Lilibeth, 43, has spent her whole life in Daraitan, raising her five children beside the same river where she grew up. But as flooding becomes more frequent and severe, the river that was once part of her everyday life has become a source of worry for her family.
As a member of the indigenous Dumagat-Remontado people, Lilibeth has deep roots in Daraitan, Rizal, and feels deeply connected to the land where she grew up. But unpredictable flooding during the typhoon season has disrupted her children’s education and further strained the camp’s already unstable income.
Lilibeth and her husband currently live next to the river and care for a camping resort that overlooks a stretch of the river popular with tourists during the summer. She takes care of the needs of the tourists coming in, cleans the rented spaces, trims the camp’s trees and hedges that line the cabins, and handles the general upkeep of the compound.
Before they began caring for the camp, Lilibeth’s family relied on a small farm for their livelihood. But when Typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco) washed away the farm and destroyed their crops in 2020, they had to find another source of income.
Even after the change, they remained just as vulnerable to flooding.
Although Lilibeth’s home is less affected than other areas of the barangay, the campsites near the riverbank remain vulnerable when the river rises. Once the water reaches knee level, they know it is time to evacuate.
Lilibeth’s five children, aged 18, 16, 13, 10 and 2, have grown up with the uncertainty that comes with living near the river. While their youngest is still too young to understand the risks, the older children have learned to respond by helping their family prepare when the river begins to rise.
Her three middle children are often the first to remind her to prepare for evacuation when classes are suspended in Rizal, giving the family time to act if the barangay issues an evacuation order or warnings about rising water.
Her eldest child now works as a grocery store bagger in Tanay after finishing Grade 12 to help support the family. Their father’s illness requires regular medication and has limited his ability to work, so the family relies on the child’s extra income to help cover household expenses and his siblings’ education.
While she is grateful for their help, Lilibeth still hopes all her children can finish college. But with frequent rains and an unstable livelihood, the family continues to look for ways to make that possible.
Save the Children and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) anticipatory action program, first activated in 2024, aimed to give residents the resources they need to act before flooding occurs and help ease some of the anxiety felt by families like Lilibeth’s.
Together with the local government and the community, the project developed an anticipatory action system using local data and simulations to create a clear chain from early warning to action. It includes identifying and agreeing on triggers and measures that help the community prepare for and act before disasters strike.
The triggers combine scientific data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), including forecasts and rainfall projections, with community observations of how an emergency is unfolding.
These include environmental factors such as continuous rain in the area, how quickly the river water rose, the turbidity, or how clear the river water is running, advisories from the barangay or river guides if the river is unsafe to cross, and official observations from leaders of the barangay and indigenous community. These data are then integrated and matched to the barangay's prepared actions.
Lilibeth and her family were among 193 residents in Daraitan who participated in workshops on emergency preparedness and the use of emergency markers. They also received materials to reinforce their home, including plywood and galvanized iron sheets for their roof and walls, as well as nails and wooden planks.
In tandem with the program’s seminars on preparing for emergencies, and with triggers from the barangay, Lilibeth was able to build her own routine.
Before the wet season comes in, she stockpiles a few supplies from their savings. She buys a couple of kilos of rice, food like instant noodles and sardines as requested by her children, and some of their harvested bananas and taro.
She has also taught her children emergency routes and where to go if they get separated.
“For example, here in our barangay, where should they go in an emergency? What street are we in and set a place where we should meet if we get separated,” she said.
When flooding begins, the barangay increases its monitoring and issues warnings. Once an evacuation is announced, Lilibeth’s family goes to the nearby elementary school, which serves as an evacuation site. Her husband returns home to watch over the house once the barangay declares it safe to return.
Once the flood alarms clear, the rest of the family returns and cleans up. Meanwhile, the barangay prepares to distribute food packs and other assistance to affected residents, while organizations like Save the Children mobilize to provide additional support to the community, such as hygiene kits and building materials.
While Lilibeth’s fear never goes away, the knowledge she has gained helps her and her family feel safer and more confident in facing the storms.