Balay Mindanaw Disaster Response: Looking Back and Moving Forward…

Thirty-one days after Sendong struck, and 29 days after we went full-swing in our organized response to the disaster, we now share with you a summary and consolidation, and our initial plans for a more organized and sustained response.

The first day after the disaster was spent in ensuring that all the members of the Balay Mindanaw Group and their families are safe and secure. We offered our Peace Center to be a home to those who were badly hit by the floods. Then, we started looking at the bigger community. We issued a call for a more organized response to the disaster. Among the very first to respond to the call were the Balay Mindanaw colleagues who were themselves “victims”. Thus, we adopted the slogan: “We refuse to be victims. We choose to be resources.”

On January 16, 2012, a month after Sendong, Balay Mindanaw met for a strategic assessment and long-term planning.

We now realize that the task of rebuilding our lives, and of helping others rebuild their own has only begun. We now realize that we need to continue giving our own share in the massive work of providing appropriate temporary shelter, finding and building appropriate housing relocation, psychosocial support, livelihoods, and even in helping build the resiliency of people and communities in preventing or facing disasters in the future.

We have decided to take on this challenge.

Looking back:

As soon as we issued our call, volunteers started to come on December 19. Using what was available to us at that time, and with more volunteers coming by the hour, we delivered our very first wave of assistance to 70 families in Barra, Opol with food packages each worth P400.00 (approx. US$10) containing 5 kilos of rice, 6 pieces of eggs, 6 cans of sardines and 2 bottles (1.5 liters) of water.

And then, generous offers of support from friends locally, nationally and globally started come and have not stopped pouring in. After one month of operations, the overwhelming and inspiring gestures of support through the cash and non-cash donations that you have entrusted to Balay Mindanaw have significantly helped the community centers in Barangays Opol, Iponan, Canitoan, Bulua, Kauswagan and Bonbon, and the three tent communities that we have helped set up.

That very same day, a clearer distribution system was put in place after a coordination meeting was called by Archbishop Antonio Ledesma in coordination with DSWD. Balay Mindanaw was tasked to serve five barangays (Bulua, Iponan, Canitoan, Bonbon and Kauswagan) with at least 3,543 victim-families. Until today, Balay Mindanaw sits as CSO/NGO representative in the Executive Committee of the Cagayan de Oro Multi-Sectoral Disaster Response Group.

Shelter: In partnership with Disaster Aid International DAI), the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Department of Education and the Local Government of Barangay Indahag, we have helped set up three tent communities in Indahag and Gusa that now serve as temporary homes to 147 families. We are committed to continue providing support to these communities until the residents finally move to permanent relocation sites.

PsychoSocial Support: We now have the beginnings of an organized and programmatic response to psychosocial needs with the following objectives: a. to promote connectedness, community resiliency and keeping families together; b. to provide space to help people who wish to share their story (not to force them to share nor give them promises, nor tell them they should feel ok); and c. to help them to become relaxed, confident, productive and responsible members of the community.

As of today, we have already served 4,708 families and 2,046 students or 25,586 individuals through your cash and non-cash donations, and volunteer work.

The different non-cash items that were coursed through the Balay Mindanaw Operations Center have reached 3,243 families or 16,215 individuals in the 5 community centers, including the patients who were attended to by the Sarangani and GenSan Medical Team. The cash donations from the various local and international groups and individuals amounting to P1,404,400.00 have already helped a total of 9,371 individuals.


	Kalo presiding the meeting.

Our relief assistance package has been constantly evolving as we tried to appropriately respond to the priority needs identified by the survivor families in the five community centers that we have been tasked to serve.

We have distributed P400-food packages or USD10 (containing 5 kilos of rice, 6 pieces of hardboiled eggs, 6 cans of sardines and 3 liters of drinking water) during the first 2 weeks after the disaster; hygiene sets (containing 5 pieces of toothbrush, 2 double-pack sachets of toothpaste, 2 bars of bathing soap, 5 pairs of rubber slippers, 4 pairs of male underwear, 6 pairs of female underwear and a pack of sanitary napkin) during the 2nd to 3rd week; and, school supplies kit (containing a backpack, school uniform/shirt, 5 notebooks, 1 ball pen, 2 pencils, a sharpener and eraser) in our 3rd to 4th week.

As of today, we have already distributed the food packages to 895 families (or 4,475 individuals) and hygiene sets to 570 families (or 2,850 individuals) or a total of 1,465 families or 7,325 individuals. The school supplies kits were distributed to 2,046 students.

Making our task lighter and more meaningful was the presence of at least 200 coming from the Tagoloan Community College, Aid to Life Ministries, On-the-Job Trainees of KPMFI, SMI interns, PARFUND staff, broiler boys from Gingoog and Claveria, Opol Children Football Club, Ateneo de Davao students, 4th Infantry Division of the AFP, the Sarangani and GenSan Medical Team, Nagdilaab Foundation and Balay Mindanaw families and friends.

Our immediate plan: We will continue responding to the food and non-food needs of our colleagues and partner/clients, the survivors in the five barangays, the residents of the three tent communities, and others who may need our help. We intend to do this by regularly assessing the needs so that appropriate and timely responses are given. Thus, we will also continue accepting cash and non-cash donations. We will install storage facilities for goods and other non-cash donations. We will be utilizing the cash donations to purchase needed food and/or non-food items that are not available in our inventory, and to support our continuing disaster response activities such as psychosocial and other forms of support to the survivors.

Again and again, we wish to sincerely thank you for being with us in this journey. We now attach a list of all the donations we have received. Kindly call our attention if we failed to account for or acknowledge your generosity.

Daghang salamat… Padayon…

We refuse to be victims. We choose to be resources.

Resources:

To date, a total of P8,759,726.90 cash and non-cash donations have been received by the Balay Mindanaw Operations Center:

Total Cash Donations Received (Cash, Cheques, Bank Deposits) of P2,362,079.90 from the following currencies:

Pesos: P1,582,709.77
Dollars: USD11,788.81
Euro: EUR4,953.66

Non-cash donations received: P6,397,647.00

Cash Pledges: P1,824,980.00 (including dollars, yen and euro)

Non-cash pledges: P3,514,500.00

Details of these donations are the following:

Cash:

P22,000 from anonymous
P5,000 from Pat Sarenas
P3,000 from Raissa Jajurie
P5,000 from Amy Salas and Family
P5,000 from Goldie Chan
P11,550 from MINCODE
P15,000 from Marcia Tadulan
P5,000 from Azon and Jasper Llanderal
P3,000 from anonymous
P9,000 from anonymous
P10,000 from Gerry and Sally
P10,000 from Karen Tañada
P1,000 from Joy Haboc
P10,000 from FPSDC
P15,000 from Teody Peña
P5,000 from Baht Latumbo
P5,000 from Fred Torres
P2,0000 from anonymous
P20,000 from anonymous
P10,000 from Butch Bartolome
P12,301 from CODE-NGO
P10,000 from Hec Soliman
P5,000 from International Movement of Development Managers
P2,000.00 from Medardo Babista
P5,000 from Melot Atillo
P50,000 from NATCCO Network
P50,000 from KRDFI
P50,000 from Philippine-Misereor Partnership
P3,000 from Anna Laylo
P2,000 from Mr. Haboc
P35,000 from Dave Carter (Philippine Judo Federation)
P2,500 from Joseph Lubrico
P23,656.13 from Emma Leslie, Ngarm, Rita and friends from Action Asia
P10,000 from Ben Aspera
P30,000 from Ed and Girlie
P10,00 from Dan Songco (Pinoy ME)
P6,400 from DMMMPSC Batch 1991
P1,790 from Christ the King College Batch 2002
P2,000 from Daniel Paclihan
P100,000 from Theosophical Society of the Philippines
P10,000 from IID
P5,000 from Aying
P11,761.70 from ACT/CPCS
P2,000 from Grace Abesamis
P23,498.81 from Lootah BCG
P2,000 from Gay Arenal
P10,000 from Sulong CARHRIHL
P13,000 from Action Asia-Nepal
P55,174 from Mercedita de Jesus (FEDFAB & ALAB)
P5,630 from Generoso de Jesus
P19,743 from Filipino & Irish Friends in Mullingar, Ireland
P12,000 from Boyd & Bautista Family
P500,000 from American Chamber Foundation Philippines, Inc.
P16,582.50 from Rainier Kalis
P16,000 from Dr. Dennis Batangan
P395 from KHOA 1
P5,000 from Katilingban para sa Kalambuan
P8,600 from Corazon Zamora
P50,000 from Mindanao People’s Council
P3,346 from PDRRMO-Sarangani
P66,370 from Australia / Bohnockns 2
P2,000 from Quing Romero-Barregreen

USD 383.50 from Gary Hawes and Rose
USD 793.50 from Simon Brook
USD 122.18 from Dr. Beth Mangrobang
USD 143.50 from Francisco Runas
USD 460 from South Georgia Filipino (PT/OT) Therapists Community
USD 2,272.04 from Japan-Philippines NGO Network / Asian Community Center 21 (ACC21)
USD 6,391.32 from The Imai Memorial Charitable Trust for Overseas Cooperation

EUR 4,953.66 from MISEREOR
EUR 100 from Sally & Joaquim Dengg

Paul Clifford
Thomas & Ning Bhoelke

Goods:

14 big bundles of clothing, blankets, etc. from See Joo Won
1200 bottles of 1L water from AIM-MiRANT
3 sacks of clothes from Balay Mindanaw Friends
2 boxes of sardines and 3 boxes of noodles from Zamboanga Marines
70 bottles of 500ml water and 2 boxes of biscuits from MSU-IIT
Clothing & medicines from Dr. Jojo Aguirre
8 boxes of clothing, blankets, sorted kitchen items and toys from Kids for Peace
5 sacks of clothing from Land Care
4 boxes of noodles from Atty. Juvy Arubio
Noodles, sardines and clothes from Dr. Cagape
3 boxes of clothing from Alpha Phi Omega – CDO
5 big boxes of mixed non-food items from Gen. Gurrea
5 boxes of medicines from Dr. Jane Rafanan-Dy
10 packs of mixed non-food items from God is With Us
1 big box of clothing, shoes and toys from Dodo Macasaet
4 sacks of clothing from KPMFI
168 boxes of high energy biscuits from World Food Program
25 boxes of plumpy ‘doz from World Food Program
4728 bottles 1.5L, 6160 bottles 500ml, 4728 bottles 330ml water from World Food Program
60 kettles, 86 frying pans, 146 cooking pans, 238 basins from Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.
7 boxes clothing, 1 box male and female underwear, 3 boxes of biscuits and water from Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.
15 sacks, 6 boxes and 1 bag of clothing from Fast Cargo Logistics, Corporation
5 big boxes of mixed male and female undergarments, slippers, mats, clothing, shoes, food items, medicines and vitamins from Dra. Marilyn Arguillas, IID, Mindanao Times and Mindanews
1 box of mixed good from Memen Lauzon
2 boxes of medicines from Honmar & Eleonor Que
144 pcs of toothbrush from Jun Gueverro
100 boxes of Family Sirvival Kit from Disaster Aid International
1 box of medicine from Dra. Jocelyn Ypil-Gargantos
4 boxes of clothing from dela Vega & Villa Family
15 boxes of family life straw, 13 boxes of solar bulbs w/ one solar lantern & solar panel inside of one box, 6 sacks of assorted clothes, and 2 packs/sacks of TEFI relief bags from Team Energy Foundation
100 packs of hygine set from Sebolino Family
6 pcs of solar lamps from Peace and Equity Foundation
24 boxes of clothes, sanitary napkins and shoes from Suwon St. Church (Korea)
4 sacks of clothing from Suico Family
1 box of clothing from Melot Atillo
16 cascets, 101 boxes of drinking water, 50 boxes of sardines, 726 sacks of clothing, 2 sacks of rice, 3 boxes of shoes and sandals, 5 sacks of assorted kitchen utensils, 6 boxes of assorted canned goods from the Provincial Government of Sarangani

Cash Pledges:

P1,500,00 from Merubini
P5,000 from Apple Oreta

USD300 from Juvy Loyola
USD500 from Marcelino Zamora
USD810 from friends from the USA
USD1000 from Anonymous
USD50 from Juvy Soria
USD100 from Alice Colina
USD100 from Ms. Rita

Eur100 from friends in Hamburg
Eur3,200 from Paul Van Mierlo

Cash Pledges with unspecified amount:

Christian Herbolzheimer/Conciliation Resources
Sally Bellosillo
Elsie Miemban
Tony Cantañana
Simon Fischer

Non-cash pledges:

Medicines from FPSDC
Goods from Sally Bellosillo
Goods from Kidlat de Guia
550 boxes of clothes, new shoes and new blankets from Barry Hicks
Repair kit for 200 families from Habitat for Humanity (@ P3,000 per family)
Repair kit for 165 families from International Organization for Migrants (@ P7,000 per family)
19 sacks of goods from the Province of Basilan
Medicines from Davao Medical Center

NOTE: Check out our previous real-time reports here ...
Report No. 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Helping Build Empowered and Sustainable Communities in Mindanao. Helping Build Peace.