Peacebuilders
Peacebuilder becomes Relief Operator
4 January 2012
In mid-December, many areas of Mindanao suffered flash flooding and landslides after being hit in the night by the powerful tropical storm Sendong, known internationally as Washi. In many places the flash floods and landsides have caused entire neighbourhoods to be completely washed away. Areas which have been particularly affected are Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City, which have a combined population of almost 1 million people. While the majority of the island has been relatively unscathed, many areas have been devastated by the rivers bursting their banks while residents slept.
The devastation has affected over 750,000 people in total with almost 1300 people having died and the number of missing persons increasing each day. The problems of getting the true figures of the devastation are difficult as over 50,000 people have been displaced by the destruction and almost 470,000 people have been forced to seek emergency shelter. With nearly 50,000 homes damaged, the sheer volume of people seeking shelter in the 55 evacuation centres has meant that a significant majority have had to take shelter in temporary structures such as tents. Finding the space for these tents is a problem in itself, but the situation is made severely worse by the lack of basic amenities and sanitary conditions available to those displaced. Already a number of camps have witnessed the onset of disease due to these conditions.
However, much fantastic work is being done by humanitarian organisations to help those affected by the tropical storm. RTC alumnus Charlito "Kaloy" Z. Manlupig and his organisation Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc have been involved in the relief efforts since the start, having started Relief Operations almost immediately. Their operations initially served to tackle the most pressing of priorities - distributing food packages, bottled water, and hygiene and clothing packs, and aiding teams of doctors and nurses with their relief efforts. Having only been established 2 weeks ago, the Balay Mindanaw Relief Operations centre has already launched an effective infrastructure to cope with the demand for relief as well as the supply of volunteers and aid, and has helped distribute relief to more than 5,500 families. It has already received 1,446,089.92 Philippine pesos in cash donations and 2,092,650.00 pesos in cash pledges so far, which in total equates to over £50,000 ($80,000), and donations are still flowing in on a daily basis.
The generosity in donations and volunteers has enabled Balay Mindanaw to progress in its ability to offer relief to those affected. As of January 2012, they have marked the beginning of a New Year with the expansion of their operation to be involved in more comprehensive and programmatic disaster management work. While offering relief is still vital it is just as important to help as many as possible to move on from this stage. By helping to offer support in psycho-social, relocation, and rebuilding houses and livelihoods, Balay Mindanaw is aiming to help those affected by the floods to become resources so that they can also help others.
As with any natural disaster, the work needed to be done to help those affected extends far past the relief stage, and we commend all organisations, workers and volunteers who are both providing relief and engaging in reconstruction, especially the work of Kaloy and Balay Mindanaw.
For more information on the Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc. relief effort click here.