The Climate and Biodiversity Program (CBP) team of Tebtebba Foundation, Inc. recently conducted research documenting the effects of typhoon Rosita, which devastated Natonin, Mountain Province in the northern Philippines in 2018. Through a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) held from February 12–18, 2025, the team gathered narratives of finnachang (mutual help), loss and resilience from residents and Indigenous Peoples’ mandatory representatives (IPMRs) across the barangays of Natonin.
“In 2018, typhoon Rosita was the most devastating disaster to strike Natonin. All barangays were isolated; they had to survive on their own,” recalled Soledad Nasudman, the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (LDRRMO). She added that massive landslides severely damaged roads throughout the municipality, stalling rescue and relief operations and placing rescuers themselves at great risk.
Faced with isolation and stalled rescue efforts, residents and Indigenous communities turned inward to finnachang—a long-practiced Indigenous practice of mutual aid and cooperation, to withstand the odds brought about by typhoon Rosita. Despite their resilience, the typhoon claimed thirty-two lives, destroyed livelihoods and heritage sites and caused significant non-economic losses, including heightened anxiety during subsequent typhoon seasons and a persistent fear of a similar tragedy occurring again.
“When the landslides happened, I was completely overwhelmed. I couldn’t think straight; my mind was chaotic. My mother, my brother and my family were all gone. I felt so lost, so shattered. At that moment, I didn’t know what to do or how to go on,” shared Bernard Catet, an elder in sitio Batnong, barangay Banawel. He explained that his experience reflects the deep personal grief disasters leave behind, illustrating one of the many non-economic losses that natural calamities bring into the lives of their victims.
The FGDs provided a platform for residents to share not only their experiences of typhoon Rosita but also their knowledge and practices on disaster response and adaptation. Discussions included personal narratives, reflections on climate change impacts, recommendations for strengthening community resilience and the sharing of Indigenous practices, stories and myths that embody lessons on disaster prevention and climate adaptation.
During the community visit in barangay Banawel, Tebtebba Executive Director Helen Biangalen-Magata connected these local realities to the global climate crisis. She underscored that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, not because of their way of life, but because of the unjust pressures of global capitalism that exploit natural resources and disregard Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Biangalen-Magata emphasized that Indigenous communities, while carrying the heaviest burdens of the crisis, also hold generations of wisdom on how to care for forests, watersheds and biodiversity. “The world must listen to Indigenous Peoples,” she stressed, “because solutions to the climate crisis cannot rest on scientific facts alone. True solutions require Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and justice for their struggles.”
The stories of finnachang in Natonin remind us that resilience is not just about rebuilding after disasters; it is about nurturing collective strength, interdependence and cultural knowledge that have sustained Indigenous Peoples for centuries. Practices such as finnachang are not only responses to crises but living systems of climate risk management rooted in solidarity and respect for the environment. As the climate crisis deepens, the world must recognize that Indigenous Peoples’ wisdom is not a relic of the past but a vital contribution to shaping more just, sustainable and adaptive futures.
Loss and damage refers to the adverse impacts of climate change that people and communities are experiencing despite mitigation and adaptation efforts. These impacts may stem from slow-onset processes, such as rising sea levels, melting glaciers, desertification and biodiversity loss, or from sudden extreme weather events, such as storms and floods. Catet’s grief and the community’s experiences in Natonin exemplify these non-economic losses, showing how disasters affect not only livelihoods but also emotional well-being and cultural continuity.
The research in Natonin is part of a broader study titled Environmental Justice is Indigenous Peoples’ Justice: Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences and Perspectives on Loss and Damage. Conducted by Tebtebba Foundation, Inc., with support from the University of Michigan.