#YolandaPh: The spirit of bayanihan

CEBU, Philippines – Days after the super typhoon Yolanda ravaged the Visayas, local and international organizations rushed to the aid of those affected.

The United Nations, through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which is mandated to help governments manage disasters and foster peace and development, led these organizations in providing immediate relief and emergency response to the 13 worst-hit municipalities in Eastern and Western Leyte, Eastern Samar and Biliran.

Seeing the massive devastation brought by the monster typhoon to the region, UNDP activated the Typhoon Yolanda Response, Recovery and Rehabilitation in the Visayas. It is divided into four components, namely relief and emergency response, early recovery which started last January, recovery and rehabilitation which began last April up to the present, and the development phase to be launched next year.

Around US$15 million has been allotted for the implementation of these projects, which include waste management, livelihood, disaster risk reduction and management, and governance.

The UNDP helps rebuild Eastern, Western Visayas

UNDP Typhoon Yolanda Response Program project manager Eden Garde said that instead of distributing relief goods, the organization focused more on debris clearing and cash-for-work programs.

Its cash-for-work programs that began last December provided immediate employment opportunities to the typhoon victims, with each beneficiary receiving P260 per day as prescribed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Beneficiaries were made to work for at least 15 days others a chance to earn too. They worked on debris clearing, restoration of documents damaged, cleaning of schools and demolition of buildings, among others.

Garde pointed out that they prioritized debris clearing since relief goods will not be able to reach the affected families if the roads are impassable.

“Nobody was doing it and this was an intervention that was really needed,” she said.

“Instrumental kaayo ang UNDP especially during the first response. Ormoc City is one of the cities and municipalities in Region 8 nga dunay sanitary landfill. Dako sila og natabang especially sa debris management,” said Ormoc City Councilor Pedro Ebcas, who is also the operations chairman of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

After all the debris was cleared, the UNDP supported the local government units in managing their wastes, particularly their dumpsites. It provided waste management experts from other countries to teach and train the people.

Garde said that if all the wastes will not be handled properly, it will create a huge impact to the health of the people especially those who are living in resettlement areas near the dumpsites.

UNDP also launched a special project on helping junkshops in Tacloban, Ormoc and Guiuan to recover by giving trucks and other equipment.

“Their operations were really hampered because they lost a lot of assets,” Garde said, adding that the project will hopefully be in full swing by the end of the year.

UNDP also promoted the concept of waste collection points and waste segregation in several barangays.

Garde said that the UNDP will continue helping Yolanda victims until 2017 following the US$13 million donation of the European Union, which is for the development phase of the Typhoon Yolanda Response Program, to be implemented for three years.

The new project will support the construction of disaster-resilient public structures such as evacuation centers and barangay halls, as well as extensive intervention on the livelihood of typhoon victims.

A total of 12 disaster resilient evacuation centers are to be constructed, as well as a cold storage for the aqua culture industry and agriculture sector in the region.

“There is clearly the need to rehabilitate livelihood resources wherein we will support high-value crops and tackle the entire value chain as much as possible to ensure profitability for farmers and fisher folks and viability of the project,” Garde explained.

Dario Cubelo, Western and Northern Leyte coordinator of the UNDP Typhoon Yolanda Response Program, said one of the model evacuation centers, which will be constructed beside the Ormoc City Hall, is a two-storey building that will cost P20 million. The design is now being finalized and the groundbreaking will start any time this month, he added.

Cubelo said the structure will have solar panels and will not be dependent on electricity.

“Initially, we want a helipad on top of the building for emergency relief operations and all. At least 250 families can be housed. I-replicate nato ni to 15 evacuation centers nga himuon nato, one here, two in Biliran, and the rest in Tacloban and Samar,” he said..

The European Union funding will also be allocated for the housing project that is aimed to build disaster-resilient communities in the government-owned lots in Tacloban, Ormoc and Hernani.

It will demonstrate resilient housing structures that can withstand 300 kilometers per hour of wind. A 28-square meter house will have a construction budget of P260,000.  It will benefit 165 households with 55 families per area.

However, Garde cited that housing projects can be challenging because some LGUs do not have available land.

Garde said that every UNDP housing project is integrated with a livelihood program to support to the affected families.

They have extended support to micro enterprises in terms of asset replacement and entrepreneurship training to enhance the viability of their operations.

UNDP also inked a strong partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to provide skills training to the typhoon victims.

Garde believes that economic empowerment is highly important when bouncing back after a tragedy. “If you have the money, you can recover anytime no matter what happens as long as you are alive,” she said.

Korea has also donated US$3 million for the construction of landfills in Basey and Guiuan. A vocational center will also be built in Basey. The Korean aid will also support livelihood projects such as the coconut debris clearing that will help other non-government organizations for their housing projects in terms of lumber supply.

There were also in-kind donations from different countries such as 80 generator sets from Norway that were distributed to LGUs and hospitals in the priority areas.

Garde added that UNDP also trains city and municipal officers of disaster risk and management councils on how to mitigate the effects of disasters and how to prepare for calamities such as Yolanda.

She added that to achieve sustainability of their projects, they have hired and deployed consultants and experts on specialized areas to train government employees.

Garde said that UNDP saw the need to help local government units get back on their feet.

“They really need support, especially the smaller LGUs. If ang Tacloban nga nahihirapan, what more the smaller ones,” she said.

“The need is really there. We cannot turn a blind eye on the people because it is really clear. In a post-disaster context, we make sure all of our interventions adhere to the building back better and safer principle,” Garde added.

She, however, said that while the UNDP is there to provide support, the LGUs must also have initiative. “They just have to believe in themselves. There is value to self-help. Despite the disaster, there should be self-reliance that should permeate in the mindsets of the people,” Garde concluded.

Government, NGOs help Northern Cebu

The Cebu Provincial Government worked hand in hand with local and foreign humanitarian organizations to help Yolanda-hit areas in north Cebu rebuild not only houses, schools and other buildings, but also the lives of victims.

A year after Yolanda, the relief efforts of government agencies and non-government agencies are still ongoing.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has disbursed over P150 million for the food packs distributed to the local government units in Cebu.

The budget was allocated for the 22 affected municipalities or cities in Cebu namely, Bantayan, Bogo City, Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Cebu City, Compostela, Daanbantayan, Danao City, Madridejos, Medellin, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, San Remegio, Sogod, Sta. Fe, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Talisay City, Tuburan, and Tudela.

Relief packs were given in three tranches.

At least 10, 908 beneficiaries have also benefited the sustainable livelihood program. DSWD has disbursed P47, 808, 090 for the cash for work. However, some of the amount has yet to be released as soon as the cash advance will be available.

Another P542, 010 has been allocated for the “Pedicab (trisikad) for livelihood program”.

Regional Disaster Focal Person Artemia Degamo said that funds for the pedicab livelihood program came from cash donations, which was downloaded from the DSWD central office to the field office. Degamo said that at least 58 pedicabs will be turned over to the beneficiaries once it is done and ready for distribution.

The agency has hired victims to do the cash-for-work program, which included the repair or construction of houses amounting to P317.3 million.

Meanwhile, the DSWD is yet to distribute the P2.3 billion for the emergency shelter assistance.

Degamo said that only six local government units in northern Cebu have received the initial disbursement because they were the only ones that submitted the needed documents. About P98 million was given to Madridejos, Sta. Fe, Tabuelan, Sogod, Tuburan, and Bogo City.

Also, at least 46, 557 families have yet to receive their P30,000 emergency shelter assistance. These families are from Bantayan, Borbon, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, San Remegio, Tabogon, and Tudela.

Degamo said that they are aiming to give out the funds before the year ends.

“Pressure kay hapit na one year pero wala pa ta kahatag sa whole amount gyod,” she said, adding that DSWD central office and the Department of Budget and Management already know the cause of the delay. – with Jean Demecillo and Michael Braga/QSB

Media helping media

By Jessa J. Agua

Rehabilitation efforts in a calamity-stricken area primarily involve housing and infrastructure among others.

Businesses and other establishments are usually on their own as they struggle to revive operations after super typhoon Yolanda.

In Tacloban City, one of the hardest-hit areas in Eastern Visayas, a group of concerned journalists focused on media rehabilitation while also targeting community empowerment.

The involvement of Peace and Conflict Journalism Network Philippines, Incorporated (PECOJON) evolved from providing relief assistance for affected media practitioners to putting up an emergency radio station.

Assessment on the situation, especially the plight of journalists in Eastern Visayas, was done one week after the typhoon hit. By the end of November, financial assistance and basic needs were extended to the survivors.

The move to go beyond momentary aid gradually materialized.

PECOJON was able to gather used and new equipment that could be used by Waray journos in continuing their profession of gathering news and feeding them to news organizations outside their city as livelihood while also making known to the world how their community is coping.

Radyo Abante was created. The emergency community radio station was set up January this year.

Broadcasting on a 40-kilometer radius from 5am to 9pm, the station was heard from its studio in Tacloban City to nearby Dulag, Alang-Alang, Dagami, Palo, Jaro and as far as Carigara in Leyte and Giparlos in Samar.

Radyo Abante's first phase ran until May with German funding group Miserior. The second phase, also referred to as transition phase, is from June until this month now being funded by both Miserior and World Vision.

This time, the radio broadcast expanded to print media and film.

Currently known as Radyo Abante Multimedia (RAMM) network, it has since produced and aired over 50 public service plugs and at least 17 documentaries.

The newspaper that RAMM supports gets printed bi-monthly while the documentaries are produced once a week.

Listeners get to send in, via text message, their queries and concerns especially pertaining to aid and basic services in their locality.

"The primary goal of our project is to empower the community to demand for their rights. We can achieve this through Radyo Abante, by providing the right information they need. The beneficiaries of aid from both government and private institutions should not be taken as it is. We want them to know that they have the right to demand especially from the government. Helping the local journalists along the way is the secondary target," project officer Joy Cherry Quito explained.

Quito used to be a Cebu-based newspaper journalist but decided to focus on the project in Eastern Visayas as she traces her maternal roots in the region while also being an alumna of University of the Philippines in Tacloban City.

The program has benefitted more than 50 journalists in Tacloban and Eastern Visayas.

Radio technician Wilson Catalan is one of the beneficiaries of the RAMM.

He was inside his former mother radio station, Radyo Diwa, when super typhoon Yolanda struck.

"I was with my two children then and four months pregnant wife. I brought them all at the station because I was on duty and we thought it would be safer there than in our home. We thought we were all gonna die but thank God we all survived. There were around 17 of us at the station because the families of my other colleagues were also there," Catalan shared.

They had to walk around the city in search for food and possible temporary shelter hopping from houses of friends and relatives.

"Around last week of November, I was informed about a workshop by PECOJON. We did not know that a station will be put up. We were just told that there is this NGO which will help media practitioners who were affected by Yolanda. So we attended the training. Then we were told that we will compose the new station," he added.

The time was just right for Catalan as he was already worried about how to feed his family.

"I really thank God for this opportunity. Because after Yolanda, I already gave up being in media since I said to myself it is impossible for my station to return on air considering the damage it sustained. But Radyo Abante happened," he said.

The case of freelance broadcaster Allan Amistoso is considered by PECOJON as one success story.

Amistoso used to be a broadcaster affiliated with politicians and is now signifying intentions of not returning to this practice while hoping to be able to sustain contributing to legitimate media organizations.

"Before Yolanda happened, I already thought of changing and cleaning my image. In fact, I was already starting with my new broadcast career path. The eve of the typhoon, November 7 was my first day at Radyo Diwa and it turned out to be my last as well. With PECOJON, I was able to fulfill this goal which I thought would never happen when the typhoon struck," Amistoso said.

Unfortunately, the RAMM project is set to end November 30. Quito however stressed they are trying to extend the project to help more. -/QSB (THE FREEMAN)