Members of the MODECERA (Monitoring and Detection of Ecosystems Changes for Enhancing Resilience and Adaptation in the Philippines) research team along with some faculty and staff from SESAM (School of Environmental Science and Management) visited one of the eight monitored ecosystems of the MODECERA program at the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve in Barangay Bagong Silang, Los Baños, Laguna last Wednesday, September 6, 2017. This visit was for the completion of the survey on socio-economic resilience study for the program.

The site was accessible through various routes. The team accessed the road entrance located along F.T. San Luis Avenue, Bay, Laguna. To reach the site, an hour long trek was needed. The area chosen for the interview, Purok 1, is a small community at the middle of the barangay where most residents of the barangay frequent due to the elementary school located there. A total of 35 residents in the purok were interviewed.

Among the respondents was former Barangay Councilor Esiong Dalma, who felt that Bagong Silang is still isolated 10 years after  the tragedy of Typhoon Milenyo in 2007. Despite the solar panels now giving electricity to the Barangay Bagong Silang Elementay School, he said it is not enough to give convenience to all students. “We hope our barangay hall also will have solar panels soon so we can have lights during the night and power up other equipment” said Mr. Dalma.

Solar panels provided by Sunpower are now used to provide electricity at Bagong Silang Elementary School.

Questions asked were anchored on the five climate resilience index: physical infrastructure available, social coherence, economic condition, institutional integrity, and occurrence of natural hazards.  MODECERA project staff, For. Sofia A. Alaira, with other SESAM research assistants namely, Jessica Tapia, Laurence Dimasuay, Ria Gapaz, Henry Ramos conducted interviews with residents of Brgy. Bagong Silang. SESAM researchers Mr. Thaddeus P. Lawas and Simplicio Veluz documented the fieldwork. (Justine Angelo Lacson and Thad Lawas)