaster Risk Management
IV. Environmental Awareness
V. National Security Concern
VI. Community Immersion
THE PROCESS OF IMMERSION
This regards the identification of the community where the students will be immersed. 
-trainees will have to prepare themselves physically, mentally & spiritually.
-Trainees must have waivers from their parents or guardians stating that they informed
of the mandate to undergo the NSTP community immersion. 
-Schools also needs to organize its own manpower, resources and other technical
needs.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN AREAS OF SELECTION
1. Select our areas. The marginalized sectors are your target clients because they are
the ones needing assistance more than any other groups in the society.
Examples: youth, women, slum dwellers, the Differently abled
2. Local partners must be willing to work and support community project. 
-this goes to say that we should start with the people and work with the people.
3. Consider needs and resources within the capability of the students and
community partners. You cannot extend what you do not have in the first place. 
4. Places that is not saturated by other agencies. Supporting agencies are probable
resources waiting to be tapped that can provide additional financial assistance when it
comes to projects that are also within their type of service.
-Soliciting their support will also prevent duplication of services and activities. You have
identify if their schedule of activities coincide with yours so that you will not confuse the
people with your separate Identity.
5. Stable peace and order situation. You have to put into consideration your own
safety when you conduct your immersion. Some of the salient questions you need to
ask are: "Are the roads and work area secure to travel on?", "Am not putting myself and
other members of the immersion team in danger if we conduct our Immersion in this
venue?", "Will and my school be compromised if continue to work in his area?".
6. Accessibility. Successful community immersion also relies on how quickly and how
often you can visit the community. If you live in Cavite and you happen to have chosen
Bulacan as an immersion area, would it be easy for you to conduct, monitor and
evaluate your projects in the latter area mentioned?
PHASE 2-ENTERING THE COMMUNITY
it is necessary to have community mapping of the target area.
-this will help you identify the geographic coverage of the project.
-it will also help to point out the resources that may be used by the trainees in the
community and the relationship of people with these resources.
STEPS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 
1. Ostentatious entry. Complete with banner and a general assembly of the people, the
community ushers in the people who will undergo immersion or outsiders. People
naturally expect more from the outsiders because the latter's identity is boosted.
2. Academic style of entry. Communities are often called social laboratories because
they are a place to test the theories learned in classrooms. Academic institutions field
some students into the community to assist the community regarding its concerns. A
trialogue between the school, the students and the community is done to identify the
terms to which the community service will be fulfilled. 
3. Banking on the people's weakness. Outsiders sometimes enter the community
through catching people's attention. At times when community people are in distress,
they usually adhere to outsiders, like during economic crisis, emergency and disaster
situations. 
4. People-centered approach. When entering the community, the members of the
community Immersion team must establish rapport and relationship with the community
people. Gathering information and doing a background investigation about the situation
may prove to be of great help in pursuing the goal of establishing linkages in the locality.

-Pay courtesy call to recognized leaders of the community. -Make communications

ahead of time.

-Write a letter of intention and in turn you should have a letter of acceptance from them.
-Secure a memorandum of agreement between you and the community .

NSTP: Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

As an archipelago located at the southern part of Asia, the Philippines is prone to
almost types of natural hazards because of its geographical location and geotectonic
setting. In addition, the Philippines situated along the highly-seismic Pacific Ring of Fire.
The area where the Philippines sea and the Eurasian Tectonic Plates meet and is prone
to occurrences of earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions. And there are, there are
220 volcanoes in the country and 22 are active (NDDC 2008). Generally, we encounter
an average of 20 earthquakes a day, per latest figures from the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). The Philippines is also located along the
typhoon belt on the North Pacific Basin in the Pacific where 75% of the typhoons
originate. There are 20 to 20 typhoons and passing through the country, 5-7 which can
be destructive (NDDC 2008). According to the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, the Philippines was the fourth most accident-prone country in the
world 2015. Accordingly, 31,835 Filipinos were killed and 94, 369, 462 others were
affected by natural disasters and calamities in a span of 20 years.
Input No. 1 Overview of the Philippines Disaster Management System
The President Arroyo signed on May 27 Republic Act 10121, also known as Philippines
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. Since the Office of Civil Defense
and National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council Creation, PD 1566 of 1978
has been the basic law that guides the disaster risk management programs, projects
and strategies implementation in the country. The OCD- NDCC initiated the shift on
disaster management approaches and strategies from reactive to proactive. The new
law adopts and adheres to principle and strategies consistent with the International
standards set by the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA). And a National Disaster Risk
Reduction, Management and recovery Framework and Plan was developed, formulated,
and implemented.
Republic Act 10121, known as the as Philippines Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management (PDRRM) Act of 2010. "An Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management System, Providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Plan, Appropriating Funds, Therefore and Other Purposes"
Section 2. Declaration of Policy
1. Upholding people's rights to life and property and adherence to internationally
accepted principles, norms, and standards for capacity building DRRM and
humanitarian assistance; 
2. Adoption of a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, proactive, and multi-sector
approach in addressing the impacts of disasters, including the climate change; 
3. Development, promotion and implementation of a comprehensive National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP);
4. Mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change in national and local development plans
and development processes (e.g., policy formulation, socio-economic
developmen0074planning, budgeting and governance);
5. Mainstreaming DRR into peace process and conflict resolution; 
6. Ensuring DRR and CC-Gender responsive measures, sensitive to indigenous
knowledge and respect of human rights;
7. Strengthening capacity building of Local Government Units on DRR (e.g.,
decentralized powers, responsibilities, resources) and vulnerable and marginalized
groups; 
8. Engaging the participation of Civil Society Organizations or CSO, private sectors and
volunteers in DRR;
9. Promotion of breastfeeding before and during a disaster or emergency, and
10. Ensuring maximum care, assistance and services to affected individuals and
families
Salient Features of PDRRM Act of 2010
1. Policy statements and terminologies on DRRM (Sec. 2 & 3)
2. Institutional mechanisms (Secs, 5-12)
a)DRRMCs (National, Regional, Provincial and Municipal Levels and Barangay
Development Council at the barangay level)
b) Office of Civil Defense
c) Permanent office on DRRM at the LGU level; Barangay DRRM Committee 
d) Disaster Volunteers
3. Operational mechanisms (Secs. 15-18)
a) Coordination during emergencies
b) Declaration of a state of calamity
c) Remedial measures
d) Mechanism for the international humanitarian assistance network 
4. Participation, accreditation, mobilization, protection and development of disaster
volunteers
5. Training and Education in DRR
a) Establishment of DRRM training institutes 
b) Mandatory training in DRR for public sector employees
 c) Integration of DRR in school curricula, training for out-of-school youth,
Sangguniang Kabataan, and Informal training
II. The National Disaster Risk reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
The National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC) is the highest
organized and authorized body for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM)
in the Philippines. Established by virtue of Republic Act 10121 in 2010, the NDRRMC is
composed of various government, non- government, civil sector and private sector
organizations. The NDRRMC is vested with the overall policy, making, coordination,
integration, supervision, monitoring and evaluation functions focusing on DRRM.
Leading the collaborative efforts in disaster preparedness planning and mitigation, as
well as disaster response operations and rehabilitation both in the government and
private sectors is the NDDRMC.
III. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), as the implementing arm of the National Disaster
Risk reduction and Management Council, shall have the primary mission of
administering a comprehensive national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and
management program by providing leadership in the continuous development of
strategic and systematic approaches as well measures to reduce the vulnerabilities and
risks to hazards and manage the consequences of disasters.
IV. Organizational Network
The Philippines Disaster Management System (PDMS), as embodied in P.D. 1566 and
R.A. 10121, is carried out at various political subdivisions and administrative regions of
the country through the NDRRMC, 17 RDRRMC; 80 PDRRMC; 113 CDRRMC; 1496
MDRRMC; and 41, 956 BRRMC respectively. 
1.Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) 
(Section 12, PDRRM Act)
a. It is established in every province, City, Municipality, and Barangay Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Committee in every barangay.
b. Responsibility - setting the direction, development, implementation, and
coordination of disaster risk management programs within their territorial jurisdiction.
c. LDRRMO shall be under the office of the governor, city or municipal mayor,
and the barangay captain in case of BDRRMC. The LDRRMO's initially organized and is
composed of DRRMO, assisted by the three staffs responsible for:
 administrative and training.
 research and planning; and
 operations and warning. The LDRRMOS and DRRMOS shall organize, train and
directly supervise the local emergency response teams and the Accredited
Community Disasters Volunteers (ACDV). 
2. Accreditation, Mobilization, and Protection of Disaster Volunteers and National
Service Reserve Corps, CSOs and the Private Sector (Section 13, PDRRM Act)
a. The government agencies, CSOs, private sector and LGUs may mobilize
individuals or organized volunteers to augment their respective personnel complement
and logistical requirements in the delivery of disaster risk reduction programs and
activities.
b. The agencies, CSOs, private sector, and LGUs concerned shall take full
responsibility for the enhancement, welfare and protection of volunteers, and shall
submit the list of volunteers to the OCD, through the LDRRMOS, for accreditation and
inclusion in the database of community disaster volunteers.
3. Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction Education into the School Curricula and
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Program and Mandatory Training for the Public Sector
Employees (Section 14, PDRRM Act)
a. The DepED, the CHED, the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA), in coordination with the OCD, the National Youth Commission
(NYC), the DOST, the DENR, the DILG-BFP, the DOH, the DSWD and other relevant
agencies, shall integrate disaster risk reduction and management education in the
school curricula of secondary and tertiary level of education, including the National
Service Training Program (NSTP), whether private or public, including formal and non-
formal, technical vocational, indigenous learning, and out- of-school youth courses and
programs.
b. The NDRRMC, the RDRRMCs, the LDRRMCs, the LDRRMOS, the
BDRRMCs and the SK councils shall encourage community, specifically the youth,
participation in disaster risk reduction and management activities.
V. Operational Structure (PDMS)