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TASK FORCE ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE (TFER) REPORT

December 2013-February 2014

I. DISASTER RESPONSE INITIATIVE The Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s disaster response arm, Task Force on Emergency Relief (TFER), has provided relief and medical assistance to the victim communities and families of typhoon Yolanda that hit the Visayas in November 2013. In the immediate aftermath of typhoon Yolanda, TFER, in cooperation with five (5) other IFI organizations (Visayas Bishops Conference, Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (VIMROD), Saint Paul’s Theological Seminary (SPTS), National Priests Organization (NPO), and Ramento Project for Rights Defenders (RPRD) facilitated the formation of TFER-Bulig Katilingban (TFER-BK) to become the conduit organization for relief operations in the Visayas region. A Coordinating Committee, composed of representatives from the various organizations, was organized to draw-up a systematic relief operations plan. Three Regional Coordinating Centers were formed – one in Cebu City (Central Visayas) serving as the Central Coordinating Center, another one in Leyte (Eastern Visayas), and another one in Iloilo (Western Visayas). Officers and staff for the Coordinating Committee and coordinators for the three regional centers were appointed by the Obispo Maximo to provide manpower to these structures. II. FUNDS MANAGEMENT

A TFER-Bulig Katilingban bank account was opened at Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) in Cebu City under three (3) signatories for the purpose of transparency in the use of funds. A Bookkeeper records and monitors the receipts and disbursements of funds using the standard financial management procedure of the Church. Funds were released to the three Regional Coordinating Centers (RCC).

Iglesia Filipina Independiente OBISPADO MAXIMO

1500 Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila, Philippines 1000

THE IGLESIA FILIPINA INDEPENDIENTE is a congregation of new men educated in and liberated by the teaching of Christ, dedicated to the worship of God in spirit and in truth, nourished and sustained in the Eucharist, and commissioned to be witnesses to God's love in the world.

Tele-Facsimile: +63-2-521-3932 P.O. Box 2484, 1000 Manila, Philippines E-mail: om@ifi.ph Website: http://ifi.ph

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III. THE RELIEF DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS TFER-Bulig Katilingban has conducted Relief Distribution Operations (RDO) in 17 municipalities, covering one hundred and 102 villages (barangays), in the 5 provinces of Leyte, Samar, Iloilo, Antique and Aklan. The RDO had reached out to 12,505 benificiary families covering the period from December 2013 to January 2014.

Western Visayas Municipality/Province Date Beneficiaries

Banate, Iloilo December 2, 2013 100 families (2 barangays) Estancia, Iloilo December 7-8, 2013 1,000 families (5 barangays) Albasan, Aklan December 23, 2013 200 families (3 barangays) New Washington, Aklan

December 23, 2013 300 families (2 barangays)

Barbasa, Antique January 3, 2014 200 families (3 barangays) Culasi, Antique January 3, 2014 200 families (2 barangays) Lemery, Iloilo January 4, 2014 400 families (3 barangays) Sara, Iloilo January 4, 2014 600 families (3 barangays) TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES 3,000

Eastern Visayas Municipality/Province Date Beneficiaries

Julita, Leyte December 14, 2013 786 families Tagkip, Julita, Leyte

December 15, 2013 247 families

Inawangan, Julita, Leyte

187 families

Bonifacio, Julita, Leyte 259 families San Pablo, Julita Leyte 120 families Amantillo, Marabut, Western Samar

December 19, 2013 230 families

Sano Nino, Marabut, Western Samar

173 families

Catato, Marabut, Western Samar

200 families

Lipata, Marabut Western Samar

250 families

Odoc, Marabut Western Samar

120 families

Ferreras, Marabut, Western Samar

141 families

Pinalangga, Marabut, 250 families

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Western Samar Hinamok, Basey Samar

December 23, 2013 350 families

Buenavista, Palompon, Leyte

January 17, 2014 200 families

TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES 3,513

Central Visayas Municipality/Province Date Beneficiaries

Santa Fe, Cebu December 21-22, 2013

5,152 families (10 barangays)

Daandantayan, Cebu December 19, 2013 310 families (3 barangays) Madridejos, Cebu 30 families (1 barangay) Tabuelan, Cebu 150 families (2 barangays) Tudela, Cebu 350 families (3 barangays) TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES 5,992 Organizing volunteers for relief operations were undertaken side-by-side actual relief efforts. Diocesan TFER-BK Teams have been formed in affected dioceses to help the regional TFER-BK in the conduct of relief operations and mobilization of other services. Informal advocacy campaigns intended to raise the awareness of individuals about ecological issues and the factors that triggered the devastating calamity that struck their communities were conducted alongside RDO. Liturgical activities were also held in parish churches to uplift the spirits of typhoon victims and to help them make sense of the misery they have experienced. IV. OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES AND INTERVENTIONS

TFER-BK organized two Medical Missions (MM) in Estancia, Iloilo in December 2013 and January 2014 to address the health conditions of calamity victims. The MM was conducted in partnership with other organizations and through the help of medical workers and other volunteers. Medicines were also given to the indigent patients free of charge. TFER-BK also initiated support programs in Estancia, Iloilo, which includes Bulig Panday (a rehabilitation drive assisting local residents in the restoration and repair of their houses), and Children Ministry (a psychosocial and counselling program for children intended to help them cope with the trauma from their tragic experience

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V. SOLIDARITY VISITS AND EXPOSURES TFER and TFER-Bulig Katilingban facilitated the solidarity visits and exposures of friends from international partner organizations and Churches the IFI has concordat relations with. Revd Dr. Franz Segbers from the Old Catholic Church in the Union of Utrecht visited Marabut, Western Samar, in December 2013. Two female nursing students who are members of the Church of Sweden stayed in Iloilo for ten (10) days in January 2014 and participated in the RDO and Medical Mission. The Revd Richard Barlett from the Church of England, and vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the United Society, visited Cebu in January 2014. VI. PARTNERSHIP IN DISASTER RESPONSE INITIATIVE TFER works in partnership with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and Damayang Simbahan sa Panahon ng Disaster - Ecumenical Disaster Response (DAMBANA) in the delivery of goods and services to typhoon-affected communities. Regional TFER-BK have likewise established collaboration with other church bodies, church-based organizations, regional and provicial relief organizations, local government units, academic institutions, partylist groups, peoples’ organizations and various task force organizations also engaged in RDO and MM. This form of cooperation has widened the scope of relief and medical services to areas needing assistance. Apart from cash contributions, IFI dioceses and parishes have also sent boxes of clothing, canned goods, bottled drinking water and other food items as part of their support to typhoon-affected families and communities. An audited TFER financial statement will be published at the end of the program period. VII. MILESTONES IN DISASTER RESPONSE IMPLEMENTATION TFER-Bulig Katilingban had reached the target number of families that needed immediate relief assistance as laid-down in its December 2013 plan of action. In the particular case of Western Visayas TFER-BK, it exceeded its target and actually extended relief assistance to more than 23,000 families in the provinces of Iloilo, Aklan and Antique due to the strong support it has received from partner organizations and institutions. It has received recognition from the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as a legitimate humanitarian organization in

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Panay because of its competent leadership, credible reputation and commitment to serve the victims of typhoon Yolanda. Clergy and lay volunteers from the affected areas were mobilized to help in the preparation to the actual distribution of relief goods and holding of medical missions. The relief operation and medical missions have offered enriching experience for IFI members who joined the volunteers group of TFER-BK. The RDO and MM offered a face to the effort of the IFI to alleviate the situation of the poor calamity victims. It also raised the commitment of the clergy in the typhoon-affected dioceses to serve the poor as TFER-BK offered them the opportunity to engage themselves to work with the victims of the calamity even as they were victims themselves as well. TFER-BK has also helped indigent residents in communities affected by the typhoon to gain critical awareness of environmental issues and an understanding of the ecological factors that triggered the devastating calamity that struck the Visayas.

VIII. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES The aftermath of the typhoon calls for a large scale rehabilitation assistance to significantly rebuild the shattered lives and livelihood of the victims and restore them back to normalcy. The situation, likewise, highlights the imperative to initiate concrete advocacy and campaign actions on the issue of global warming and other related ecological issues. Based from the extent of damage and devastation wrought by typhoon Yolanda, relief operations would take a long time even before honest-to-goodness rehabilitation efforts could be initiated. TFER-Bulig Katilingban, in cooperation with IFI dioceses in areas affected by the typhoon, is currently developing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan to help affected communities fully recover from the devastation brought about by the calamity. The actual RDO and MM provided opportunity to see the actual situation of affceted families and communities after several weeks and received appeals from the victims to address their need for rehabilitation assistance. The people in most of the coastal areas affected are pleading for support to restore their pre-Yolanda socio-economic activities so that they themselves can rebuild their own houses. Most of the fisherfolks lost their fishings boats and gears to the typhoon. On the other hand, farmers whose crops were

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destroyed by the typhoon expressed their need for farm implements and seeds to plant new crops. The IFI and Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) held a Concordat Dialogue on the occasion of their 17th Concordat Anniversary in February 2014. Both Churches have undertaken individual initiatives to assist the disaster-affected population through their respective disaster response program. Being Churches in Corcordat of Full Communion, the IFI and ECP recognize the need to form a special partnership to improve disaster response initiatives and work together towards putting-up a joint community-based disaster preparedness and response program. Rev. Wilfredo L. Ruazol Head Coordinator Task Force on Emergency Response