Philippine Flood Relief Fund

Since 2011, donors like you have continued to support communities as they recover and prepare for torrential floods that plague the region through the GlobalGiving Philippine Flood Relief Fund. Our partners are making sure students are back in school, clinics are rebuilt, and communities are stronger than before in the face of future storms. Two of partners in particular, De La Salle University and International Disaster Volunteers(IDV), continue to provide relief, support, and training for those affected by these recurring disasters.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone areas in the world, with nearly two dozen tropical storms and typhoons hitting their shores every year. With this in mind, De La Salle University has been working with local communities to review their Disaster Risk Reduction and Management plans, which they’ve worked to make user-friendly for more effective response to future disasters.

International Disaster Volunteers has made huge strides in their work towards constructing a Livelihood and Evacuation Center just outside Manila. IDV Chief Executive, Andy Chagger, details the success they’ve had. He says, “We’re delighted to report that the final side of the building has now also been rendered as well. This rendering is important to protect the building’s walls from the torrential downpours which batter the building during the annual rainy season. And completion of this work marks yet another milestone which has only been possible to reach thanks to you!”

Your donations have gone to improving the floor for their boat workshop. “We recently also laid a smooth “screed-coat” of concrete throughout the entire building. And, we used your generous donations to this project to include the boat workshop in the process. As a result the boat production process is now much safer, and also more efficient as the workshop is now much easier to clean.”

GlobalGiving and our partners cannot thank you enough for your donations. Your support has had a direct impact on the lives of so many people in the Philippines. Thank you so much for your continued support of the GlobalGiving Philippine Flood Relief Fund!

For several years, regions across the Philippines have been susceptible to extreme and long-term rainfall. The country has experienced incessant typhoons that have led to severe flooding across the country. Each year, residents are forced to brace for damaging monsoons that alter their livelihood for years to come. The impact of flooding has ruined crop production, destroyed homes, and displaced over a million people.

Since the launch of the GlobalGiving Philippines Relief fund in 2011, locally driven organizations have worked diligently to alleviate the damage of massive flooding caused by seasonal storms. Today, our GlobalGiving partners, De La Salle University and International Disaster Volunteers continue to support local communities by providing disaster relief equipment, restoring and improving infrastructure, and facilitating emergency response and preparation training.

De La Salle University has maintained ongoing partnerships with various institutions that are collectively striving to rebuild areas in the Philippines. Their project, Philippines Recovery Efforts Led by Local Experts, is making massive strides in recruiting volunteers through the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP) and teaching participants the importance of emergency preparedness skills. To further these advancements, De La Salle University’s Center  for  Social Concern and Action (COSCA) partnered with seven barangays (a native Filipino term for a village or neighborhood), stakeholders, government agencies, and private institutions in Leveriza, District V, Manila to participate in the rehabilitation of nearby esteros, commonly known as waterways. With the restoration of esteros, they will provide flood protection, continuous water flow, and reduce the number of water pollutants.

In spite of the setbacks mentioned in our last report, International Disaster Volunteers (IDV), remains dedicated to their work on the Banaba Livelihood and Evacuation Center. In the last few months, IDV has been able to hire a local tradesman and purchase sand and cement, to continue building two sides of the evacuation center that were left unfinished and vulnerable to torrential rainstorms. In addition, they were able to install a new, high-quality pump to provide water for the center. IDV doesn’t plan on stopping once the building is complete. The project funds from Help Filipino Communities Prepare for Disaster will also assist in buying beds and other resources for evacuees.

Your donations are making a huge impact on the work IDV and DLSU is doing in the Philippines. We are boundlessly thankful for your support and urge you to continue supporting the GlobalGiving Philippines Relief fund as these organizations strive to provide long-term solutions to Filipino communities.

It’s been 8 months since the devastating floods that hit the Philippines in October 2015, and the community’s efforts to rebuild and move forward continue on. Typhoon Koppu, known locally as Typhoon Lando, left millions without electricity and forced nearly half a million people out of their homes. 1.08 meters of water drenched the region in only twenty four hours. But, the Filipino people are no strangers to floods.

The 2015 floods were not an isolated event, but rather an ongoing disaster the region constantly faces. Two of GlobalGiving’s partners, De La Salle University and International Disaster Volunteers(IDV), remain committed to providing relief and support for the local communities affected by flooding.

Since our last report, De La Salle University has joined with other local universities and schools from the ASEAN region to educate themselves on how to prevent future disasters. DLSU, with their partners, leads discussions on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management education and activities. These discussions focus on local and remote examples to help participants fully understand their project. Their project, Philippines Recovery Efforts Led by Local Experts, is almost to their funding goal, having already reached the 80% mark for their goal.

International Disaster Volunteers has also made a lot of progress in their efforts in the last few months. Their project, Help Filipino Communities Prepare for Disaster, had a setback in February when their funds ran out to complete the Banaba Livelihood and Evacuation Center outside Manila. But in April, IDV was fortunate to receive enough donations to complete the construction! As they report, “the evacuation center is now fully watertight at last! This is an amazing milestone for everyone involved, and one that we’re particularly delighted with.”

Even though IDV’s Evacuation Center may be watertight, and De La Salle University is making strides in preparing for future disasters, there is still work to be done. Typhoon Koppu is just one event in the ongoing problem in the Philippines. They can’t minimize the damage to the community or increase the responsiveness of their emergency services without your help! To give again to organizations like these, please check out GlobalGiving’s Philippine Flood Relief Fund.

In October 2015, the Philippines faced massive flooding, crop destruction, and displacement caused by the landfall of Typhoon Koppu, known locally as Typhoon Lando. In the week that Typhoon Koppu persisted, over 43 inches of rain fell and the Philippines witnessed 48 deaths. Those families dependent on farming returned to their homes to find entire fields flattened, and this was not the first typhoon of the year.

Since 2011, GlobalGiving’s Philippine Flood Relief Fund has provided support to those organizations impacted by the ongoing flooding caused by seasonal weather and storms. Today, De La Salle University and International Disaster Volunteers continue to support local communities by rebuilding infrastructure, providing relief items, and facilitating emergency responsiveness training. In the years since the Philippine Flood Relief Fund launched, these projects have worked to provide relief for a region that faces flooding each year.

De La Salle University jumped into action when Typhoon Koppu struck the Philippines by collecting donations and supplies for those displaced as a result of flooding. In preparation for future events like the 2015 typhoon, De La Salle University leads ongoing Disaster Risk Reduction and Management activities to better prepare for emergencies. Their project,  Philippines Recovery Efforts Led by Local Experts,  is specifically designed to accommodate the community’s needs and existing infrastructure as well as help community members to both prepare for and respond to disasters.

Since our last report, International Disaster Volunteers (IDV) has continued its efforts to complete construction on the Banaba Livelihood and Evacuation Center through their project, Help Filipino Communities Prepare for Disaster. The center will include a brick facade with a living skin of plants to protect from the rains, provide insulation, and contribute to environmental health. IDV still needs your help to be able to provide all of the windows and bricks for the building before the plants can be installed on the walls.

Typhoon Koppu proved that flooding is an ongoing problem in the Philippines. IDV and De La Salle University are putting their best foot forward in minimizing disasters and increasing responsiveness, but they can’t do it without your help. To give again to organizations like these, please had to GlobalGiving’s Philippine Flood Relief Fund.

Links:

• GlobalGiving's Philippine Flood Relief Fund

As the world's most disaster-affected country, the Philippines has been consistently subjected to calamity. Thanks to generous donors like you, our partner organizations have been able to alleviate the suffering of local communities by providing on the ground support.  Here is a glance at all of the great activities happening in the Philippines. International Disaster Volunteers (IDV) is committed to investing in communities before disaster strikes. They hope that by helping communities prepare, they will lessen the impact of these disasters and guarantee that communities can recover as quickly as possible, without total dependence on outside aid.

Recently, they have teamed up with their partner Buklod Tao to improve the Banaba Livelihood and Evacuation Center which is located just outside of Manila.  The center is intended to provide shelter for sixty evacuated families during typhoons. Thanks to donor support, IDV and Buklod Tao have been able to make substantial progress beginning renovations. The second floor of the center is watertight and secure while both the second and third floor are now equipped with functioning bathrooms.  Additionally, cooking facilities that are being used to provide more hot meals to evacuees and a rainwater harvesting system and pump have also been installed. This harvesting system can store over 650 gallons of sterilized water. All of  these efforts have doubled the amount of usable space in the center.  And, the center is home to a community development project that's focus is on  vegetable gardening for families. Not only does this provide better nutrition but also ensures food security. IDV has supported this initiative through the construction of a greenhouse at the center for seedlings.

As you can see, your donations have a direct impact on countless Filipinos. GlobalGiving and IDV are infinitely appreciative of your generosity and urge you to continue working with us in the quest to support the Philippines in a time of need. Thank you!

* All photos courtesy of IDV