The Diocese of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, one of the areas hit hardest by Typhoon “Odette,” has started relief and rehabilitation programs to help rebuild communities battered by the typhoon.
According to Fr. Hendrix Alar, head of the Diocese of Dumaguete Command Center for Typhoon “Odette” Response, the goal of the diocese was to assist the residents affected by the typhoon for up to one year.
Alar said the diocese’s early recovery and rehabilitation program consisted of constructing houses and providing relief to families affected by the typhoon.
“The food relief operations were conducted in the first month. After that we started the rehabilitation program which will be for two to three months,” Alar said.
The relief programs were initiated in partnership with government agencies such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Agriculture.
“Our efforts in our diocese are [aimed] to augment the efforts of the government, so we collaborate with them to strengthen our communication and networking with the government,” Alar said.
Alar said access to clean water was scarce after the typhoon.
“We brought 300 liters during the first time we went to the affected areas, [and] the good thing is nagpipila pa rin at hindi nag-aagawan ‘yong mga tao,” he said.
Aside from providing food packs and hygiene kits, the diocese also focused on the “well-being” of the Odette victims.
“[N]ag aassign tayo ng isang tao na ‘yong bibigyang pansin niya ay ‘yong well-being, especially well-being ng team. Kinausap namin ‘yong mga parish priests kung gusto nila psychological inputs or workshops especially for the children,” Alar said.
After the housing rehabilitation, the diocese will launch programs to help typhoon-affected families to earn livelihood.
The National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) or Caritas Philippines, the Philippine Church’s humanitarian and advocacy arm, has allotted P500 pesos for the “early recovery and rehabilitation” program for the Odette victims.
Caritas Philippines will build 5,300 houses and restore the livelihood of 10,000 families in 11 dioceses, said Jing Rey Henderson, the agency’s communications and partnerships development coordinator.
“Most of these people are displaced. They are living in tents or nakikitira lamang, so ang kailangan nila ngayon ay bahay at saka maibalik din ang kanilang panghanapbuhay,” Henderson told the Varsitarian.
Henderson said that after the onslaught of Typhoon “Yolanda” in Leyte in 2013, Caritas Philippines and the dioceses strived to improve their disaster responses.
Caritas Philippines has raised over P80 million for its emergency response program, which provided food and hygiene packs, sleeping and shelter materials and medicines to two thousand families affected by “Odette.”
Eleven dioceses were severely affected by “Odette”: Maasin, Cebu, Talibon and Tagbilaran Bohol, Cabangcalan and San Carlos Negros Occidental, Dumaguete Negros Oriental, Taytay Puerto Princesa Palawan, Surigao and Bacolod.
“Each of our dioceses now know na kapag may nangangailangan na kapatid, na kasama, hindi tayo dapat na maghintayan pa,” Henderson said.
On Jan. 24, Thomasian Dumaguete Bishop Julito Cortes led a Mass for those who died and were still missing due to the typhoon.
Pope Francis has donated P5.8 million pesos to support the local Church’s relief operations for “Odette” victims.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, “Odette” killed more than 400 individuals.
It also left 82 individuals missing and 1,147 injured.
In total, “Odette” affected 1,140,118 families or 4,462,997 individuals in 6,530 towns. A. M. C. Cruz and A. N. C. Cruz with reports from Ma. Alena O. Castillo
