CARE Philippines: Emergency Relief Philippines | NGO Philippines

The Department of Health (DOH) and CARE Philippines recently held a round table discussion to study if the HEAL Hub app can become an official learning platform for Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) across the country.

The meeting brought together key representatives from DOH offices, including the Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS), the Bureau of Local Health Systems Development (BLHSD), the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) Cancer Division, and CHD CALABARZON, and the PhilHealth.

The discussion focused on the viability of the DOH adapting the app to provide standardized training on critical health issues, including new modules on cancer awareness. Unlike traditional information systems, the HEAL Hub is a digital learning tool that allows BHWs to watch educational videos and complete lessons at their own pace, even in areas with limited internet.

Key highlights from the discussion:

• Scaling through Partnership: CARE Philippines shared plans to transfer the HEAL Hub to the DOH through a deed of donation. This ensures the government can manage and update the app to reach more health workers.
• Support for Frontline Workers: Representatives from the participating bureaus explored how the app’s animated lessons and offline features make learning more engaging and accessible for BHWs.
• National Alignment: The group discussed how to align the app’s content with the BHW Reference Manual and national health goals, ensuring every community receives accurate and consistent health advice.

By exploring this digital partnership, the DOH and CARE Philippines aim to provide community health workers with the best tools to further enhance their capacity. These tools will help BHWs increase their confidence and knowledge, allowing them to provide quality health care and accurate health information to the wider community.

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Scaling through Partnership: CARE Philippines shared plans to transfer the HEAL Hub to the DOH through a deed of donation. This ensures the government can manage and update the app to reach more health workers.

Support for Frontline Workers: Representatives from the participating bureaus explored how the app’s animated lessons and offline features make learning more engaging and accessible for BHWs.

For Ronie and Zeny, the sound of water was the sound of home. For ten years, their house in the village of Dilam stood meters from the shore, and the rhythm of the waves was a constant presence. However, after Super Typhoon Nando swept their life away, the sound of rain became a source of nightly dread.

Their home was gone, replaced by a ruin of wood and debris. Refusing to surrender, they salvaged what they could to build a shelter for their two sons. They gathered scraps of wood and assembled a frame and walls. But they faced a challenge: the cogon grass used for roofing had been destroyed by the typhoon. Their new roof was only half-complete, a shield that could not protect them.

The nightly vigil began. When the frequent rains fell, the family would huddle in the one dry corner of the shelter. They would sit in the damp darkness and wait for the downpour to stop so they could sleep again.

Relief arrived in the form of the Emergency CARE Package (ECP). The 22-kilogram package contained 39 essential items, but for the couple, one stood out: a wide, fire-retardant tarpaulin sheet. It was the answer to their problem.

They worked to stretch the sheet over the gap in their roof and secure it against the wind. That night, as rain began to fall, the sound was different. It was the patter on a secure roof. For the first time since the typhoon, the family did not have to move. They remained on their mats, warm and dry. Their nightly vigil against the rain was over.

“We were worried that if our roof was not completed, our children would get sick, especially, our eldest who is already ill”, Ronie shared.

With their fear conquered, they could look to the future. The tarpaulin provided a crucial, temporary fix; using cash assistance from the government, they now plan to buy galvanized iron (GI) sheets to build a more permanent roof. The vigil had ended, allowing them to shift their focus from surviving the night to rebuilding their days.

The ECP also provided a solar lamp, a cooking stove, and hygiene items. Zeny knew the lamp was vital. “It means our children can still sit down and study their lessons at night,” she said. The vigil had ended, allowing the family to move from surviving the night to rebuilding their days.

Ronie and Zeny’s family was one of 250 households to receive this support. CARE provided the Emergency CARE Packages to Dilam, one of the most affected communities on the island. These items help families reinforce their living spaces and meet their immediate needs, restoring a sense of safety and dignity.

CARE’s work in the wider municipality of Calayan demonstrates a commitment to stand with the hardest-to-reach communities as they begin to rebuild. As we scale up our emergency response to assist multiple communities in crisis, Emergency CARE Packages were also provided to another 250 families in last-mile communities in Cebu affected by the recent 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal — On the afternoon of July 21, Maribel Bernardo stood at the doorway of her home, watching as the river crept up the street. The rain had been falling for days, but by 2 p.m., the floodwaters had reached her knees. That was when she knew it was time to leave.

“There was no warning from the barangay,” said Maribel, 49, a mother of six. “We just looked outside and realized we didn’t have any more time.”

She and her children left on foot, barefoot and soaked, carrying what little they could. Her husband stayed behind to try and protect their home, as many men in the community did.

After being turned away from one shelter, Maribel’s family found space at San Jose Elementary School, where hundreds of other displaced families had gathered. Every classroom was full, and her family ended up in a room with six others, laying out thin mats on the floor of their cramped new living space.

Among those sharing the room is Claudine Miranda, 30, Maribel’s neighbor and close friend. She also fled with her three children as the water rose around their home. Her husband, a construction worker, has been out of a job since the typhoon shut down work sites.

Conditions at the evacuation center have become increasingly difficult. With so many families in one room, there is little space to move, much less find privacy or rest. The lack of security is a constant worry.

“There are men we don’t know walking around the hallways,” Maribel said. “Our daughters are afraid, and honestly, so are we.”

This fear is a common reality in emergencies. In crises, women and girls face greater risks to their safety. Overcrowded evacuation centers that lack privacy, functioning locks, or separate, well-lit toilets can heighten their exposure to harassment and violence against women and girls. Addressing these protection needs is not an option, but a critical part of any effective humanitarian response.

The support that came was also inconsistent. Initial relief included porridge and a small pack with two kilos of rice, a few cans of sardines, and instant noodles. Since that first day, however, assistance has been unreliable.

Maribel cooks sardines inside their room at the evacuation center.

“Rice is what we need most,” said Claudine. “Even when we have nothing else, we can make rice last.”

But relying on uncooked rations is not enough. The lack of cooking space and a shortage of fresh food creates an immediate need for warm, complete meals to prevent malnutrition, especially for children and the elderly. To fill this gap and provide for her own family, Maribel started selling boiled bananas, fishballs, and coffee around the evacuation center.

Their husbands, both without income, try to make repairs to their damaged homes with salvaged materials. Still, returning feels like a risk neither family can afford, not with the river just steps away and the rainy season far from over.

“If we had a small push, even a little support to restart our work, a small grant or some tools, we wouldn’t be sitting here waiting for assistance,” said Claudine, highlighting the desire to rebuild.

Maribel nodded in agreement. “We’re not asking for much,” she said. “We just want to go home, feed our children, and know they’re safe.”

For families like theirs, the disaster did not end when the rain stopped. Recovery remains out of reach, and as the days in the evacuation center stretch on, so does their uncertainty.

To better understand the situation in the community and guide a more effective response, CARE Philippines and the ACCESS Consortium are assessing the damage and speaking with affected families in Rodriguez, Rizal, to identify their most urgent needs after the flooding brought by Severe Tropical Storm Wipha and the southwest monsoon.