Help Filipino Communities Prepare for Disaster

It’s hard to express just how grateful we are for your support of this project over the years. 

Little by little you chipped in to help us complete the Banaba Livelihood & Evacuation Centre. Because of your generosity Banaba residents have had somewhere safe to shelter during an incredibly tough few months.

In our last report we explained how the Centre had proved vital during super typhoon Rolly. Then, just a few short days after we sent that report the Philippines was struck by another deadly typhoon. 

Typhoon Vamco, known locally as Ulysses, was the tenth typhoon of the 2020 Pacific season but the second costliest in the country’s entire history.

In Manila, Ulysses brought the worst flooding since typhoon Ketsana in 2009. For the residents of Banaba, just outside the capital, the rising flood waters quickly overwhelmed homes forcing families to evacuate.

Ka Noli, President of our amazing local partner Buklod Tao, described how some of these evacuees found safety and comfort at the Centre.

“Last November 2020, during typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, the Centre - particularly the first & second floors - served as an evacuation camp. 

The second floor was the main accommodation area for the evacuees. We had to limit the number of evacuees due to restrictions of social distancing, but we managed to accommodate nine 9 families or 29 persons. There were evacuees near the stage and all across the big open space of the second floor! 

The cubicles and curtains provided by IDV donors proved to be the best move to provide evacuees shelter and privacy. Salamat po! (Thank you!)

Before taking shelter all evacuees underwent our multi-hazard contingency protocols when entering on the first floor - thermal scanning, sanitation, wash, registration and contact tracing. The washing was done using the big wash station funded by IDV donors

There were evacuees too on the first floor, sheltering adjacent to the office. In this space was a two-month old baby girl and her family. They were accommodated here because there are more comfortable beds and beddings. Salamat Po to IDV donors for the previous assistance to purchase beddings for evacuees!

Continued washing was even more important with Covid. Happily the bathrooms and toilets at the Centre remained very functional. This was especially thanks to the provision of strong, free-flowing water from the two big tanks that collect rain water located on the third floor - again IDV donors provided these. 

Needless to say, our community kitchen volunteers cooked and served food at the dining hall. IDV donors helped to provide this food and even the big tables used were built by IDV volunteers many years ago.

Even after the evacuees had gone home the Centre was used in the recovery. In the later part of November 2020, after the onslaught of Rolly and Ulysses, the Centre was the venue for a psycho-social intervention for some forty (40) Buklod Tao members affected by Ulysses flood.

People now are still suffering. So this week we will resume the distribution of hot breakfasts to the poorer communities in Banaba. And Buklod Tao community kitchen based here at the Centre is at the helm of doing things. 

In all, Salamat po, IDV.

Salamat po, IDV Donors!.

We still need your unwavering support.”

We echo Ka Noli’s thanks. Without you the Centre would still be an unfinished shell instead of the vital safe haven it’s proven to be!

We’ll keep you posted as our work in Banaba continues, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I’d be delighted to hear from you as always.

It’s been a disastrous few days in the Philippines after the country was struck by typhoon Goni, known locally as super typhoon Rolly, in the early hours of last Sunday morning. As the category five cyclone approached hundreds of thousands were forced to evacuate, a task complicated by the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 in the country.

Happily, thanks to your incredible support, the community of Banaba just outside of Manila was well prepared for the incoming storm. Ka Noli, President of our amazing local partner Buklod Tao, described their community’s preparations:

“Rolly was due to batter Metro Manila and our province of Rizal in the wee hours of November 1, 2020. The weather bulletins and text messages we received from the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council) provided advisories for all to get prepared since they say Rolly would side sweep Metro Manila and Rizal after passing through [neighbouring] Aurora Province.

So, the Buklod Tao Board of Trustees had a meeting revisiting our preparations on Saturday morning, October 31. We checked our stockpile of food and water, and happily the solar powered 4-stage rainwater disinfection that IDV donors provided to Buklod Tao was also in working order.

Unlike before Covid-19, we were unable to purchase coffee, sugar, biscuits and medicines for distribution to our [community volunteer] teams because the pandemic quarantine restrictions still limit our movements.

We next revisited our multi-hazard contingency plan for welcoming nearby residents to our evacuation centre. Everything was in place - thermal scanner, wash area, sanitation area, foot bath, separation area (in case there would be a walk-in evacuee who has fever), signage for registration and contact Tracing and signage too for direction to the 2nd floor of the centre where the family cubicles for evacuees are located”.

With preparations made all that was left was to wait for Rolly to make landfall. Ka Noli, continued his account:

“As early as 5:10am in the morning of November 1, 2020, Buklod Tao evacuation center received walk-in evacuees from the nearby riverside. The first evacuees included one adolescent girl, one baby infant girl and three female adults. They carried bags and even a thermos bottle for the baby's milk preparations. 

Thermal scanning was done inside not outside because there was no light at the back side entrance. Sanitation also was done inside the evacuation centre because it was already raining. After registration and contact tracing, I directed the evacuees to first utilize the beds proximate to Francia's office at the ground floor because they have an infant baby girl. 

Space was limited because of distancing requirements, but in all there were sixteen evacuees inside Buklod Tao evacuation center until 7:30 am on November 2. All evacuees were provided with mats, pillows, blankets, again provided thanks to IDV donors.

I sent text messages to our members Delia, Francia, Pablo and Louis (our newly recruited driver of the IDV-donated Suzuki multicab) with instructions to come to the evacuation center to activate Buklod Tao community kitchen. 

Snack was served in the morning of November 1, then lunch in the afternoon; no snacks in the afternoon; dinner in the evening and then breakfast in the morning of November 2. 

The children were provided some reading and coloring books to make themselves busy during their stay. The mothers joined community kitchen chores. There was no problem with ventilation since all the ceiling fans were working (thanks again to IDV donors for the purchase of these ceiling fans). They provided comfort to all the evacuees. 

In the end, we did have rains but not so strong. There was no electric power interruption, despite the intermittent strong winds. We also did not run out of food and water. We managed. We survived! It all reminds me of a Buklod Tao song about our fight:

In times of affliction,

God and Preparedness 

Are our Protection".

Salamat po, IDV Donors, for helping us these past ten years!”

We echo Ka Noli’s thanks to you. While we’re saddened by the major impacts Rolly has brought to other parts of the Philippines, we’re also incredibly grateful that the community of Banaba was prepared for disaster thanks to you.

We’ll keep you posted as our work in Banaba continues, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I’d be delighted to hear from you as always.