Philippines: Typhoon - ACT: 30-Jul-01
Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Appeal - Philippines
Assistance to Typhoon Victims - ASPH12
Appeal Target: US$ 88,148
Geneva, 30 July 2001
On 3 July Typhoon Feria (international Name: Utor) swept across the
Philippines, battering Northern Luzon with winds of up to140 kilometer per
hour and gusts of 170 kilometers per hour. It also affected nearby
regions such as the Central Luzon, National Capital Region, Southern
Tagalog, Bicol Provinces and some parts of the Visayas.
On July 10, another tropical cyclone, Gorio, passed through the same areas
battered by typhoon Feria. Although it was weaker with winds of only 55
kilometers per hour, Gorio brought torrential rains.
Typhoon Feria and Gorio left the country with devastated farmlands, loss
of life, missing persons, isolated provinces and thousands of evacuees.
A part of the above mentioned population has already been severely
affected by the recent eruption of the Mayon volcano that is still active
and preventing the evacuated population from returning to their homes.
ACT member The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is
proposing a project comprising the following elements:
Food-for-Work
Non-food: shelter materials, blankets, sleeping mats
Medicines, and
Agricultural inputs
Project Completion Date: 28 February 2002 (8 months)
Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance
Requested
US$
Total Appeal Target(s) 88,148
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd. 0
Balance Requested from ACT Network 88,148
Ms. Genevieve Jacques Thor-Arne Prois Rev. Rudolf Hinz
Director ACT Coordinator Director
WCC/Cluster on Relations LWF/World Service
REQUESTING ACT MEMBER CHURCH/AGENCY
National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Program Unit on Faith,
Witness and Service Relief and Rehabilitation
IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) was formed in
1963 as a councilor body composed of 11 member Churches and associate
member organizations.
Relief and Rehabilitation is a special program of the Faith, Witness and
Service Unit. The program is involved in disaster management work with
survivors of both natural and human-made emergency situations. This
includes relief services, education and training on disaster preparedness
and rehabilitation assistance. Its network in the regions comprises church
leaders, clergy and lay persons from the NCCP member churches,
church-related organizations and peoples organizations. Others are
organized through the Regional Ecumenical Councils (RECs) who are given
training in disaster management and eventually become the implementing
local partners or local volunteers.
The Relief and Rehabilitation section is staffed by a licensed social
worker, which is a requirement by the government and a
driver-cum-warehouse-man. It is complemented by the personnel of the
Faith, Witness and Service who are also development workers.
DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION
On 3 July Typhoon Feria (international Name: Utor) swept across the
Philippines, battering Northern Luzon with winds of up to140 kilometer per
hour and gusts of 170 kilometers per hour. It also affected nearby
regions such as the Central Luzon, National Capital Region, Southern
Tagalog, Bicol Provinces and some parts of the Visayas.
Emergency signal 3 was hoisted over the provinces of Apayao, the Batanes
group of islands, Ilocos Norte and Cagayan Valley (Region 1 & 2). Signal
2 was also hoisted over the remaining provinces of Region 1 and Region 2
and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Signal 1 was hoisted over the
rest of Luzon including Metro Manila.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) said that Typhoon Feria was the strongest typhoon
to hit the country this year. It crossed Calayan Islands in the Balintang
Channel and moved towards Hong Kong and China.
On July 10, another tropical cyclone, Gorio, passed through the same areas
battered by typhoon Feria. Although it was weaker with winds of only 55
kilometers per hour, Gorio brought torrential rains.
Typhoon Feria and Gorio left the country with devastated farmlands, loss
of life, missing persons, isolated provinces and thousands of evacuees.
Almost 20 landslides occurred and heavy flooding affected agricultural
fields as well as residential areas. Vast tracts of agricultural lands
planted with rice, corn and vegetables were washed out and livestock were
drowned. There was a black-out for almost a week as lines were down. Many
bridges connecting Region 1 and Region 2 were also destroyed, isolating
those areas.
According to the National Disaster Co-ordinating Council, around 1.24
million persons (252,876 families) were severely affected, of which 12,000
moved to 86 evacuation centers in the different areas.
Areas most severely affected were the following:
Region 1- Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur , La Union and Pangasinan
Region 2- Cagayan
Cordillera Administrative Region- Baguio City
Region III - Nueva Ecija
National Capital Region- Malabon, Navotas, Manila, Valenzuela
At least 2,162 barangays from 166 municipalities and 10 cities in nine
regions were affected.
The heavy flooding rendered many roads and bridges impassable and seven
major bridges were destroyed isolating most of the affected provinces.
NCCP regional partners, especially the member churches, along with the
regional ecumenical councils carried out surveys and needs assessments
with the following results:
Region 1 (La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan)
La Union: The city of San Fernando and its nearby suburbs experienced
heavy flooding as a result of the rivers surrounding these areas
overflowing. Five rural towns were inundated when the Amburayan River
broke its banks. The Tagudin Bridge connecting the provinces of La Union
and Ilocos Sur also collapsed due to the onrush of water from the
Amburayan river.
A "baby tornado" injured at least 20 people, destroyed 40 houses and
toppled electric posts. Fifty houses were washed away in the aftermath.
Ilocos Sur: The torrential rains severe flooding in four towns and a city
in the Mountain Province. The famous Banaoang Bridge (a river water basin
of Abra River) collapsed which caused the isolation of Northern Luzon.
According to the Department of Public Works and Highways, it will take at
least 8 months to one year to reconstruct the bridge. This was the first
time that the Abra River had broken its banks causing severe flooding of
the entire metropolitan area of Vigan.
Ilocos Norte: Typhoon Feria caused the Laoag River to break it banks
inundating the commercial area of two towns in water 7 feet deep. Laoag
City, provincial capital of Ilocos Norte, had no potable water for at
least one week. Two coastal towns experienced tidal waves that destroyed
residential houses and other properties. The whole province experienced
power shortages. A bridge connecting the province to the southern part
also collapsed.
Pangasinan: The heavy flooding in Pangasinan (Region 1) is not only
caused by the continuous rains brought by Typhoon Feria but also due to
the release of water by two major dams in Northern Luzon - Ambuklao Dam
(Benguet) and Binga Dam (Benguet). The water level increased so rapidly in
the Agno River, the main tributary, that it overflowed into the connecting
water systems. At least seventeen towns and one city were submerged with
floodwaters.
Region 2- Cagayan Valley
In Nueva Viscaya, a landslide occurred in Sta. Fe, rendering Dalton Pass,
a major route, impassable.
Typhoon Feria affected 39,319 families and left six people dead. Damage to
agriculture was placed at PhP129.46 million and to infrastructure at
PhP46.48 million.
Cordillera Administrative Region
Baguio City and Benguet province recorded the highest loss of life due to
landslides. At least 2,308 houses were totally damaged while 800 more
sustained partial damages.
Burnham Lake, one of the major tourist attractions in this "Summer
Capital" overflowed inundating central Baguio with knee-deep floodwaters.
Landslides caused Baguio City to be isolated for a few days. Vehicles
were reported buried in a landslide in one of the major highways in
Benguet.
Region III (Central Luzon)
Out of the six provinces in Central Luzon, Nueva Ecija, was the worst hit
with eleven towns severely affected. At least 7,761 persons were
evacuated to safer grounds when their houses were submerged with
floodwaters as high as six feet. The destruction of a protective dike
between towns caused the flooding of these areas.
National Capital Region
In Metro Manila, four municipalities in flood-prone areas and home to many
poor urban communities were not spared the heavy flooding - around 500
families were evacuated.
Impact on Human Lives, Property, Infrastructure
According to the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Typhoon Feria
left 130 people dead, 52 reported missing and 182 others injured. The
cause of deaths were mostly due to landslides, drowning and electrocution.
Around 9,867 houses have been completely destroyed while 12,887 others
sustained severe damage.
The Ilocos region was the worst hit followed by Cagayan Valley and the
Cordillera Autonomous Region. Poor urban communities in Metro Manila,
especially those in low-lying areas, also suffered from flooding.
The latest official record shows that at least 1.24 million persons or
252,876 families were affected. The total damage cost of the typhoon is
estimated at PhP1.59 billion. The agricultural sector suffered the most -
at least PhP780 million damage to crops and other agricultural products.
In the Cagayan and Isabela provinces alone, 180,000 tons of corn were
destroyed.
The damage to infrastructure is estimated at PhP737 million and according
to the Department of Public Works and Highways, repair and reconstruction
might take eight months to one year.
In the coastal towns of the Region 1, fishpens and fish stocks were
destroyed.
General Information on Areas Affected
Region 1 : lies in the northwestern coast of the island of Luzon. It is
composed of four provinces namely; Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and
Pangasinan. The area is rich in non-metallic minerals for agricultural and
industrial use. The major agriculture products are rice, corn, banana,
coconut and tobacco. The region is rich and natural and human resources.
It is a part of the Northern Luzon Growth Quadrangle.
Region 2: Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) is found in the northernmost part of
Luzon composed of five provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya
and Quirino. It is bounded by three bodies of water. Five provinces make
up region: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya and Quirino.
Cagayan Valley has a total land area of 2,683,758 hectares, 64% of which
is forestland. The country's largest river basin, the Cagayan River Basin
is found in the region. The main source of livelihood is still
agricultural. Big logging companies had been operating in the Valley for
so many years thus depleting the forest resources of the area. Although
the region is rich in resources, its agricultural-base is controlled by a
few big landlords..
Region 3: Central Luzon is now popularly known as lahar area because of
the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1992. It is located in the central portion
of the Luzon island. It is composed of six provinces namely Bataan, Nueva
Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Bulacan. It is primarily an
agricultural region producing rice, coffee, sugarcane, poultry and
livestock.
Central Luzon is prone to heavy flooding because most of the major water
systems became inundated with lahar. The Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1992
covered almost 52,320 hectares with lahar.
Cordillera Administrative Region: the Cordillera Administrative Region
(CAR) lies at the northern tip of the Luzon Island. It is composed of five
provinces that used to be parts of the Ilocos Region.
The region's terrain is rugged with mountain ranges as high as 7,000 feet.
Forestland cover most of its lands and mineral resources abound in these
mountains. Most of the country's mineral reserves and production,
particularly gold and copper, are found in the region. The cool climate of
the region is suitable for vegetable crops, thus produces most of the
vegetable needs of the country.
The region has a rich cultural heritage, home to ten ethno-linguistic
groups.
The "Summer Capital of the Country", Baguio City and other major tourist
spots are found in the region. It Is ironic that in spite of the region's
rich resources and culture, it has not grown economically because it has
been mainly geared towards tourism.
National Capital Region: The National Capital Region (NCR) is also known
as the Metro Manila Region. It is composed of eight cities and nine
municipalities. The cities are Manila, Kalookan, Quezon, Pasay,
Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig and Muntinlupa.
The NCR serves as the economic and political center of the country. The
head offices of financial institutions and multi-national corporations are
located in the region. It is likewise the seat of power in the country.
Locations for proposed emergency response and number and type of
beneficiaries
Region
Number of
Families
Type of Beneficiaries
Relief
Rehabilitation
I
2,500
300
Farmers and fisherfolk
II
1,000
Farmers and fisherfolk
CAR
2,000
100
Urban Poor and Igorot
III
2,000
100
Farmers
NCR
1,000
Urban poor
Other Areas
1,000
Total
10,500
500
GOAL & OBJECTIVES
Goal: To channel emergency responses to families and communities most
affected by the typhoons and where capacities for survival can not be met.
Objectives
Provision of food / non-food materials and medical assistance to at least
10, 500 families. The food assistance will mainly consist of
food-for-work, especially to farmers and communities who will be clearing
farmlands and repairing damaged houses.
Agricultural rehabilitation through provision of seeds/ seedlings and farm
inputs to 500 peasant-families, so enabling them to recover from their
economic losses.
Mobilisation of the church constituency for the various relief and
rehabilitation efforts (e.g. resource generation, monitoring,
distribution, purchasing and repacking) as a manifestation of Christian
witnessing and service
TARGETTED BENEFICIARIES
Criteria for beneficiary selection
Regions 1, 2, 3 and the CAR depend on agriculture. Priority will be given
to small farmers whose crops were destroyed due to heavy flooding.
Assistance will also be given to urban poor communities in the National
Capital Region and in Baguio City who suffered heavily during the
flashfloods.
Farmers who will be provided with agriculture assistance will be selected
based on the extent of damage and loss of crops and farmlands. Priority
will be given to those who have no other means to re-start their
livelihood.
Number of Beneficiaries according to assistance provided:
Relief assistance - 10,500 families
Rehabilitation - 500 families
PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION
Crisis Phase
Food and Nutritional Assistance
Food assistance to be distributed to families and communities will be
composed of:
6 kilos of rice
3 pieces canned food
1 pack cooking oil
.5 kilo sugar
.25 kilo legumes
.25 kilo dried fish
.25 kilo salt
Non-Food
In addition to the food items which will be distributed to 10,500
families, 500 families will be chosen to receive additional provision of
blankets and sleeping mats. Priority will be given to vulnerable families
whose houses were totally submerged with floodwaters and those in urban
poor areas.
Another 200 families will also receive additional plastic sheets/tent as
temporary shelter. Priority will be given to those families whose houses
were totally destroyed.
Medical Assistance
Medical missions will be organized to serve areas with high incidence of
illnesses such as upper respiratory illnesses, diarrhea and skin diseases.
Volunteer medical practitioners and paramedics will be organized to
provide free medical services.
Post-Crisis Phase
Based on the reports submitted by the NCCP member churches, the regional
ecumenical councils and partner people's organizations, the hardest hit
was the agricultural sector and the urban poor.
Farmlands planted with rice (third cropping), corn and vegetables were
washed away. Other farms being prepared for the first cropping - Seedbeds
and seedlings were also destroyed.
Rehabilitation efforts will be primarily on seed/seedling dispersal and
farm input distribution. Most of the farmers are tenants and depend on
loans as source of capital for farming activities. The agriculture
assistance will then help these farmers start up with their farming
activities without necessarily depending on another loan for this cropping
season. Some communities have planned to start the seed dispersal as a
cooperative effort. Each farmer will try to return a sack of rice seeds
after the cropping season which can be distributed to other farmers.
Personnel required to carry out the emergency work
The Program Unit on Faith, Witness and Service wherein the Relief and
Rehabilitation Program is lodged will be responsible for implementing the
proposed assistance. The two staff assigned to the program will include a
social worker and driver-warehouseman, along with the personnel of the
Faith, Witness and Service composed of five development workers and one
administrative assistant. Contractual staff to assist in the day-to-day
operations of the program, especially during successive emergency
situations, will be hired on a daily basis.
The relief and rehabilitation work is implemented through the
participation of the following:
Church members in the affected areas
Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI)
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)
United Methodist Church (UMC)
The Salvation Army (TSA)
Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF)
Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP)
The regional ecumenical council
Central Luzon Ecumenical Council (CLEC)
Pangasinan, Ilocos, Abra Regional Ecumenical Council (PILAREA)
Regional Ecumenical Council in the Cordilleras (RECCORD)
Other people's organizations and church-related organizations in the
affected areas are also part of the NCCP's network.
The project will be implemented primarily by the two staff of the
PUFWS-R&R. However, during successive relief delivery operations,
contractual staff are usually hired on a daily basis to assist in the
loading and unloading of goods, warehouse maintenance, and repacking in
the national warehouse of the NCCP.
Monitoring of local situation and progress of project implementation
requires field travel to the affected areas and through other
communication systems. Funds will therefore be needed for the staff
travel, supplies for the operations and for telephone and other
communication services.
Transportation Requirements
The NCCP maintains a light truck which is used for transporting goods for
500 families. However, during successive relief delivery operations,
vehicles will be hired for hauling goods and to deliver goods to the
affected areas.
For transportation requirements, funds will be needed for fuel and
maintenance and for hiring of vehicles. However, partners are encouraged
as much as possible to provide vehicles for hauling of goods and minimal
assistance for fuel is also provided.
Procurement
The NCCP national warehouse maintains stockpile of goods for relief
distribution. In situations such as the one brought by Typhoon Feria when
most commercial establishments were also flooded, goods are usually
procured in Metro Manila.
ADMINISTRTION, FINANCE, MONITORING & REPORTING
Administration
The NCCP will administer and manage the whole project. It will also act as
the over-all co-ordinator and facilitator. In the regional or provincial
level, the NCCP member churches will be the regional or provincial
counterpart which will co-ordinate the various activities of the relief
and rehabilitation work.. They will be responsible for monitoring the
emergency situation and the conduct of needs assessment. They will also
determine the areas to be served and the corresponding needs to be
delivered. Periodic assessment will be conducted to determine the extent
of accomplishment, identification of strengths and weaknesses and
recommend possible actions for improvement.
An evaluation, participated in by the various committee members, will be
conducted at the end of the project. The final report will be prepared by
the NCCP Relief and Rehabilitation Coordinator while the financial report
will be prepared by the NCCP Treasurer's Office.
Monitoring and Reporting
Comprehensive Monitoring Procedures:
- On-field monitoring to conduct damage, needs and capacities assessment
by the NCCP staff and local partners.
- Periodic assessment with partners.
- Activity reports, both financial and narrative, by local counterparts.
- Project completion report to ACT, both narrative and financial.
Finance
Funds received by NCCP will be acknowledged by an official receipt. All
disbursements will be made in accordance with the budget and
specifications from the funding partner for a certain activity and, shall
meet with the finance officer's requirements such as availability of
funds. The request should be signed by the Program Secretary or its duly
designated representative and with the attachment of proper supporting
documents. After submission of these documents, the Treasurer's Office
will prepare a disbursement voucher and check for the implementation of
the activity. If it is a cash advance, the person responsible will
liquidate the cash advance complete with receipts and other documents
related to the activity.
IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE
July 2001 - February 2002 (8 months)
Period
Activities
July - September
On-going monitoring
Relief Distribution
Assessment of relief delivery operations
August - October
Selection of beneficiaries for rehabilitation assistance
Implementation of rehabilitation project
October - January 2002
Monitoring of rehabilitation project
February 2002
Assessment with beneficiaries of rehabilitation project
Terminal report preparation
CO-ORDINATION
The NCCP is a licensed relief agency of the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD). At the field level, NCCP co-ordinates with the
local social welfare office in sharing of information as to the areas that
need assistance. There is also co-ordination with other relief agencies
in identifying respective areas of operation both to avoid duplication as
well as to complement the services of other agencies.
BUDGET
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE
Description Type of No of Unit Cost Budget Budget
Unit Units PhP PhP US$
CRISIS PHASE
Direct Assistance
Food
Rice (6kgs./bag) 50 kg/sack 1,260 980 1,234,800 23,145
Canned Goods (3 cans/bag) piece 31,500 20 630,000 11,809
Sugar (1/2 kilo/bag) kilogram 5,250 30 157,500 2,952
Cooking Oil (1 pack/bag) pack 10,500 32 336,000 6,298
Legumes (1/2 kilo/bag) kilogram 5,250 35 183,750 3,444
Salt (1/4 kilo/bag) kilogram 2,625 25 65,625 1,230
Dried Fish (1/4 kilo/bag) kilogram 2,625 80 210,000 3,936
Sub total 2,817,675 52,814
Non-Food
Blankets piece 500 175 87,500 1,640
Plastic tents/sheets piece 150 300 45,000 843
Sleeping Mats piece 500 250 125,000 2,343
Sub total 257,500 4,826
Medicine
Assorted Kinds of Medicine box 30 750 22,500 422
POST CRISIS PHASE
Agriculture lumpsum 500 2,000 1,000,000 18,744
MATERIAL, TRANSPORT, STORAGE, WAREHOUSING & HANDLING
Truck Rental & Related Costs lumpsum 90,000 1,687
Labor for loading and unloading lumpsum 10,000 187
Sub total 100,000 1,874
PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATION & SUPPORT
Staff Salaries and support
Salaries (staff & contractual) month 8 32,000 256,000 4,799
Staff Benefits month 8 2,000 16,000 300
Volunteer Honorariums month 4 5,000 20,000 375
Staff travel-local & region lumpsum 10,000 187
Vehicle fuel & maintenance month 8 8,000 64,000 1,200
Office rental & Utilities month 8 6,000 48,000 900
Office Supplies month 8 1,000 8,000 150
Communications month 8 6,000 48,000 900
Audit of ACT Appeal Funds lumpsum 20,000 375
Program Evaluation lumpsum 15,000 281
Sub total 505,000 9,466
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 4,702,675 88,148
Exchange Rate: 1 US$ = 53.35
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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
P.O. Box 2100 E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
Switzerland http://www.act-intl.org
distributed by
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Center for International Disaster Information
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
web: www.cidi.org
listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
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