OCHA Template

Philippines: Typhoon Nalgae and Nesat Situation Report No. 6 25 October 2011

This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA Philippines. It covers the period from 14-25 Oct. This is the final situation report in this series.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES • As flood waters have receded in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces humanitarian needs remain, particularly in WASH, Health and livelihood support. • Over 12,311 people remain in 31 evacuation centers in Regions III, IV-A, V and the National Capital Region, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and continue to need assistance. • A government-led, inter-agency damage and needs assessment mission to the coastal municipality of Dinapigue in Isabela province on 22 October reported the need for shelter kits, electricity, and livelihood support.

II. Situation Overview

No tropical disturbance has affected the Philippines since Tropical Cyclone Ramon crossed Central Philippines and Northern Mindanao on 12 October. The recent conditions have allowed flood waters to recede in the flood-affected areas of Northern Luzon, in particular Bulacan and Pampanga provinces. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophisical and Astronomical services Administration (PAGASA) has reported an additional two or three tropical cyclones are expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility before the end of 2011. In addition PAGASA has reported that the effects of a weak La Niña is likely to begin in December 2011 and continue until February 2012 which could bring more rains in some parts of the country.

Typhoon Nesat, locally known as Pedring and Typhoon Nalgae, locally known as Quiel, battered 35 provinces in Northern and Central Luzon affecting over four million people and destroyed food crops, infrastructure, and homes and left over 727,000 people requiring assistance. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as of 24 October over 12,412 people remain in need of assistance. Over 10,000 houses were totally destroyed and over 63,000 houses incurred partial damage. The Government continues to address the immediate needs of the affected population registered inside and outside of the evacuation centers, supported by the Philippines Red Cross (PRC) and humanitarian partners.

Table 1: Affected populations in evacuation centers. No. Inside ECs Typhoon of ECs Families People TY Nesat 29 2,797 12,091 TY Nalgae 2 45 220 TOTAL 31 2,842 12,311 (Source: Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC)/DSWD, 24 October 2011). Figure 1: Road to Dinapigue

The limited information, prolonged isolation and inaccessibility of Dinapigue Municipality in Isabela Province after Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae prompted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to organize a government-led, inter-agency damage and needs assessment mission on 22 October. The assessment team was comprised of representatives from the NDRRMC and Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), including Coordination, WASH, Health, Food Security/Livelihood, Logistics clusters. Dinapigue Municipality has been inaccessible for the past three weeks. Major observations during the assessment include: 800 out of 1,334 families have been affected; 31% are in need of shelter assistance; roads have been partially reconstructed and can be accessed only by trucks and 4x4 vehicles; local bus

www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action 2 services have been restored enabling transport of people and goods to nearby barangays and provincial centers; Dinapigue is accessible by a 10-12 hour car journey from Manila; more than 70% of the affected families are in need of livelihood support as a result of the damages to crops and fishing implements; restoration of electricity will take time due to the major damage to municipality’s power supply infrastructure; there are no immediate WASH or Health issues.

The assessment team recommends the following: i) Provision of food assistance and shelter kits to the affected population; ii) Urgent provision and delivery of a new electric generator; iii) Food-For-Work activities which will serve as an alternate source of livelihoods; iv) Prepositioned emergency relief items, including food and WASH items in Casiguran Municipality in Aurora Province to ensure the replenishment of emergency stockpiles in areas that are often isolated/inaccessible after typhoons.

III. Humanitarian Needs and Response

WATER SANITATION HYGIENE Lead: Department of Health Co-Lead: UNICEF Needs: Well rehabilitation is a major need in Region III due to the contamination of the water supply after the floods and open defecation practices. There is a need for enhanced hygiene promotion in all typhoon- affected communities. In Pampanga, samples of e-coli were identified close to the river. Detailed information on the impact of the floods on household toilets is needed. Access to safe drinking water is required in Bulacan, Calumpit, Barangays Sapang Bayan and Panducot as water pumps have been damaged during the floods and are in need of repair. On 24 October, the Mayor of Hagonoy conducted a meeting, attended by WASH Cluster members, to discuss areas of poor supply and activities needed to improve solid waste. Response: Access to safe drinking water was provided by cluster members in Bulacan, Calampit, in Pampanga, San Luis and San Simon. Where necessary, Plan International will continue to supply safe drinking water in Bulacan, Paombong and Nueva Ecija and San Leonarda. MSF supported solid waste management in Hagonoy. Cluster members are providing excreta disposal, hygiene promotion and water quality activities in Paombong and San Leonarda. Save the Children is planning excreta disposal, hygiene promotion and water quality activities in Paombong and Calumpit. The Humanitarian Response Consortium is planning solid waste management activities in Bulacan, Paombong and Pampanga, San Simon and Masantol, and water quality testing in Paombong, San Simon and Masantol. PRC is planning hygiene promotion and water quality testing in Isabela, Echaque and Alicia and is currently assessing the needs in Quirino. Gaps & Constraints: High tides are preventing access to some coastal communities. Funding for WASH activities is limited. Knowledge of hygiene is poor.

HEALTH Lead: Department of Health Co-Lead: WHO Needs: As floodwaters have started to recede, rural health units and barangay health stations that were damaged by the floods need rehabilitation, particularly in Bulacan and Pampanga. As of 20 October, Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (SPEED) reports indicate acute respiratory infections, fever, diarrhea, hypertension, skin diseases as the most common causes of consultations in health facilities in Calumpit and Malolos. Stool samples of diarrhoeal cases taken by the DOH showed Shigella and Aeromonas. Response: The Department of Health (DoH), has lifted the Code White (that places all DoH staff in all health facilities on-call) in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, CAR, and NCR. Health facilities have resumed routine service delivery and SPEED has been deactivated in the evacuation centers. MSF conducted medical clinics in Hagonoy and Calumpit. IOM and other agencies are mobilizing resources to support the delivery of health services in remote and flooded communities. The Health Cluster participated in the government-led, inter- agency damage and needs assessment mission to Isabela on 22 October. Gaps & Constraints: Access to functional health services is an increasing concern for affected populations in remote barangays in Bulacan and Isabela. Damaged health facilities need comprehensive rehabilitation.

NUTRITION Lead: Department of Health Co-Lead: UNICEF Needs: Around 20 cases of acute malnutrition have been reported through the SPEED system in Bulacan. However, none of the cases have thus far been verified using anthropometric measures such as middle- upper-arm circumference (MUAC) and weight-for-height Z-Score. Response: In support of the Government response, UNICEF has delivered 1,000 capsules of Vitamin A, ten boxes (1,500 sachets) of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), and 100 pieces of MUAC tapes to Provincial Health Office in Bulacan. MUAC screening and treatment of acute malnutrition will be delivered by mobile clinics of DoH and through partners such as MSF. The tapes will be used to verify reported cases and trigger treatment where necessary. Gaps & Constraints: Screening of acute malnutrition (SAM) is not a routine activity in some flood affected municipalities, hence, active screening is required for effective verification and response.

FOOD Lead: Department of Social Welfare and Development Co-Lead: WFP Needs: An estimated 800 families of the 1,334 families in Dinapigue municipality in Isabela province were affected by the typhoons and are in need of immediate food assistance. The local Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office has committed to provide food needs. The affected communities are highly dependent on farming and fishing as their main source of livelihood, with some employed in the local mining industry. In general, communities prefer food for work schemes for early recovery interventions. Staple food (rice, meat, fish, cassava and bananas) are accessible in the local markets, however, fresh vegetables are not available and most households lack the resources to purchase food due to their reduced income since the typhoons. Household food stocks have been depleted and affected families rely on relief aid for subsistence. Damage to the fishing industry is estimated at 25% and damage to banana plantations is 100%. Damage to rice crops is estimated at 80% and causing a rise in rice prices. Response: The Food Cluster participated in the government–led, inter-agency damage and needs assessment mission to Isabela province on 22 October. Gaps & Constraints: With the typhoons affecting the agriculture and fishing sector produce, long term recovery strategies need to be identified and implemented as soon as possible to ensure the immediate return to normalcy for affected communities.

EDUCATION Lead: Department of Education Co-Lead: UNICEF/Save the Children Needs: A total of 914 schools were affected by the typhoons, 461 schools (1,331 classrooms) need major repairs, as reported in the recent Department of Education’s (DepED) Rapid Damage Assessment Report (RADAR). A final DepEd validation report is expected to be released soon and will inform the allocations from the DepED’s Quick Response Fund (QRF). A total of 132 schools were used as evacuation centers, which raises the need for post-disaster school repair works. Furthermore, schools submerged by flood waters need cleaning before the resumption of classes. The majority of the 388,324 affected school children are from Regions II, III and IV, specifically in the provinces/cities of Quirino, Pampanga, Bulacan, San Jose del Monte, Catanduanes, and Masbate. Suspended classes have resumed, except for only two schools in Pampanga and one school in Bulacan. Local Government Units (LGU) have requested assistance to replace damaged textbooks and other learning materials. In Hagonoy, Save the Children reports that a total of 23,971 pupils need back-to-school kits and 746 teachers need teaching learning materials to facilitate the resumption of classes. Schools resumed classes last week, however, attendance has been low. A total of 962 children in day care need learning materials to resume their learning activities. Response: In support of the DepED, Cluster members continue to provide validation and support in heavily affected areas in Pampanga, Bulacan, Navotas, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Isabela, Tarlac and Quirino. Save the Children (SC) has distributed 4,781 jerry cans (2,850 with 5 gallons of purified water), 209 family hygiene kits, 4,607 household kits, 3,701 back-to-school kits and 9 school-clean up kits to the hardest hit communities in Aurora, Bulacan and Navotas, with an estimated reach of 5,631 families of 21,130 affected children. SC is coordinating with World Vision, Children International, Plan International and UNICEF for the distribution of back to school kits and the rehabilitation of schools/classrooms. UNICEF, in partnership with

www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action 4 SC, is delivering 725 school packs and 3,000 back packs to children. ABS CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya provided education assistance in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, Mt. Province., Isabela and Tarlac province. Gaps & Constraints: Due to the suspension of classes, supplementary classes are needed for flood- affected children in order to meet standard learning milestones and competencies. Tracking of pupils at risk of dropping out of school and appropriate interventions to help them continue their studies through alternate delivery modes. Lack of detailed information on actual damage to textbooks and other learning materials. Rehabilitation/repair of WASH facilities in schools that have been used as evacuation centers.

PROTECTION Lead: DWSD Co-Lead: UNHCR Needs: A child protection-focused rapid assessment in severely affected municipalities is needed, including an assessment for rapid registration of unaccompanied and separated children. The establishment of child- friendly spaces that provide direct psychosocial support and integrated services is needed, including awareness raising on child abuse and trafficking prevention. Response: On 21 October the Child Protection Working Group deployed five Child Protection In Emergencies-trained teams to conduct child protection assessments in Pangasinan, Bulacan, and Bataan provinces. Around 50 child-friendly space kits were dispatched to typhoon affected areas in Navotas, Malabon, Binondo in Manila; Rizal, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan provinces. Psychosocial Support volunteers for establishing child friendly spaces are also on stand-by for deployment. Gaps & Constraints: None

LOGISTICS Lead: Office of Civil Defence Co-Lead: WFP Needs: Based on the government–led, inter-agency damage and needs assessment mission on 22 October, OCD requested one electric generator to be delivered to Dinapigue municipality in Isabela province. In an official request addressed to WFP on 24 October, OCD also requested four sets of satellite phones for vehicles and an additional 30 life jackets. Response: Following the request for assistance to WFP from NDRRMC on 11 October, WFP locally purchased ten rubber boats. Five boats with accessories were donated to OCD during a handover ceremony held in Camp Aguinaldo on 19 October. Three boats will be delivered to the 702nd Infantry Brigade based in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija and will cover the response in Bulacan. Two boats will be delivered to the 703rd Infantry Brigade based in Arayat, Pampanga. The handover of the remaining five boats is scheduled for Thursday, 27 October. Gaps & Constraints: None.

IV. Coordination

OCHA is tracking assessments and 3w (who, what, where) conducted by humanitarian partners in the typhoon affected areas on the Philippines Humanitarian Response website: http://ph.one.un.org/response. Humanitarian partners can provide inputs and updates to the matrix by emailing OCHA: [email protected].

For detailed information of the impact of Typhoon Nalgae and Typhoon Nesat and the Government of the Philippines response to date, please refer to the website: http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/.

V. Funding

The Philippines Red Cross launched an appeal for donations on 4 October for US$3.85 million (CHF3,550,719) to support its ongoing relief services, and support long-term intervention for the hardest struck cities and provinces through Rehabilitation and Recovery, Shelter, Livelihood, Water and Sanitation, Hygiene Promotion, Disease Prevention, and Capacity Development programs. The appeal aims to reach 50,000 families over eight months. As of 24 October the appeal is currently 3% funded. Visit: http://www.redcross.org.ph/donatenow

Recognizing the magnitude of the recent South East Asian floods The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission (ECHO) is currently mobilizing €10 million humanitarian funding to support emergency response to the most vulnerable populations in The Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR and Thailand. Allocations per country will be defined on the basis of assessed needs and identified gaps in

All humanitarian partners, including donors and recipient agencies, are encouraged to inform OCHA's Financial Tracking Service (FTS - http://fts.unocha.org) of cash and in-kind contributions by e-mailing: [email protected].

VI. Contact

Please contact: Manila, Philippines: David Carden, Head of Office, OCHA Philippines carden@un,org, (+63) 917-513-9924

Manila, Philippines: Maria Agnes Palacio, OCHA Philippines [email protected], (+63) 917-552-8413

For more information, please visit http://ph.one.un.org/response/, http://reliefweb.int/.