TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will carry out a $363 million recovery projects in areas hit by supertyphoon Yolanda. Gwendolyn Pang, PRC secretary general, said that responding to early recovery needs of Yolanda survivors is their biggest rehabilitation projects, which involves millions of Filipino and foreign volunteers. The project, with a funding support of 320 million Swiss Francs (US$363 million), will run for three years. It will primarily help survivors rebuild their shattered lives and enhance the PRC’s capacity to respond to future disasters through training for volunteers. “So far, this is the biggest work that we are going to do in terms of recovery. This is eight or 10 times bigger compared to other disasters in the country. We have put in a lot of preparatory work for that for us to be able to meet that magnitude work needed,” Pang told reporters. Specifically, recovery works would focus on restoring shelter, livelihoods, education, disaster risk reduction and access to health care, to help affected communities overcome the hardships of the past six months and restore self-reliance. For permanent housing alone, 40,000 homes will be built and 50,000 units will be repaired, according to Pang. “This response is very wide in terms of area affected. Many people come to work and help the Philippines. Red Cross is contributing not less than 25 % of full recovery in our country, making us the key player here. We are supported by the whole Red Cross with Crescent Movement internationally,” Pang said. Since the disaster struck, the PRC, together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and over 50 national societies from around the world have been sending aid for all areas hit by Yolanda. These were emergency relief, including food, shelter items and cash to more than one million people. Thousands more received medical attention from Red Cross emergency facilities. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement distributed cash grants to 75,000 families and met 25% of the emergency shelter needs of survivors, providing tents, tarpaulins and other materials to almost 140,000 households. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY-Radio broadcaster Leo Ladan, 44, has no other words except to say thank you to Misereor, German Catholic Bishops’ Organisation for Development Cooperation, and the World Vision International for funding “Radyo Abante,” a humanitarian radio heard in the airwaves two months after Eastern Visayas was hit by Yolanda. Ladan said that he almost lost hope to return to radio work after Yolanda completely knocked down their radio station DyDw(Radyo Diwa), a Catholic-run station in the city, on November 8,2013. “In my mind, if there is no radio would mean no work for me and I will have no other place to go,” Ladan, who has been working in the radio for over a decade, said. “Working back on the radio gives me more confidence that I can rebuild our home and bring my family back on their feet,” he added. At present, Radyo Abante has eight reporters, all victims of Yolanda whose original media outlets ceased to operate after being damaged or destroyed by Yolanda. Ledrolen Manriquez, national coordinator for the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (Pecojon), who initiated in looking for funds and donors for establishing “Radyo Abante” as a humanitarian media project “aims to provide two way communication between humanitarian agencies and the communities and to provide temporary livelihood to journalists affected by Yolanda.” “On the question of sustainability, since it is an emergency radio project, we are only meant to operate on a short-term basis. At the moment, we have plans to operate for six more months,” Manriquez said in an interview online. She said that the funding they got for the radio was P2 million, P1.2 million of it was for the equipment. It first went into the air last January 13, 2014. “But we’re tight in budget. For rent and utilities alone, it would reached P40,000 a month,” Manriquez said. The station does not accept any advertisers like an ordinary media outlet. Fred Padernos, the station manager, described Pecojon as their “angel”, saying they “not only regain our livelihood but also our hope amid the crises we are facing in.” “They saw the information gap and they found ways to solve it by tapping local media to operate a radio station,” Padernos said, adding that the Cebu-based group also extended financial assistance to several media workers in Tacloban affected by Yolanda. Incidentally, it was Padernos who coined the name of their radio station saying that Tacloban, after being devastated by Yolanda, has no other way but to move forward (abante). Padernos said that the concept of the program is to bridge the gap on the exchange of concerns and messages between various humanitarian agencies, local and national government and the general public affected by the storm. Listeners of the program have also the chance to “relax and be destressed” through a karaoke show on the radio. (RONALD O.REYES)

TABON-TABON, Leyte – Marivic Luban, 38, was busy assisting a mason putting red cement in the flooring of her soon-to-be home at Sitio Gubat, Mering village, this town. She happily welcomed her visitors, who paid her a surprise visit in a blazing hot summer. She excitedly shook the hands of guests who made it possible for her family to have a new house, six months after supertyphoon Yolanda decimated Eastern Visayas. “Damo na salamat ma’am, salamat sirs (Thank you very much ma’am, sirs),” were the only words that came from Luban’s mouth as she stood before her unexpected guests. Her guests happened to be Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang; International Federation of Red Cross head of delegation Leyte Operations Steve MacAndrew; PRC head of Task Force Yolanda Leyte Valdmor Aguilar; PRC shelter coordinator Allan Mosqueda and PRC staff and volunteers and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement head of delegation in the Philippines, Marcel Fortier who was impressed when told that the houses were constructed in just 10 days. “I am really grateful with the Philippine Red Cross. Without their help, we could not have this kind of house. This is really a big help to us,” Luban, a mother of six children, said. According to her, their house was totally damaged, save for their kitchen where her family hid on the onslaught of Yolanda. Prior to the repair of their house, tarpaulins distributed by the PRC saved their family from the elements, she said. They formally transferred to their new home last May 13. “This shelter program is a joint project of the societies of IFRC, PRC and the International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC). We plan to build more durable homes that can withstand 220kph winds, spacious and decent place for the survivors of the typhoon,” said Pang on the assistance the groups have for extended to the survivors of Yolanda in all the 47 affected municipalities in the country. “We are now geared in supporting the long-term recovery of survivors in terms of housing, livelihood, health, water networks and education,” she added. The shelter has a floor area of 24-square meters with a provision for toilet and kitchen. It is made of cement and plywood with GI sheets and roofing is pitched at 30-degrees to withstand strong winds. Roof will be painted with red color and the wall will be in white. “It will be the sweat equity of the beneficiaries in painting the house. We will provide the paint materials but they will be the one to paint their new shelter,” said Engr. Albert Bulagsac, senior project engineer of the shelter program of the organization. Aguilar said each unit cost P100, 000 as he said that the movement would construct 52 units in Barangay Mering. “We will duplicate this in all the 20 municipalities in Leyte. We target 1,000 permanent houses in each municipality while 5,000 houses for the resettlement in Tacloban City,” he added. The beneficiaries were selected by the Barangay Recovery Committee that the PRC had established in the barangays. It worked closely with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in choosing the beneficiaries to ensure that it really addresses the most vulnerable. About 16 million people were affected by Yolanda with thousands losing family members, homes and incomes. To date, one million people were reached through Red Cross emergency relief distributions including cooked meals, dry food rations, none-food household items, hygiene kits and emergency shelter materials. There were 138,435 total households that received emergency shelter support across affected region. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have covered 25 percent of the total emergency shelter needs across the affected region. PRC chairman Richard Gordon said that 50,000 households benefitted from the unconditional cash grant of up to P5, 000. The focus is now on the recovery phase which is expected to cost 320 million Swiss Francs over the next three years. Housing has always been a priority on the onset of the rainy season, leaving tens of thousands living in bunkhouses, tents and shanties as most vulnerable. The amount has empowered the beneficiaries to buy what the pressing needs in the family and it also helps revive the economy. “It is still a long road to recovery, but the resilience of the Taclobanons and the people from Eastern Visayas is really amazing. We are not only helping them meet their needs, but also help them in preparing for any disasters that will come their way,” said Pang. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)

CALBIGA, Samar- Soldiers based this town have turned green as they planted close to 300 seedlings of various varieties not only for aesthetic purpose but also to help avert climate change. The soldiers, who belong to the 87th Infantry Battalion based in Barangay Polangi, this town, conducted the tree planting in coordination with the municipal government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources DENR). By planting the 280 seedlings of different varieties inside the camp, their objective to develop a tree park of half a hectare would be attained, said Lt. Col. Antonio Dulnuan, commanding officer of the battalion. The initiative was in accordance with the national greening program of Pres. Benigno Aquino which is embodied under Executive Order No.26. Under the program, the government aims to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 hectares of public land within a span of six years which is to end by 2016. The 87th IB has planted 50 seedlings of rambutan and 115 seedlings of red lawaan and 115 seedlings of mahogany. They started their tree planting activity on April of this year. Aside from Calbiga, the 87th IB covers the municipalities of San Jose de Buan, Paranas, Jiabong, Motiong, Daram, Hinabangan, Villareal, Pinabacdao,San Sebastian, Zummaraga,Talalora, Sta. Rita, Basey and Marabut, all in Samar. Planting trees on public lands and mountain catchments help reduce environmental destruction; halting erosion through the retention of topsoil, harvesting of rainwater, and helps communities build their resilience to climate change. (JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

TACLOBAN CITY- A Japanese actress and writer Misako Konno has donated 1 million yen (approximately US$ 10,200) to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help rebuild Yolanda-hit communities. The donation came as the country commemorated on May 8 the six month anniversary of the disaster, which killed over 6,200 people and displaced more than 4 million. “UNDP is doing a great deal to help the people of the Philippines who have been affected by this terrible storm,” said Konno in a statement to UNDP. “By helping to meet the immediate needs of affected communities, kick-start recovery through the removal of debris and waste, and generate emergency employment – they are helping to create conditions for long-term recovery and sustainable development. I am very proud of my association with UNDP. I hope that my contribution will draw attention to continued recovery efforts in the country and, combined with other donations from around the world, empower the people to build a resilient society,” the Japanese actress said. UNDP said that aside from donating her own money, Konno has also worked since the outset of the deadly storm to raise awareness about UNDP’s efforts to rebuild the devastated region. “We are very thankful to Ms. Konno and her hard work as a Goodwill Ambassador – raising awareness about poverty and development issues,” said Maurice Dewulf, UNDP Philippines Country Director, in a statement. “Her work to help make people aware of the devastation faced by those in the Philippines has been amazing. This sizable donation, combined with her long-term support for UNDP for many years now shows true dedication to the cause of sustainable development.” According to UNDP, Konno is one of many UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors who have helped raise awareness about the plight of communities affected by Yolanda, along with soccer stars Marta Vieira da Silva, Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane, who in April joined a host of other well-known footballers in a benefit match – the 11th Match Against Poverty, which raised over US$ 190,000 for UNDP’s recovery efforts in the Philippines. (RONALD O.REYES)