Eastern Visayas 500 chainsaws for coco farmers

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday started turning over the donation of 500 chainsaws for coconut farmers of this city and Tacloban City and Guiuan town in Eastern Samar.

The power tools, worth a total of US$370,000, donated by Swedish power tool producer Husqvarna, will be distributed through Catholic Relief Services, Christian Aid, Oxfam International, People in Need and ZOA to help the farmers clear about 33 million fallen coconut trees and debris in their Yolanda-devastated areas.

Bernard Kerbiat, UNHCR-Philippines representative, said, "The chainsaws will empower typhoon survivors to take charge of their own recovery. They can use the coconut lumber they salvage as materials to rebuild their homes, while also clearing their communities of fallen trees." 

Marco Boasso, IOM's chief of mission, said the donation "…will facilitate the large scale effort of the Philippine government, the international community and, especially, the Filipino population and the civil society to rebuild safer shelters."

In the ceremonial turn over held in Ormoc City, Caroline Blay, UNHCR-Ormoc head of office, advised Philippine Coconut Authority officer-in-charge Jaime Nuñez to take good care of the chainsaws to maximize its usefulness.

Nuñez, for his part, laid down PCA's strategy and program to ensure the proper handling of the tools, including the distribution to intended beneficiaries.

Blay and Christy Marfil, IOM-Ormoc head, said that livelihood and shelter were the two areas that need to be addressed in relation to the donation.  (FREEMAN)