Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Efforts

De La Salle University in partnership with De La Salle Philippines (and the rest of the Lasalle schools in Luzon) has sent approximately 12k family relief packs to Guiuan (Samar), Coron (Palawan) and Leyte. Recipient includes diocese and local parishes. In addition, DLSU was able to send the following items last Dec 2013: Blessed Sacrament Parish (129 sacks and 27 boxes of old clothes, relief packs and drinking water); St Catherine Alexandria Church (321 sacks and 29 boxes of old clothes, 245 assorted bottles of drinking water and 67 boxes of 500ml drinking water); San Jose Antique Social Action Center (63 sacks, 64 boxes and 3 large plastic bags of old clothes). Items were sent via free freight courtesy of LBC Foundation.

COSCA has partnered with the AES Philippines Power Foundation, a power company in the implementation of the Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support Project for Yolanda survivors. The project   assisted the psycho- social needs of 202 residents of SOS Village (Tacloban City and Barangay Tigbao). The psychosocial /stress debriefing activity dubbed “Kumustahan – Estoryahay” held last December 17 to 19, 2013 was implemented through the participation of eleven (11) guidance counsellors, social workers and community development workers from COSCA and the Office of Counselling and Career Services (OCCS), DLSU - Dasmarinas and DLSU Science and Technology Campus. The stress debriefing activity also served as venue for identifying potential   participants to the Training of Trainers which will be implemented to capacitate the village and the community in implementing future psychosocial interventions in the area and in identifying children or individuals needing   secondary psychosocial interventions.

De La Salle Philippines –Lasallian Justice and Peace Commission met last Feb 3 to discuss the One Lasalle rehabiliatation plans for Yolanda stricken provinces and the following are the highlights:

1. focused support in Leyte (we came out with a criteria for selection);
2. our short term engagement in Leyte include: rebuilding of classrooms in selected school(s); rehab of partially damaged schools; provision of school supplies and setting up of libraries;
3. our long term activities include: provision of livelihood, health related interventions and capacity building on disaster risk reduction and management;
4. based on a document provided by DEPED, schools from the municipalities of Dulag and Tanauan were hardest hit;
5. the group listed the following schools as possible beneficiaries of our rehab plan: Dulag Cental School; San Miguel ES; Camire ES; and Guindagan ES (DLSP will contact DEPED to inquire if other groups have identified the mentioned schools for the same support and if this is the case then we will have to look for other propects)
6. we are using a (per classroom) costing document from DEPED;
7. it was also agreed that the long term interventions will be done in the brgy where the target schools are located;
8. reps from the social action office of DLSU, DLSU STC, LSGH and DLSD will do a community profiling activity on Feb 26 to 28; and
9. the (2 yr) one lasalle rehab plan for selected schools and communities in Leyte will be discussed and finalized on Mar 11 at DLSU STC.