Help Filipino Communities Prepare for Disaster

Thanks to your continued generosity the Banaba Livelihood & Evacuation Centre is a hive of community activity at the moment.

Firstly, the cubicles we described in our last project report have come on leaps and bounds. Thanks to your donations another seventeen cubicles have been installed on the Centre’s top floor. These cubicles will each provide another family with privacy and dignity while sheltering in the building during disasters. Thank you so much.

Secondly, our last report also described how your generosity had enabled us to provide a solar powered water purifier for the Centre. With this system now in place it’s possible to ensure that collected rainwater can be made fully potable. So, your donations have also been used to install a rainwater harvesting system to make the building even more self-reliant during storms and floods. Thanks for making this possible too.

Next, and again with your support, we’ve also helped our local partner Buklod Tao to undertake some essential maintenance on the truck we donated back in 2017.

This truck has been a real workhorse over the years, helping to transport everything from flood rescue boats to groups of children attending Christmas parties at the Centre. Buklod Tao’s founder, Ka Noli, sent his thanks as follows:

“Thank you to the donors for helping with the much needed repair of the metal flooring of the IDV-donated multicab truck. The welder, Bro Vic, has already finished the repairs at the left side, i.e. the driver’s seat. The next job is the fixing of the holes at the right side flooring. Salamat po for your help!”

Finally, we’re also delighted to announce that we’ve now also started work on yet another flood rescue boat and trailer. When complete this boat will protect 300 families in Zone 6 of Brgy Ampid 1 from rapidly rising flood water. This boat is funded via another of our GlobalGiving projects. Stay tuned to that project page for more updates about this boat coming soon.

All these activities, which have only been possible thanks to your support, are helping prepare the local community for the next disaster that will inevitably strike. Thanks so much for your continued generosity.

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.

Thanks to your amazing support we’re making great progress to equip the Banaba Livelihood & Evacuation Centre. This means that even more Filipino families will soon be able to shelter there during storms.

In our last project report we described how we were about to start work on another twenty-four family cubicles to add to the nineteen previously provided by you.

In total this will allow forty-three families to use the building during disasters. So, since our last update we’ve also used your generous donations to buy more ceiling fans to keep everyone comfortable, and to undertake some maintenance to the existing bathrooms to make sure the building remains sanitary.

Also, while the building has an electrical supply, mains power can often be disrupted after typhoons. So, with your incredible support we’ve also provided the centre with a small solar system that can provide emergency lighting, charge phones and power a drinking water purification system.

Ka Noli, the founder of our local partner organisation, Buklod Tao, described how staff from the local university’s Innovation Centre helped to design and setup the system:

“As you know we recently undertook the scheduled purchases of materials for solar-powered water purifier.

Asst Professor of Ateneo Innovation Center assisted me in the purchases. Next Sunday, 8:00am to after lunch will be the agreed training and installation here at 3rd floor of the Evacuation Centre with Professor Paul Cabacungan and his students.

Around 98% of the materials were purchased already. All others are to be bought in downtown Manila, Saturday by Reymond who offered to purchase the remaining materials.

I gave him the funds for these purchases and he already texted me and mentioned that all the additional parts have been purchased and shall be brought to Buklod Tao before the installation and training day.

Already we have been inviting colleagues here in Buklod Tao, especially plumbers and electricians, to attend this training and installation. Thank you to IDV donors for making this capacity building possible.”

We echo Ka Noli’s thanks, for this and for all your previous support to improve and equip the Centre over the years.

We’re delighted with this recent progress but work on the cubicles themselves has been delayed slightly. Ka Noli explained:

“Your acknowledgment of our current tasks is much appreciated. Attached are pictures of two workers of Master Plumber Gerry who started repairs of toilets/bathrooms Monday mid-afternoon. The two started off with boring of holes at the interior and exterior side of male's toilet/bathroom to facilitate installation of pvc pipes for exhaust ventilation of the smell of the toilet.

For the cubicles, sorry we are hampered by delays due to non-availability of workers.

Work for installations of pipes for cubicle curtain hangers has not started yet, even purchases of metal materials. The builder, Vic has committed to work , after he has finished a job in Marikina City, to fabricate and install roof trusses for the house of his younger brother, Boying.

I agreed to give way for his younger brother's need for trusses installation. It should be done now before the rainy season. After that, Vic assured me the Centre works would be the next.”

We’re keen to see the work completed, and we’re sure you are too. So, we’ll keep you posted as our work in Banaba continues. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.