The BIDANI Strategy in the Face of the New Normal: Learning from the Experiences of Baybay City in Leyte, Philippines

The definition of the new normal stretches towards the notions of pandemic-ready and climate-resilient communities. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and the intensification of climate-related hazards have challenged the disaster management and preparedness of those in developing countries. Baybay, among other cities in the Philippines, had endured the devastation of typhoons and landslides in the middle of the pandemic. While the city grappled with its responses to address the dual threats of the new normal, its implementation of the Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI) strategy in 2010 through the Visayas State University (VSU) equipped the local government unit (LGU) with sectoral data and database management for evidence-based decision-making, digital information systems, and nutrition-related interventions in the barangay level. Using the narratives of the LGU and VSU-BIDANI teams, this paper intends to present a comprehensive overview of the significance of BIDANI in addressing LGU governance challenges, especially in planning and development for disaster responses. This paper suggests strengthening the partnership between LGUs and academia to foster good local governance.

“新常态”的定义延伸至具备疫情应对能力与气候韧性的社区理念。近期的新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）大流行以及气候相关灾害的加剧，对发展中国家的灾害管理与防灾备灾能力构成了挑战。菲律宾的巴拜市（Baybay）便是其中之一，在大流行期间饱受台风与山体滑坡的重创。尽管该市正全力应对新常态下的双重威胁，但其于2010年通过米沙鄢国立大学（Visayas State University，缩写VSU）推行的社区营养改善综合发展方案（Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement，缩写BIDANI），已为地方政府单位（local government unit，缩写LGU）配备了用于循证决策的部门数据与数据库管理系统、数字信息系统，以及村社层面的营养相关干预举措。本研究基于LGU与VSU-BIDANI团队的叙事资料，旨在全面阐述BIDANI方案在应对LGU治理挑战方面的重要意义，尤其是在灾害应对规划与发展领域。本研究建议加强地方政府单位与学术界的伙伴关系，以推动良善地方治理。