The project team of the Resilience-building and Future-proofing Strategies in a Multi-stressed Scenario in the Province of Albay, Philippines conducted focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and site visits for the month of February 2023 in the Municipalities of Camalig and Polangui as part of its participatory vulnerability and risk assessment of communities in the Quinali A Watershed in Albay.

These focus group discussions aim to assess the vulnerability and risk of the chosen communities in the watershed through narrative analyses and participatory mapping of hazards and stressors present within their communities. These FGDs were held in their respective barangay halls in Camalig while the interviews were held at the Polangui Municipal Hall

The chosen communities for the FGDs in Camalig are Barangay Quirangay – facilitated by Asst. Professor Liezl B. Grefalda; Barangay Tagayaty – facilitated by Dr. Rose Jane Peras; and Barangay Ilawod – facilitated by Dr. Lorena L. Sabino.

The project team was accompanied by DENR CENRO Guinobatan staff Ms. Angela Grajeda, Ms. Mary Orlina, Mr. Anthony Arboleda, and Mr. Amiel Lentigan. Mr. George Matthew Nebres and Mr. Stephen Loma of Camalig MDRRMO, as well as Mr. Carlos Cortez of Bicol University joined the data-gathering activities.

The research project is being implemented by the UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (UPLB-INREM) together with the UP Resilience Institute (UP RI) in partnership with the City Government of Ligao, Bicol University, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resource – Bicol Region with funding from the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).