CARE Philippines: Emergency Relief Philippines | NGO Philippines

Madilyn and Leopoldo show a mixture of Filipino delicacies, muffins and waffles that they sell in Libjo, Dinagat Islands. | M. Norbe

Smoke rose from one of the houses and filled the air with a familiar delicious scent in the village of Plaridel, Libjo, Dinagat Islands. From the kitchen, Madilyn, 32, dipped into hot oil with brown sugar caramel the last batch of turon, a Filipino delicacy made of banana rolled in spring roll wrapper. She was rushing to cook before noon and bring her sweet delicacies to the local pier. It was December, and the port was bustling with activities because of the Christmas season. She, her husband Leopoldo, and their two children took this opportunity to sell Filipino sweet delicacies like turon, caramelized banana and cassava chips, steamed cassava cake, and rice cakes to several passengers and boat crew coming and going.

The trips are usually more than an hour long. These delicacies serve as snacks during the trip or as pasalubong, a homecoming gift brought by travelers to where they are going. Few people know how and have the patience to cook these native treats that Filipinos love to eat. Hence, Madilyn and Leopoldo turned their cooking into a business in the past twelve years.

“It’s a tedious process that takes long hours to be finished, but it also sells quickly,” said Madilyn.

Madilyn cooks turon in their kitchen to be sold at the pier. | M. Norbe

That was why they were relieved that they had resumed their business after their crops were damaged and all their cooking equipment was washed out by Typhoon Odette (Rai) in December 2021.

Leopoldo shared that they were still recovering from the losses that the COVID-19 pandemic caused when the port resumed its operations in May of that year. When the typhoon came, the cassava and bananas they were growing were felled by the strong winds. The flood washed out their cooking pans and steamer. Their kitchen was in complete shambles. Their house’s roof was torn off, and the walls were damaged. The couple shared that they didn’t know how they would start their lives after losing almost everything. On the first few days, they didn’t have anything to eat because the rice they had was soaked wet.

“But we couldn’t give up because we had children to feed, so we scoured for whatever food we could get,” said Madilyn.

Upon seeing that some cassava root crops from their neighbors’ farms survived, the couple’s entrepreneurial instincts kicked in. They asked their neighbors if they could harvest the remaining cassava and pay them only after they sold whatever product they could turn it into. Most farmers would only sell these to traders and didn’t know how to process these into edible products. Madilyn and Leopoldo boiled these and sold them until they earned enough to buy cooking pans and a fabricated steamer for cassava cake. Leopoldo would also gather firewood which saved them money from buying their usual charcoal.

They longed to plant their crops to decrease their expenses in buying from others. However, it would take a huge amount of money to prepare the soil for cropping. Then came the livelihood recovery project facilitated by CARE and ACCORD to their village. They were one of the families selected as participants in this livelihood recovery assistance from the USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs. They immediately decided to use the money to finance their cassava cropping.  

It would take four months before the cassava could be boiled and eaten as an alternative to rice and a year to mature to be processed into cassava cake. While waiting for this, Madilyn and Leopoldo continue their business with the help of their children, who peddle their goods in places with a lot of foot traffic in their free time. They earn at least 200 pesos (4 USD) and at most 500 pesos (9 USD) daily, but they hope to increase their sales when schools start in January. With their sales, they have slowly repaired their house and bought additional cooking equipment like a waffle maker for business.

“It’s not always easy because most of us here are still trying to recover from the effects of the typhoon even after a year. In time, we will all be able to return to our livelihood fully”, added Madilyn.

This story is part of the “Emergency Assistance to Support Local Recovery Capacity of Families and Communities Affected by Typhoon Odette”, an emergency response project funded by the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and jointly implemented by Action Against Hunger Philippines and CARE Philippines and its partner, ACCORD Incorporated.

Larry rests at the fishing dock after hours of fishing in Libjo, Dinagat Islands, Philippines.

It was near noon when Larry, 51, came back from five hours of fishing. He called on to his fellow fishermen resting at the fishing dock to help him haul his boat up. Larry was born with dwarfism. His short legs and arms made it difficult to carry his boat up when the water was too low for him to dock safely. Despite this, he shared that his life has always been fishing for the past 15 years in his small village of Osmena in Libjo, Dinagat Islands. This was why he couldn’t imagine how it would have been for him and his daughter had he not gone back to fishing after super typhoon Odette (Rai) severely damaged his boat’s hull.

He had been the sole provider for him and his daughter, Ladimar, who was also born with dwarfism. He yearned to go back to sea and fish, but it would take a huge amount of money to fix his boat. He shared that he used to catch an average of 5 kilos of fish, most of which he used to sell to fish vendors. He could provide food on the table and allowance for his daughter’s schooling. But the typhoon left him without means to earn. They relied on relief goods and monetary assistance from the government for months.

“I felt insecure because we didn’t know how long until the assistance stopped,” Larry shared.

CARE Philippines and ACCORD coordinated with the local government unit of Libjo to provide necessary assistance to the most affected households in their municipality. Larry was among those who could resume their disrupted livelihood with financial assistance from the USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). 

Larry paddles his new boat to fish which he bought using the financial assistance from USAID’s BHA. | Photo: J. Poliquit/CARE

He immediately bought a slightly bigger boat worth 10,000 pesos (180 USD) and used the remaining 5,000 (90 USD) to fix and repaint his damaged boat. He uses the bigger boat for fishing and the smaller one only for errands until it is completely sound for fishing. After months of being unable to go to sea, Larry is now back to fishing.

Fishing is seasonal, and Larry shared that typhoon Odette (Rai) taught him a valuable lesson. When it happened, he was left without anything to take care of his family’s needs. These days, he strives to save part of his income in preparation for emergencies.

He shared that he felt nervous when December arrived this year. It brought back the trauma of the devastation that happened a year ago. “But I know what to do now to secure my house, boat, and fishing gear. I also have money saved to ensure that we can survive for days”, he shared.

But Larry and his fellow fisherfolks in Libjo continue to worry about their municipality’s fishing state. The changing climate has dramatically affected their source of livelihood. They had been experiencing lesser and lesser catches because of the unpredictable weather. Fisherfolks must venture far from shore to catch enough for the day.

Photo: Motorized fishing boats docked at a village port in Libjo, Dinagat | M. Norbe

In addition, they heard that the local government is planning to make an ordinance prohibiting fisherfolks from fishing within 50 kilometers of the municipal waters. With only a boat and paddle, Larry will not be able to go fishing that far.

Hence, he is saving little by little for a motorboat which would cost 50,000 pesos (895 USD). It would take time, he shared, but he could not give up on his livelihood until his daughter graduates and hopefully lands a job with sufficient income.

“I will continue to strive harder because it’s the only way I could give my daughter a good life.”

This story is part of the “Emergency Assistance to Support Local Recovery Capacity of Families and Communities Affected by Typhoon Odette”, an emergency response project funded by the US Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID-BHA) and jointly implemented by Action Against Hunger Philippines and CARE Philippines and its local partner, ACCORD Incorporated.

by Shirin Bandari

Photo: Teacher Evangeline Montemayor is a volunteer teacher for slow learners and readers in Tibgao. The school has been provided with a kit, such as paper, printers, and laptops. While teachers like Evangeline were given training and reading materials such as story books and flashcards so that all students in the village can have access to education. 

In the remote village of  Tigbao, Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands, families have been dealing with the direct effects of the pandemic and the super typhoon that hit last December 2021. Children suffered the most- homes, livelihoods, and public infrastructures like schools were severely damaged after the storm. 

The pandemic made it challenging for children to learn their modules without the personal presence of their teachers. When Typhoon Odette destroyed the solitary school in Tigbao, children like Kesha Ferol, 7 already struggled to read. But through the educational materials, school kits,  and training for teachers and learning aids provided by the European Union Humanitarian Aid, CARE, and ACCORD — Kesha and her classmates have learned to read, write and count, making way for a better chance in life. 

Erlyn Ferol teaches her daughter Kesha, 7,  to read in their quaint home in Tibgao, Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands. The ongoing pandemic and last year’s Typhoon Odette have directly impacted education in their region.

Kesha is a slow reader; however, various reading materials have helped her to read better. When at home, Kesha tries to sound out each syllable and then words, using the photos as a guide to proper mouth position.

A Marungko Flip Chart was used during a study session in the CFS. The reading method uses the modern Filipino alphabet and introduces letters based on their sound — making it easier for learners to recognize and remember them.

 “It is important for me to help children learn how to read. I have encouraged Kesha so that she can achieve her goals and ambition in life,” teacher Evangeline says.

“I go to school to learn to read and write,” Kesha says.  

“After one week of attending classes under the new program, Kesha learned to read. When I ask her to read at home, she can already read properly,” says her mother, Erlyn.

The school materials used by the Ferol family and the children of Tibgao were provided by the European Union Humanitarian Aid and ACCORD after Typhoon Odette hit Dinagat shores last December 2021. A student kit consists of art paper, a drawing book, a music writing book, crayons, an eraser, a writing notebook, a composition notebook, a plastic envelope, a pencil, a ruler, and scissors.

The Immediate and Comprehensive Response for Communities Affected by Typhoon Rai (Odette) is funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid and jointly implemented by CARE Philippines, ACCORD Incorporated, Action Against Hunger Philippines, National Rural Women Coalition (PKKK), and Plan International in Dinagat Islands, Palawan, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Negros Occidental, and Cebu, in the Philippines.

How a change in circumstances forced fire survivors to rebuild their lives and build a supportive community in the process

The bustle of the transactions made at the Pagbangon Sari-sari (Rising Retail Shop) break the usual tranquil atmosphere at the Pamalihi transitory shelter site in Barangay Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro City.  Michelle Lagudas, 29, one of the storekeepers, carefully arranged the grocery items that were delivered by their supplier while her fellow storekeeper, Aida Ayunan, 29, tended to a customer buying firewood outside. They had been doing this thoroughly since their organization, the Pagbangon Community Savings Group (CSG) established the store on November 30, 2021. Pagbangon, in the local language, means to rise again after a downfall.

The group started with only 24,000 pesos (480 euros) of capital that the 20 members pooled in from the livelihood assistance they received in 2021 from the MOVE UP project. After a series of financial literacy and business management training, the group decided to put up the business, and eventually, develop into a thriving enterprise.

“It’s a tedious task, more so these past few months when the store has grown bigger and we have more customers to attend to”, Michelle shared.

Michelle with her daughter and Aida on storekeeping duty at the Pagbangon Sari Sari Store | Photo: Mary Therese Norbe/CARE

Most of the members were not new to enterprising. They had small businesses before a huge fire razed their village at Binunuan Creek, Brgy. Carmen on June 21, 2020. Michelle and her 47-year-old mother, Jeanylyn, managed a store near the creek and a stall at the Cogon market. The store’s bookkeeper, Jessica Lugsanay, 41, had a fruit stall at the Agora market and a flourishing side hustle as a hairstylist. The CSG’s President, Paul Michael Cinco, 43, had a successful business of making and consigning rice cakes and cassava rolls to malls, school cafeterias, and markets. All these were gone in an instant when their houses, properties, and valuables were consumed by the fire.

Paul Michael recalled how he attempted to carry the machine he uses to make cassava rolls as his neighbors clamor to get to safety. When he heard the cries for help, he left the machine and hurried to destroy the locked gate that was their only exit. The gate was locked because of COVID-19 restrictions at that time and the keykeeper couldn’t find the key due to panic.

“We had to kick the gate with all our strength because we could already feel the heat of the fire around us. We had to save ourselves and our families first”, Paul Michael shared about his experience.

Forty-nine (49) households in their community lost everything to the fire and were temporarily sheltered at the covered court of Carmen National High School. Many of them found that the first few days at the evacuation shelter were unbearable. All survivors had to share the same space and privacy became a huge concern, especially for women and girls.

The European Union Humanitarian Aid-funded Moving Urban Poor Communities towards Resilience (MOVE UP) had been working with the Barangay Carmen officials in developing an alternative temporary shelter (ATS) that fits the need and context of the highly-urbanized barangay. A total of 48 ATS units have been deployed to ensure that fire survivors are safe and protected, especially women, children, and the elderly. Women find it more comfortable to live in a space where their privacy is observed, albeit temporarily, and families were kept together.  

On September 11, 2020, the school petitioned the city government for the relocation of the evacuees because of the opening of classes. The survivor families were brought to the Pamalihi transitory shelter site while their permanent relocation was being processed. They had to endure yet another difficult situation there as the site, which was still in its last phase of construction, didn’t have electricity and water supply. They relied on a spring for water (even if it is untested for safety) and lighting from candles. The site was about 30 minutes away from the city center, and the cost of travel caused additional burden for they had no source of income.

Through the project, 20 survivor families grouped together as the Pagbangon CSG, a year after their relocation, on September 11, 2022. True to its meaning, Pagbangon, the group is determined to rise from their situation and become more resilient using their shared knowledge, skills, and experience. 

The Pagbangon Community Savings Group officers with their savings passbook and community savings box. | Photo: Mary Therese Norbe/CARE

Their social fund had already assisted four people when they needed money for hospitalization. Their store has grown so fast that it is estimated to bring in net sales of 80,000 pesos (1,600 euros) by the end of 2022. They were also able to donate for their community’s annual gathering from their store’s profit. They have saved a total of 50,000 pesos (849 euros) and opened a bank account where their profit amounting to 60,000 pesos (1,017 euros) was deposited. The officers didn’t have any experience in opening a bank account, so the CSWD social workers helped them in securing necessary documents to file and also assured the bank of the organization’s legitimacy.  

The CSWD’s support has been instrumental in the ongoing recovery of the CSG members. The department has dedicated a staff to monitor and support the existing 14 CSGs organized through MOVE UP. This provides legitimacy to CSGs as they were registered as local civil society organizations supported by the City. Aside from resilient livelihood capacity development, parent effectiveness and other protection-oriented training were also provided to the CSGs. MOVE UP is also providing a camp coordination and camp management training for CSWD staff integrating ATS strategies to better ensure inclusion, protection, and anti-gender-based violence practices in their evacuation plans. 

Farhana Acmad, 26, is one of the CSWD social workers whose focus is on organizing, developing and sustaining the 14 established CSGs in the city. She shared that it was a learning and motivating experience for her and colleagues to be more effective in their work. 

“We had to change our perspective of support because the CSG model is not a charity. It is an empowering model where communities are taking charge and are mutually supporting each other in their recovery and development”, she shared. 

This was true to how the Pagbangon CSG’s business has grown successfully because of the conscious efforts of its members to be a model of change in their community. Their business paved the way for them to support their members in times of emergencies. It also brought income not only to their group but also to neighboring indigenous communities who supply their store with firewood, bananas, coconuts, and vegetables. The same communities buy from their store some items that they need. Through this, they were able to make food and other necessities accessible to their community and to others. 

The impact of the CSG model has also been felt at the household level, especially during times of need. Janice Cantiveros, 31, was about to give birth but their temporary housing unit didn’t have electricity. She requested a loan of 8,000 pesos (136 euros) to purchase a solar lamp, anticipating the difficulty of taking care of a newborn without lighting. It also made her feel safe and secure. Through this loan, her husband was also able to apply for a driving license and find work as a driver. They now have a source of income that has been more than helpful in raising their child. 

MOVE UP is implemented by a consortium of international NGOs including Action Against Hunger Philippines, Plan International Philippines, and CARE Philippines, and its local partners, ACCORD Incorporated and Nisa Ul Haqq Fi Bangsamoro. MOVE UP is funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid (EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid).