Haiyan Two Years Later

Press Kit

November 2015

November 2015 marks the second year since Super Typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan), the cate-gory five typhoon that swept across central Philippines; leaving over 6,000 people dead, thousands more missing and severely affecting the lives of at 15 million others. Loss of homes, assets, livelihoods and infrastructures were widespread.

As the people of Philippines and the international community remember the lives lost and recognize the resiliency of survivors, ACF recalls two years of actions and looks to a future of restorative efforts to help provide the unmet needs of affected communities.

ACF's emergency response began 72 hours after the typhoon hit, with food and water deliveries in the most affected areas: Tacloban and Roxas and Panay. Two years later, ACF has been on the ground every day addressing the immediate needs of the population, particularly children under five, pregnant and lactating women, single female-headed households, the elderly, and persons with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The second anniversary is an occasion to be grateful for the country's recovery and to remember those who have not yet fully recovered. There are thousands of people still trying to return to their old routines and thousands still looking for permanent housing," says Javad Amoozegar, country director of ACF International. ACF International has worked closely with partners and local government bodies in delivering programs on nutrition and psychosocial support; water, sanitation and hygiene; food security and livelihoods. All of these integrate gender issues, disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and care for the environment. These have gone from the life-saving interventions of the first days to long-term, sustainable solutions for the affected population. The organization provided lifesaving aid to 911, 956 typhoon Haiyan-affected people in 46 municipalities in seven provinces.

For interviews with our spokespersons, please contact Rosa May de Guzman - Maitem at + 63-929-319-4607

Photo by Rosa May Maitem/ACF

www.accioncontraelhambre.org | www.actionagainsthunger.org

Super Typhoon Haiyan | Yolanda: Two Years After

Survivors Journey towards Recovery

Press Kit

November 2015


ACF covered intervention

911, 956 people served 46 municipalities 7 provinces Nutrition

170, 295 - provided with nutrition and health support 122,809 - Children under five screened for malnutrition

931 - Treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) 61,633 - people received high-calorie, vitamin fortified food supplements

Mental Health and Care Practices

24, 673 mothers received psychological counselling (with access to basic health facilities)

2,817 - people received training (health staff, leaders and aid workers) 85 mother-baby spaces, OTP sites established and nutrition health services revived

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

493, 042 - people received water, hygiene and sanitation support and trained on disaster risk management

71- barangays declared as Zero Open Defecation

Food Security and Livelihoods

223,946 people provided with livelihoods support, provided food access and trained on disaster risk management

98, 040 people provided with in-kind food assistance and cash grants in the first three months of the emergency


Recovery Phase

288,098 - Leyte 92,592 - Samar 291,298 - Panay 2,715 - Masbate 20,878 - Bohol

216,375 - Emergency Response

Humanitarian Overview

Press Kit

November 2015

ACFs 2-Year Response Supports Livelihoods in the Philippines

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines Two years ago today, several areas in the central Philippines were wiped out by Super Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) causing storm surges and massive flooding that left millions of people homeless and thousands dead in the worlds worst disaster ever recorded. The category five typhoon that swept across central Philippines left over 6,000 people dead, thousands more miss-ing and severely affecting the lives of at over 14 million others. Loss of homes, assets, livelihoods and infrastruc-tures were widespread. Two years on, however, many survivors have been able to rebuild their lives and move towards full recovery. Cyrinne Anota and her husband Romeo remember the family's vast coconut plantation, their main source of income to support their five children. Before the typhoon hit and destroyed their town in Burauen, Leyte, the couple depend-ed on what they called the Tree of Life, the coconut where Romeo used to climb these trees to gather the raw liq-uid from the fruit buds, which is later processed into wine. From this daily activity, Romeo earned so little to feed his wife and two sons. Their source of income was destroyed at the height of typhoon. To help them rebuild their lives, the couple, along with 10,000 families of the most vulnerable in Leyte, received the amount of PhP26, 000 from the cash transfer program of ACF implemented in 2014 until middle of 2015. Cyrinne used some of the money to buy two piglets and encouraged his husband to return home from Manila to help build a new house. "I saved some money to buy building materials and piglets which we sold after the few months and we were able to put up a small retail store," Cyrinne said. Still without coconut trees to climb, the former wine gatherer Romeo man-ages the store, earning P150 daily. To augment the daily family income, Cyrinne found another work as a depart-ment store saleslady, bringing home PhP 4,200, and brought another piglet. "Now I can sleep soundly knowing that I dont have to worry about meeting our basic needs," she shared. The ACF International also provided interventions to the affected people by empowering them through capacity building on health and nutrition, child protection, hygiene and sanitation, savings and mobilization. Two years after, ACF has been on the ground every day addressing the immediate needs of the population, particularly children un-der five, pregnant and lactating women, single female-headed households, the elderly, and persons with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Like Cyrinne, Sherel Sudario, 26, of Pastrana town in Leyte shares the same victory. Even before Haiyan, life was already hard for single mother Sudario, who had to send her son Hagrid Zecke to pre-school without pocket money for snack. The situation worsened when Sudario lost everything to the typhoon. "The cash grants gave us hope, I found an opportunity to turn our lives around," she said. She now boasts a mini retail store, where she earns enough for her familys daily needs. She also bought piglets that she raised and sold when these were big enough. From her earnings, Sudario was able to buy school supplies for Hagrid. My son now always has pocket money for snack when he goes to school, Sudario said. "This has undeniably and concretely uplifted my spirit from nothing into


From L-R: Cyrinne Anota, Lolita Anota, and Sherel Sudario standing next to their new found livelihoods , two years after Typhoon Haiyan.

Photos by ACF International

Press Kit

November 2015

something. In Tacloban City, for the elderly Lolita Elizan, a grandmother of two, who were left to her care and husband Mario, Haiyan destroyed everything, but not her spirit. "Our house was a wreck, our belongings were destroyed, all under the rubble, my grandchildrens clothes were washed away by the flood," Elizan said. I made sure the children had food to eat and clothes to wear and the reconstruction of our house, she said of how she spent the money she re-ceived. Lolita returned to her former livelihood selling banana cue on the streets. I also supply nutritious snack in a schools canteen. Also, every day, I put P10 on my piggy bank, she said. Meanwhile, Marilou Olino lost her husband to a heart ailment days before Haiyan unleashed wrath. The still-grieving mother of three children, had to face another challenge. This time, it was Haiyan that devastated her village in Sta. Elena, Tacloban City. When her husband Benjamin was still alive, the husband and wife were busy cultivating a patch of land planted with eggplants, bell peppers and string beans, most of the produce they sell. But Haiyan destroyed the familys source of livelihood. As a widow, Marilou was able to avail of the unconditional cash grants. "The timely intervention of ACF helped me and my community to rebuild back our lives despite the challenging ordeal we have gone through," she said. From the grants she received each month, Marilou was able to continue to send her children to school and provided the essential needs of her family; pay her monthly bills, and saved some to finance a small-scale lending business. She lends money, with interest rate, to relatives and friends. "Im really thankful for the help that I received when we had nothing. Things would have been different and difficult if help did not come in our place, Marilou said. ACF's emergency response began 72 hours after the typhoon hit, with food and water deliveries in the most affected areas: Tacloban, Samar and Panay. The first months after the typhoon, the survivors faced enormous challenges. Two years later, they are on the road to recovery thanks to the Filipino spirit of resilience in the face of disaster and the collaboration of the local and national government units and the international community. Donations came in from across the Philippines and around the world. It's just inspiring to know that everyone chil-dren with their parents, teachers and volunteers side by side with the Philippine government and people from differ-ent nations--they all pitched in, which made the recovery efforts fast. The stories of Cyrenne, Sherel, Lolita and Marilou who refused to surrender to hopelessness after the super typhoon ruined everything they have, illustrate the sense of hope and faith in difficult times, said Javad Amoozegar, country director for ACF Philippines. (End)


Press Kit

November 2015

The family man

Although already 63-years old, Francisco Libres continues to strive hard to provide for his family in the village San Jose West in Burauen in Leyte. Francisco, who neighbors fondly call Mang Nining, is married to Virginia. They have eight children, three of whom have families of their own. Mang Ninings livelihood depended on farming planting rice, root crops and vegetables on a parcel of land that he did not own. His produce was more than enough to feed the family. The rest of the harvest, he sold. We always had huge harvest which was sufficient for the family consumption. We get extra money from selling the remaining harvest, he said. But Typhoon Yolanda destroyed everything. We became so vulnerable. Our house was destroyed. We did not have anything to eat, he said. We were even forced to eat bananas that were swept away by the flood, he added. But Mang Nining was still thankful. Every member of his family survived Typhoon Yolanda. Hungry, but safe, he said. Three months later, help arrived via the ACF International which implemented the UNICEF-funded Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program. Mang Nining qualified as beneficiary of the UCT program, receiving P4,370 monthly for six months. When he claimed his first cash grant, Mang Nining spent the money on food to make up for the months of food shortage. The following months, Mang Nining used part of the cash grant to buy building materials and slowly rebuilt his house. He also started raising chickens and hogs. Part of the money was also spent on school supplies so that his children can continue with their education. I also bought seeds and started planting on the farm, he said. Theres no stopping Mang Nining, from his earnings he put up a small retail store. This is what I learned from the savings mobilization workshop given by ACF. I now know how to save money for the future, he said. (End)



Press Kit

November 2015

Barangays Achieve Zero Open Defecation ROXAS CITY, Philippines The sanitary toilets go a long way in stopping open defecation and helping maintain a healthy environment. It provides security, privacy and dignity to community members, especially women and girls. Today, we boast of a community that is clean, healthy, dignified, and child-friendly environment, said Maximo Binas of Brgy. San Dionisio. Typhoon Haiyan left its devastating trail throughout the Panay island in 2013 battering the entire region. Most of the families had their toilets damaged or unusable. That period in our life was difficult. Without the toilet, we go to the bushes or behind a tree to poo. It can be dangerous at night, Binas added. Two years after Haiyan, the drive for community participation is on its peak - a good indicator of behavior change, as the campaign for ending open defecation has gained progress in Panay after 37 barangays in the towns of Ajuy, San Dionisio and Sara in Iloilo province, Pilar and Pontevedra in Capiz province were declared zero open defecation (ZOD) by the Department of Health. The ZOD campaign supports the strategies involved in rural sanitation development promoted by the Department of Health and partner agencies. The ZOD verification team composed of a municipal health officer, sanitary inspectors and representatives from international non-government organizations working with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program visited the villages and randomly sampled 10 percent of the total households to check if they met the criteria. In Binuntucan, Pontevedra alone, a total 1,156 households spread over 13 sub-villages have their toilets. The suc-cess of Binuntucan being the largest barangay in the municipality of Pontevedra, with regards to levelling up in their sanitation status to ZOD, will serve as an example for other communities. This is an achievement driven by the households with strong support from local leaders, said Maribel Bengaura, Binutucans health officer. Bengaura also shared that the barangay council crafted an ordinance in support of the program on sanitation. All the village health workers were mobilized for this cause, and they even assisted some household to construct their own toilet. Other households seemed to procrastinate at some point to the extent that I dug the holes for them. Now every household continued the work and constructed their own toilet, after they received toilet bowl, cement, GI sheets and hollow blocks to repair our toilets that typhoon Haiyan damaged, she added. "A village is declared open defecation-free if no one openly defecates anymore. Households either build their own toilets or they share toilets with their relatives. Hand washing with soap and water after toilet use and proper dispos-al of infant and adult diapers should also be practiced. With this success, households have realized the need to have their own toilet and the benefit from living in a sanitary environment, said Ray Anthony Banglos, head of pro-ject for WASH in Panay.


Press Kit

November 2015

The Philippines Approach to Total Sanitation (PHATS), is a Philippines agreed strategy that promotes universal ac-cess to improved sanitation and hygiene behavior. It foresees an end to the practice of open defecation by facilitat-ing change in behavior and build resiliency. ACF International, with funds from the UNICEF, is carrying out the PHaTS program in the three vulnerable municipalities including schools in Panay. In a UNICEF-led survey in 2014 following typhoon Haiyan, 17.3 percent of households in vulnerable areas of Leyte, Eastern Samar, Cebu, Iloilo and Capiz were found to be practicing open defecation. Nearly 95 percent of the re-spondents claimed that they do not have toilets. Most ZOD barangays report fewer cases of diarrhea among chil-dren. The use of toilets have resulted in comfort, security, and protection particularly for women and children as well as dignity for the whole community, according to a UNICEF report. This initiative should be reinforced by the barangay councils through ordinances that stipulate sanctions and re-wards for sustainability, Banglos said. #


Press Kit

November 2015

Engaging women in improving village sanitation

GEN. MaCARTHUR, Eastern Samar-- Without help from her husband, who has a daytime job, Gregoria Canatoy dug a six-foot hole that would serve as a septic tank of a toilet. Then, the 39-year old mother of three, did some car-pentry--installing lumber, concrete flooring and, finally, fitting the ceramic toilet bowl. After four days of labor, I managed to build the toilet, a satisfied Gregoria said. Its quite difficult but Ive tried hard to get it done. My husband and children are happy. Gregoria is just one of the women in the remote villages of Gen. MacArthur in Eastern Samar who do not have ac-cess to clean toilets even before Haiyan hit the region in 2013. ACF, with support from UNICEF, works hard in its campaign to end child and maternal undernutrition and mortality. One of ACFs goals is to end open defecation through implementing innovative solutions to the challenges of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the communities. The project focuses on implementing the Philippines Approach to Total Sanitation (PHATS) program in the region, including the 40 barangays in the municipalities of San Julian and MacArthur. This contributes to the Philippine Sus-tainable Sanitation Roadmap and the National Sustainable Sanitation Plan, by building on the national vision of cre-ating zero open defecation (ZOD) environments with safe disposal of liquid and solid waste, and the promotion of health and hygiene practices within a holistic approach to promote an enabling environment including disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Typhoon Haiyan, considered the strongest typhoon ever to hit the Philippines, devastated San Julian and Gen. Mac-Arthur towns, destroying homes and livelihoods, including water systems and toilets. The town's remote and almost-inaccessible communities made it difficult for the families to have access to basic social and healthcare services. Sanitation has always been a problem in the municipality. Every time we have year-end evaluation in the province, Gen. Macarthur gets a red mark because of poor access to sanitation facilities. The advocacy to promote proper use of latrines and support the Department of Healths ZOD campaign is a big help to us, said Dr. Corazon Miflores, the municipal health officer. Esther Magdayo, head of WASH project in Eastern Samar, said the women played a crucial role in improving hy-giene and sanitation issues in the said town. The women have been actively engaged in our program implementa-tion. We make sure that their needs and voices are heard and included in our programming to address their con-cerns. They bear the impact of dirty and inadequate water and hygiene and sanitation practices. But they rose up from these challenges. They were the first ones to understand the devastating effects of unhygienic practices, and the benefits of having toilets, she added.



Press Kit

November 2015

ACF, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the municipal health offices, was in the forefront in promoting the significance of having toilets in far-flung communities in Eastern Samar. In 2014, 129 barangays from the 11 Haiyan-affected towns in Eastern Samar were identified as target for the ZOD project. As of October 2015, 34 barangays have been declared ZOD. The Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) behavioral changes process encourages community self-analysis of existing defecation patterns and threats, and promotes local solutions to reduce and ultimately eliminate the practice of open defecation," Magdayo said. Typhoon Haiyan has taught women that they can step up and do more beyond their traditional roles of tending the households and caring for their children. They, too, can rebuild their homes, just like Gregoria, Magdayo shared. Dr. Corazon Miflores, the municipal health officer stressed the importance of sanitation and the change of behavior. She urged the barangay council members and the community to continue and maintain good practices. It has been my long-time dream that Gen. Macarthur become a clean community not only in front of our houses but the whole community as well, Mayor Jaime Ty then said. I am grateful that the eight barangays heeded the call stopping open defecation. I would also like to encourage the residents to build their latrines and practice proper hy-giene, the mayor added. (End)


Press Kit

November 2015

Focus on Microinsurance in the Philippines MANILA, Philippines AC recently released its case study integrating microinsurance as part of social protection framework for recovery projects in super typhoon Haiyan-affected areas in the Visayas region. First introduced and promoted in Panay, the microinsurance scheme played a significant role in creating resilience among disaster affect-ed families. "The impact of adverse events, such as Haiyan, significantly affects household income and consumption levels. Food consumption may be reduced, children may withdraw from school or productive assets may be sold to cover the expenses related to the risk events. The low-income families are most exposed to risks and least protected against consequences," Suresh Murugesu, ACF Technical Coordinator said. The results from the pilot initiative on promoting microinsurance indicates low income families can be facilitated to enroll in a tailored micro insurance scheme as part of the relief or development projects to create social protection mechanisms and provide livelihood support or financial assistance. To restore the livelihoods of the typhoon affected families in Sara, Batad, and Concepcion towns in Iloilo, ACF ran a cash-based intervention to reach the most vulnerable among them pregnant and lactating women, households with children suffering from acute malnutrition, persons with disability, persons with chronic illnesses, elderly persons and single female-headed households who have lost their livelihoods due to typhoon. Funded by the Department of For-eign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), ACF tapped the Cebuana Lhuillier, one of the country's leading chain of pawnshops that also offers financial services, in its project in Iloilo. "ACF's microinsurance characteristics are based on common insurance principles, with some adjustments in order to make it more accessible, affordable, simple and flexible to reach the low-income households. The insurance co-vers a range of protection services, such as life, health, invalidity, livestock, crops and assets insurance," Nashrudin Modin, the program manager for Food Security and Livelihoods of ACF Philippines. "Where state social protection systems are nonexistent or not enough extended, a microinsurance scheme can fill this gap. It will prevent vulnerability against different risks; protect assets and promote engagement in more produc-tive opportunities, due to the presence of a safety net, Modin explained. To create awareness and promote the positive impact of microinsurance to the partner beneficiaries, a range of ac-tivities in collaboration with the team from the Cebuana Lhuillier, were carried out using multi-media channels such as videos and flyers bearing testimonies of microinsurance recipients in order to educate the partner beneficiaries on its benefits. Under the scheme, the team from Cebuana Lhuiller designed a customized microinsurance coverage plan for ACF beneficiaries following their enrollment and set of criteria. The plan provides protection to insured persons 24 hours a day, not exceeding 12 months. The principal insurer must be at least 18 years to 65 years old, but can be transfer-


Press Kit

November 2015

able to any member of the family. The insurance takes effectivity after the beneficiary received the certificate of in-surance with a validity date of one year at a premium cost at PhP400. This insurance covers the beneficiaries, spouse and their legal children, as long as they are considered dependents, who not more than 18 years old, not married and still living together with the primary beneficiary and the spouse by the time they availed the insurance. Grandchildren are not included. To avail the insurance benefits in covered events, payment procedure is carried out through the nearest Cebuana Lhuiller branch. Based on the success of the piloted experiences, ACF developed a concept paper to promote mi-croinsurance in its projects and programs in the Philippines. This will be looked upon in the future interventions, based on the local contexts and availability of service providers. "Cash transfer programming forms a significant part of ACF's work in fighting under nutrition, and is an emerging response mechanism in food security and livelihoods, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors," Murugesu said. After the success from the first experience on the microinsurance concept by Cebuana Lhuilliers, ACF replicated it in Kindernothilfe (KNH) project areas in Panay. To request for a copy of the document, please email ACF at [email protected].


Programmes

Nutrition and Psychosocial Care Support

ACF worked with the local governments, the national nutrition agencies and partners to address the nutrition and psychoso-cial care needs of 122, 809 children under five for malnutrition and 24, 673 pregnant and lactating women in affected who now have access to preventive and curative services. A total number of 85 health centers, mother and baby friendly spaces and day care centers were revived.

By conducting 145 knowledge trainings on nutrition and psychosocial care practices, children under five, pregnant, lactating women in 46 municipalities across Leyte, Samar, Panay islands were protected against micronutrient insufficiencies. Deterio-ration in nutrition situation was avoided among 194, 968 vulnerable sectors by giving 0-59 months, the pregnant and lac-tating women supplementary feeding. 931 children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition were given therapeutic food and treated from acute malnutrition.

Water and Sanitation and Hygiene

ACF provided 493, 042 affected people with safe drinking water, and touched with hygiene promotion activities in 46 munici-palities. A total of 5, 544 latrines were built in the evacuation sites during the onset of emergency and rehabilitation period to have access to hygienic toilets and clean surroundings as a result of ACF's work. ACF restored water sources and helped sup-ply 82, 170 beneficiaries with water kits that include jerry cans, plastic buckets, dipper and containers to households during the emergency phase.

Food Security and Livelihoods

ACF provided technical guidance on concrete orientations to enhance climate resilience and food security, preparing 223, 946 family heads to be able to withstand future disasters or shocks, moving toward more sustainable livelihoods. They were pro-vided with cash grants to help rebuild income-generating activities whether in agriculture, livestock, fishery or small-scale trading. Beneficiaries attain positive and sustainable outcomes on livelihoods through the knowledge on protecting econom-ic resources and productive activities, which can be empowering for affected households in safeguarding their economic sta-bility amidst the impact of Typhoon Yolanda.

About ACF ACF international | Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger and mal-nutrition. ACF responds to help vulnerable populations around the world through programs that empower communities to overcome the barriers standing in their way.

In the Philippines, ACF tackles the root causes of hunger, prevents outbreaks of life-threatening acute malnutrition, and helps the most vulnerable communities regain self- sufficiency through integrated programs in health and nutrition, care practices and psychosocial and care practices, food security and livelihoods; water, sanitation and hygiene; disaster risk management; good governance and advocacy while incorporating gender, care for the environment, climate change adaptation and cultural sensitivity. Our programs save lives and provide communities with long-term solutions to hunger and its underlying causes. We work in more than 45 countries and reach approximately eight million people annually.

For more information about our work in the Philippines, please hit the like button of our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/acf.philippines or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ACF_Philippines To arrange for interview, please contact:

Rosa May de Guzman Maitem Communications Manager ACF International - Philippine Mission Email: [email protected] Tel/Fax: +63 (02) 840-1808; +63-(02)-659-3598 Mobile: + 63-929-319-4607


Typhoon Yolanda: Two Years After



Typhoon Yolanda: Two Years After


Documents

Haiyan Two Years Later