**3. Results**

#### *The Significance of Cultural and Religious Aspects of Resilience*

Resilience, in the context of risk, refers to the "ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover" from the effects of a hazard (UNGA 2017, p. 22). A community's resilience depends on the degree of availability of resources and capacity to organize itself before and during times of need (UNISDR 2009, p. 24; 2017). Participants regarded resilience as *pagbawi* or *pagbangon* (the ability to rise beyond adversity). The participants compared themselves to the "bamboo which bends with the wind but never breaks". The description is apt because the participants believed that they could rise above the adversities they regularly experience and could even face the danger of a looming environmental disaster if the abandoned dams that hold toxic mine tailings would give way.

The participants, living in Marinduque, understood that the precarity of their existence could lead to negative consequences such as "something bad happening", "*panganib* (danger)", which affect people, property, communities, environment, livelihood, and even cause "fear" or "phobia" related to disaster, calamity, and climate emergency. In these instances, most participants turned to family and community support and prayer and devotion, especially among the Roman Catholics, to the *Ina ng Biglang-Awa* (Our Lady of the Prompt Succor), the Patroness of the Diocese of Boac. The prayer and devotion are part of the coping process of some of the participants as they navigate their lives around the risks posed by natural and human-made challenges.

MaCEC members and leaders underscored that the concepts of *pagtutulungan* (service to one another)*, pakikiisa* (solidarity), and *pananampalataya* (faith) are significant manifestations of resilience. Participants stated that close family ties, formations, and support in the neighborhood (*kapitbahayan*) and community (*pamayanan*) and faith are vital in addressing, responding to, and coping with risk, disaster, or disaster adversity.

Moreover, the community expanded its Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) program to address environmental issues and concerns. It conducted the activity, *Bahaginan ng Pamayanang Kristiyano sa Salita ng Diyos* (Sharing of the Word of God among Christian Communities) in villages for their members to become what they call the "basic faith communities of environmental stewards" (BFC-ES). The spiritual-ecological course, *Batayang Pag-aaral Pangspiritwal at Pangekolohiya* (Learning Modules on Spirituality and Ecology), youth environmental camps, youth and adult leaders ecological learning exchange, among others, are some environmental education formats implemented to enhance and sustain ecological awareness and action.
