Translated version in Diakonia's Swedish blog!
http://diakoniablogg.se/2014/05/filippinerna/
Travelling into Tacloban city, the shocking aerial view encapsulated the extent of physical devastation post Typhon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda). As we approached the airport terminal building by foot, Minnie Anne Calub Emergency Programme Manager of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) ecstatically said: “There, finally a roof now!” Tacloban's Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to the Eastern Visayas Region in central Philippines was effectively destroyed by Typhon Haiyan. Six months on, the airport terminal building is fitted with a new roof while the interior of the terminal remains bare.
Fighting through the chaos after receiving my luggage from the staffs who were seen toiling around to get the airport running, we finally got onto a van that drove us into Tacloban city. The lack of suitable housing was evident as rows and rows of tents pitched in close proximity remain the main shelter option for the community. It is impossible for anyone to miss the dilapidated houses and buildings along the road, many apparently beyond repair and abandoned by their previous occupants. Children were seen playing in hazardous conditions amidst rubble. In Barangay 89 one of the hardest-hit coastal districts in Tacloban City where its entire community remains housed in tents and makeshift huts, I was overwhelmed by the desperate frustration as concerns over leaking tents and the lack of information regarding relocation sites from the government were repeatedly voiced by the community. On the day that we arrived, it felt no less than 35 degree Celsius. The sweltering heat and humidity would have turned the tents into boiler rooms. I cannot help but wonder how long more do they have to endure with these living conditions? It was heartening to hear how the community has found glimpses of hope amidst the hardships through ACT Alliance member Christian Aid (CA) activities carried out in the Barangay. With local partner Urban Poor Associates (UPA), CA organises women for urban gardening to improve self-sufficiency while mothers helped monitor feeds to ensure that sufficient nutrients were provided to the children. As a community member stoically put it, these activities distract us away from the pain and sufferings.
The “no-dwelling zone” policy implemented by the government post-disaster which prohibits the construction of structures within 40 meters from the shoreline in areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan has complicated the recovery process as residents of some coastal neighbourhoods who have rebuilt their homes are now technically illegal squatters, possibly facing eviction. Non-governmental organisations are now confronting the government on the legal or scientific basis of this policy and questioning if the policy was to clear coastal areas to pave the way for private developers. After Typhoon Haiyan, what emerged as a poignant issue that need to be urgently addressed in the rebuilding process is ensuring that land tenure and property rights of vulnerable groups are not impacted negatively. It is often the poorest people who are targeted for relocation. These people do not formally own land and have little option but to live close to the coast given their dependency on the proximity to the sea for livelihood.
In Barangay Salvacion and Barangay Fererras, Act Alliance member NCCP showcased the comprehensive design of their shelter project that had benefited 197 households. Located within 50-100 meters from the original dwellings, the beneficiaries worry less about the effect on livelihood as the relocation gave them access to their fisher boats. Noticeably, NCCP had shifted from building permanent shelters to progressive shelters to tackle with the tricky land tenure issues when constructing permanent housing. NCCP has also tapped into its local networks and work closely with the Mayor office to secure tenure for the relocated families. However, it will take at least another 3 months for the shelters to be completed. Claudia B. Gacod one of the beneficiaries of the shelter project expressed that the most pressing need for her family is to leave the tent immediately, warning: "What will happen to us if there is another storm?" It is also in Barangay Salvacion where three Act Alliance members (CA, NCCP and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)) converged and displayed coordination and illustrated how the work of each member has complemented one another. When interviewed, Cherry G. Legue the Advisor for Salvacion Women Association happily shared that women in the Barangay who always have been homemakers can now get income from planting seedlings in the newly constructed nursery, a community initiative financed by NCCP. “Do you feel more empowered?” I asked. Cherry quickly answered “We don’t think about that now. We are just happy that we can save money to finance our children’s education”.
Spending hours on car rides travelling between Leyte and Eastern Samar, a daunting sight is the fields of toppled and uprooted coconut trees, or what is left of their skinny trunks less the bushy tops. It has been estimated that in Eastern Visayas alone, some 33 million coconut trees were either damaged or destroyed. Around 80% of the people of Eastern Samar rely on the coconut industry and now it is wiped out. In Barangay Liwayway, CA’s local partner Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) has organised the community to work on environmental security and livelihoods, a result of which a communal farm which uses organic fertiliser was set up. The activities have enabled the community to begin the process of intercropping, crop-diversification and livelihood/poultry raising activities. This will help to secure livelihoods while the wait for the newly planted coconut trees to become productive continues.
After visiting a number of the worst-hit areas in a span of a week, Filipino’s remarkable resilience is striking. Andrew Martin of UNOCHA remarked that the country has surmounted challenges and the speed of recovery is almost unprecedented given the scale of destruction. One cannot help but wonder if this is a good sign as we are reminded in our meetings that despite shelter and livelihood needs of affected population remain unmet, international support has already begin to wean as more acute humanitarian situations have arisen in other parts of the world. Visible recovery has taken place, but who can arrive at the speed of recuperation for the human psyche? I vividly recall the words of the lady who spoke in tears when asked about the community’s disaster preparedness in the face of future disasters “My heart will not take it anymore. If it hits again, take me away”.
