Cebu, Philippines: Delivery team collaborates with on-the-ground NGO for social situation and impact analysis

As part of the Prosperity Fund Global Future Cities Programme, Cebu, Philippines Delivery Team’s (CDT) key outputs under the Intervention 1 is to undertake a Social Situation and Impact Analysis (SSIA). The purpose of the SSIA is to inform the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Cebu City Government about the overall context and situation in the city. It provides the baseline data and socio-economic information necessary for the development of the City’s affordable housing and integrated urban development city strategy. To complete the SSIA, the CDT has conducted targeted surveys in 15 barangays as well as qualitative interviews for targeted participants comprised of 8 Homeowners’ Associations, 6 female-headed households, 2 persons with disabilities (PWDs), and 1 indigenous people’s (IP) community, particularly those who are living in danger zones, affected by infrastructure development, facing eviction, and living within informal settlements.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions were imposed throughout the country, which prevented the CDT to conduct face-to-face consultations. To work through these conditions, the CDT successfully facilitated data gathering sessions by engaging with Pagtambayayong Foundation, a local Cebu-based NGO that has focused on the city’s housing sector since year 1982, to organise and identify participants for three focused group discussions (FGDs) and seven key informant interviews (KIIs). While the CDT provided the guide questions and composition of stakeholder groups to be consulted, Pagtambayayong Foundation transported participants from their homes to the NGO’s office where a computer was set up for a virtual consultation that was facilitated by the SSIA delivery team. On the other hand, selected respondents were visited by the NGO staff to conduct the virtual KIIs onsite via mobile phones. Through the conducted FGDs and KIIs, the CDT was able to gather insights that will support the development of the Affordable Housing Strategy and City Development Strategy, subsequent outputs as part of the CDT’s work programme. The issues, concerns, aspirations and recommendations collected through these hybrid mode of consultations will be presented in the Cebu City SSIA.

This innovative mechanism of harnessing technology platforms as well as having key contacts on the ground has proven to be a viable solution for allowing stakeholder participation amidst the limitations brought by the pandemic.

SSIA specialist and G&I specialist run a Focused Group Discussion with Homeowners’ Association members

Author(s):

Vince Docta, Social Situation and Impact Analysis Expert for GFCP Cebu, Philippines intervention

Cecilia Fantastico, Gender and Inclusion Specialist for GFCP Philippines