Balay Mindanaw Disaster Risk Reduction, Resiliency Building and Emergency Response Mission DREAM Areas: Leyte and Communities Affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda UPDATE as of March 2014

Four months since Super Typhoon Yolanda (International Name: Haiyan) hit parts of the Visayas Region, Balay Mindanaw prepares this update as it continues with its disaster response mission in identified communities in Leyte and Panay.

Balay Mindanaw also prepares its staff, volunteers and partners in looking beyond the emergency assistance phase and heading towards rehabilitation-reconstruction mission. We carry on to work with these survivors in order for them to become resilient communities.

The following interventions were provided during the emergency phase (November 2013 to March 2014)

1. Relief Distribution Mission with the communities

With actual field assessment in the affected areas in the Visayas one week after the typhoon, Balay Mindanaw and partners had identified a number of households as recipients of relief goods which were distributed in the barangays and considering the need of the households per barangay.

There is a total number of 2,726 households in the 4 identified distressed barangays in Leyte. There is also a total of 2,121 households in 11 coastal barangays in Panay which were strongly affected by the Super Typhoon. The table below shows the details and the over-all total number of 4,847 affected households.

List of Barangays and the Number of Households Affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda Eastern Visayas: LEYTE (Region 7) City/Municipality Barangay No. of HH Total No. of HH Ormoc City San Juan 775 Albuera Tabgas 950 2726 Sherwood 40 Merida Puertobello 961 : PANAY (Region 9) Municipality Barangay No. of HH Total No. of HH President Roxas (Capiz) Pandan 128 Goce 233 2121 Mandulano 163 Pinamihagan 53 Sangkal 110 Marita 304 Estancia () Bayas 663 Manipolon 95 Jolog 84 Daan Banwa 94 194 Total No. of Affected Households in Leyte and Panay 4847

Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc. 1 Sets of relief goods and supply kits were provided in these numbers of affected families and households that were identified with the help of the local barangay as recipients of these goods and kits: Food Packs, Hygiene Kits, Non-Food Items and Shelter Repair Kits.

AREA: LEYTE Food Pack Hygiene Kit Non-Food Items Shelter Repair (# of families) (# of families) (# of families) Kits (# of HHs)

Ormoc Brgy. San Juan 1457 682 682 520

Ormoc Central 225 school & laborers

Brgy. Margen 918 918 312 / 606

Brgy. Nueva 227 227 Sociodad 963 Albuera Brgy. Tabgas 968 963 960 521 Brgy. Sherwood 40 1152 Merida Brgy. Puertobello 1152 AREA: PANAY Food Pack Hygiene Kit Non-Food Items Shelter Repair (# of families) (# of families) (# of families) Kits (# of HHs)

Pres. Roxas, Brgy. Pandan 125 128 128 92 Capiz Brgy. Goce 211 233 218 84 Brgy. Madulano 155 163 164 145 Brgy. Marita 328 328 269 Brgy. Pinamihagan 53 53 52 54 Brgy. Sangkal 113 110 110 95

Brgy. Cabug-Cabug 313

MLGU staff affected 24

Tapaz, Iloilo 1100 1100 620 Estancia, Brgy. Bayas 620 620 620 Iloilo Brgy. 97 97 97 93 Brgy. Jolog 110 110 110 69

Brgy. Daan Banwa 432 432 432

Brgy. Loguingot 194 TOTAL 8,831 7,306 4,510 2,496

Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc. 2 Various donors’ monetary, material and technical assistance had made the emergency assistance mission possible. The procurement of relief goods and the distribution to a total of 18 barangays were manageable because of the helping hands of local leaders and volunteers.

In the distribution of the Shelter Repair Kits, Balay Mindanaw and the officials of the LGU in the barangay and municipalities were able to distribute these SRKs to a total of 2,496 Households based on the extent of damaged houses (totally and partially damaged houses).

SRK distribution in Barangay San Juan, Ormoc Happy women during the Food Packs and Hygiene Kits distribution in Barangay Tabgas, Albuera

In the procurement and distribution of the Hygiene Kits, Balay Mindanaw’s mission has considered the needs of the women with their families. Every kit contained the following: undergarments for women and men (trousers and panties), diapers for babies, toothpaste, toothbrush, bath soap and laundry soap. They were given to a total of 7,306 families.

Ruth of Manipulon, Barangay Captain in Manipulon (Estancia, Iloilo) led in counting and carrying the food and non-food packs for the scheduled time of distribution. She wanted her community to rebuild back their lives in order to renew their strength, hope and courage.

2. Psychosocial Support Intervention for Yolanda-affected Communities in Leyte and Panay

With the goal to help nurture communities as well as care givers to be resilient through the Psychosocial Support Interventions, the following activities were done to provide spaces for relief, expression, recreation and eventual healing.

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Activities Conducted

1. Groundwork and Orientation with Local Volunteers and Staff of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) Offices in the process of PSS 2. PSS Workshop for Adults per Barangay 3. Play Therapy and Feeding for Children (6 to 12 yo) per Barangay (unexpected)

Barangays

The following nine (9) barangays were given with the PSS Workshop in the 2 areas: Panay and Leyte

Barangays in P. Roxas No. of Adult Pax Barangays in Estancia No. of Adult Pax Pinamihagan 45 Bayas 35 Sangkal 67 Manipolon 61 Pandan 57 Daan Banwa 58 TOTAL 169 TOTAL 154

Barangay in Albuera No. of Adult Pax Barangays in Ormoc No. of Adult Pax Tabgas (Sitio Lawis) 105 San Juan 49 Tabgas (Sitio Cantawagan) 83 Barangay in Merida No. of Pax Puertobello 69 TOTAL 188 TOTAL 118

The expected number of pax is 35 per barangays. But we exceeded in the participation of the participants. There was a total of 629 participants who attended the PSS from all 9 barangays.

PSS Workshops

The PSS Workshops were conducted last Feb 27-28 and March 1, 2014 in the barangays located in Panay Islands. For the barangays in Leyte, Balay Mindanaw was able to conduct last March 5-7, 2014.

In the small workshop groups, they were asked to share about their personal dream after having experienced the super typhoon and its damages. The participants from the barangays have responded very well in the process especially in the individual sharing and group presentations as well as exercises.

Glimpse of PSS @ Barangay Pandan, President Roxas in the Province of Capiz (PANAY ISLAND)

Manang Anabel (with white shirt) of Barangay Pandan shared that their house was destroyed by the typhoon just like the other families. She was benefitted with the shelter repair kits that Balay Mindanaw and its partners are providing. So she and her husband hope to finish the repair of their house. She is happy to see people helping them through the relief goods and hygiene kits, providing them immediate needs so they can sleep well under a good roof, and most of all asking them how they are and listening to them. Furthermore, she expressed her feelings as blessed and happy to move on despite the tragedy. She hopes and dreams to have her home be done and so she formed a Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc. house from a set of colored clay. 4 Manang Nemia (with red printed shirt) also from Barangay Pandan likewise shared that their family banka (small boat) was destroyed by the typhoon just like the other families. Fishing is their only source of income. But her hope is still there as long as the sea and the fishes are there, despite the devastation. She hopes and dreams to have a new small boat for the family in order to continue their livelihood. In the workshop, she (and Faustina who sits beside her) made paper boats to symbolize their dreams and ambitions to own a real boat.

Essentials: Family Tree… Family…. Family and Children…..and…. a Home for the Family

After the individual sharing, the group also shared their desired vision and aspirations for the community after their experience with Super Typhoon Yolanda. Clearly mentioned were the community needs like seawall, daycare and health centers, foot bridge as safer way to go to school. But the importance of unity, cooperation, harmony, peaceful community, self-care and care for each other and community were likewise recognized as essential elements in the rehabilitation and resiliency building. Other needs were pronounced as well -like potable drinking water (Water is for sale: 5 pesos per 20liters), stable source of income and livelihood (mostly needed are small boat for fishing as their source of income, for fetching water and for transportation of goods, kids who go to school, etc and for emergency purposes).

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Aside from the small group sharing, the participants were asked to creatively present their hopes and aspirations for the community. More than fun and enjoyment, they were deeply happy to come together, come up with songs and drama, appreciate one another and listen to each other.

Before the PSS workshops ended, the participants were also taught how to take care of themselves by giving them basic tips to manage their fear and anger as well as exercise to breathe and talk to bodies.

Body Talk exercise in Barangay Sangkal

Getting BP (blood pressure) of the participants in barangays of Pinamihangan, Sangkal and Pandan was also executed due to the people’s requests. Play therapy and feeding activities with happy children were done in all of the 6 barangays. In Barangay Puerto Bello, the feeding was done in school where mothers were the ones who cooked the food per classroom.

Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc. 6 With us were 4 members of the Disaster Management Core Group and officers and staff of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices in President Roxas and in Estancia. In Barangay Tabgas, one (1) social welfare staff and two (2) day care workers joined Balay Mindanaw in the whole day activity as facilitators. Two of them handled adults, while one of the day care workers handled the children’s activities.

Observations and Recommendations

Some observations on the sharing of the participants:

• All these communities did not undergo any Stress Debriefing soon after the Yolanda happened (weeks or until at present). It is not anymore time now for stress debriefing, but it is clearly articulated by the communities that they are shaken, fearful, where strong winds, heavy rains and typhoons are experienced again. • Some say they are not yet OK and trying to move on. • Many still cry when sharing their dreams as they still feel so down on the loss of properties and relatives too.

Recommendations:

• Monthly follow-up be done with these communities in any form of group discussion and venting ladderized approach (According to their grouping for a collective caring for one another) • Psychological intervention like processing be done to those identified persons who needed it most (each facilitator has some notes and names of those who needed it) • Train some community representatives on PSS to create a support group in Leyte • For the next PSS, it is best to have more facilitators to accommodate many participants and will be able to attend to many who needed follow up soonest • Connect with the City Government for more PSS intervention, as they can be tapped but be given prior notice. • Participation in MHPSS cluster if there exist in the Leyte so that PSS activities be well synch and also support be provided well.

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(with the tune of Bahay Kubo, these words were sang by some participants of Barangay Manipolon in Estancia during the PSS Workshop as they call for unity and solidarity)

Balay, Pump boat (House, Pump boat) Lambat kag CR (Fishing net and CR-comfort room) Mga Utan kag Kasag (Vegetables and Crabs) Ay Lain-lain (are variety)

Kita sa Manipulon (We in Barangay Manipulon) Maghangpanay, magbinuligay (Be United, Help Each Other in Solidarity) Ikaw, Kami, Tanan Katawhan (You, Us, All Community)

Balay Mindanaw would like to thank the peoples and communities who allowed us to be part of their lives. We thank all our partners who journeyed with us in our service to these communities.

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