Resilience, collective action lift Filipinos past Yolanda

MANILA, Philippines - Merle Tabornal and Gina Ciudad of Brgy. Tubogan in Ajuy, Iloilo used to walk seven kilometers just to receive free pre-natal care at the only barangay health station (BHS) in the municipality built in 2008. After the typhoon, however, their community of over 700 rice and corn farmers could only rely on the run-down station.

Now, they enjoy the benefits of improved healthcare services. The health station has a new roof, newly-painted walls, a sturdier ceiling, and a complete set of windows, gutters, and doors. Through the efforts of Asalus Corp. and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), barangay health workers received training and the community is now working together to upgrade the station into a birthing facility.

Panalaron Central Elementary School (PCES) was among the severely damaged schools in Tacloban City, Leyte. Fortunately, Mondelez Philippines, together with PBSP, stepped in and chose PCES as its sixth adopted school, improving the nutrition and academic performance of the students through the rehabilitation of 18 classrooms, playground and canteen, regular feeding sessions of 150 severely wasted students for one year, the construction of library and reading corners, the provision of school equipment such as overhead projectors, DVD players and speakers.  

The result was improved health and better overall development for the students. PCES is fast transforming into an ideal school for the Taclobanons.

In Bantayan Island, 6,000 families comprising 14 barangays relied on 200 remote dug wells for their water usage. When the typhoon hit the island and made distribution from deep wells even scarcer, they had to go back to man-made dug wells despite threats of acquiring water-borne diseases.

But their plight improved when Mercury Drug Foundation, in partnership with PBSP, installed potable water systems to 772 households. The project provided materials and labor needed by the barangays to connect the Madridejos Community Waterworks System’s main lines to three interior and waterless barangays. This provided residents access to water at a monthly fee of P100 for 10 cubic meters of usage.

For farmer Romulo dela Peza, his family had been depending on coconut plantations in Brgy. Inangatan, Leyte for their livelihood. But when the farm where he worked was destroyed by Yolanda, he was left out of work and without a house. Out of 10,000 coconut trees on the plantation where he worked, 7,000 were damaged by the typhoon.

It all seemed hopeless until Cargill Philippines and PBSP extended a helping hand to recover and rehabilitate the damaged coconut plantations.

Through intercropping, participation in a cash-for-work program, and his work as the lead in the rehabilitation of the coconut plantation, Dela Peza does not only have a new house, he also earns as much as P8,000 a month. He is just among 204 other household farmers who greatly benefited from the project.

After Yolanda struck, PBSP raised an initial P18.3 million from its network of corporations, individual sponsors and international funding groups for relief missions. It distributed relief goods, hygiene kits, comfort bundles, kitchen utensils, and shelter repair materials to more than 20,000 households in 14 municipalities in Cebu, Samar and Leyte.

The huge damage wrought by the typhoon continued to pose bigger challenges for affected communities, however. Thus, PBSP launched Project New Dawn in June 2014 to provide long-term rehabilitation interventions focused on health, education, environment and livelihood and enterprise development.

It raised P293 million from its member-companies, partners and donors for the implementation of many projects in affected communities. Of this, P160 million was spent for projects in the least assisted towns in Bantayan, Madridejos, Santa Fe, and Daanbantayan in Northern Cebu. After several months, assistance was expanded to communities in Iloilo, Samar, and Leyte.

While many have already rebuilt their lives, PBSP recognizes the urgent need to scale up its impact. It plans to continue providing complementary interventions for recovery, rehabilitation, and resiliency in the towns of San Remegio and Medellin in Northern Cebu in the next five years.

For livelihood, PBSP intends to promote inclusive business in seaweed and hybrid corn production and dried fish processing. Livelihood interventions on swine production and bio-intensive gardening will also continue. Livelihood champion stakeholders in government will also be tapped to push for the welfare of the people.

PBSP will also conduct Safe Motherhood Caravans to educate 4,600 women on life-saving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health and Nutrition practices and help them access these health services from local health providers. The program supports the United Nation’s goal to reduce maternal mortalities in severely depressed areas.

It is also looking at improving the tourism industry of Bantayan island.

Above all, PBSP seeks to harness the collective power of the business sector, and its partner development agencies in ensuring a better future for the affected communities.