Balay Mindanaw Disaster Response, Risk Reduction and Resiliency Building Updates (March 6-12, 2012)

Here again is our regular weekly report on our work with the Sendong survivors, with your support and accompaniment. We thank you for this opportunity to be resources for others.

Padayon…

More relief goods arrived from Rotarians in Australia.

Relief Work:

More relief goods from the Rotarians in Australia arrived at the Cagayan de Oro airport last Thursday March 8, 2012. Two DSWD personnel from Manila who flew with the AFP C130 plane turned the goods over to the DSWD Region X. The hauling of the goods into the military trucks was done with the help of the IDPs from the Lumbia Evacuation Center. They were asked to help thru the “cash for work” scheme with a rate of P250.00/day, through the facilitation of Julius Bughao of DSWD X. Listing, sorting and repacking of the relief goods are ongoing at the rooftop of Balay Mindanaw Peace Center through the help of the volunteers from Barangay Lapasan.

The first batch of the packages of children’s and adults’ clothing from the Rotarians was distributed last March 9 to the Balay Mindanaw serviced areas: 18 packs to Bulua Covered Court, 65 packs to Bulua Elementary School Tent Community, 51 packs to Iponan, 56 packs to Canitoan, 25 packs to Kauswagan, 37 packs to Tent Community 3 of Gusa Regional Science High School, 67 packs to Indahag TC 2, 62 packs to TC 1. We also included 32 packs to Lapasan covered court and 43 packs to Macanhan. As there are enough goods being sorted and repacked, the Balay Mindanaw DRRM Team has decided to reach out to the other 41 evacuation centers.

WaSH

The Indahag community leaders went to Bigaan to check the water source accompanied by Masa, a volunteer from Kuya Fish Campaign (Japan) who has some knowledge in water system development. However, his assessment is that the source is very far, and its development could be very costly. The other option they have is the deep well near the Tent Community 1. Negotiations are ongoing between the owner and the community leaders.

In Tent Community 2, four latrines and six bathing cubicles have been completed.

Ayi Hernandez and Bibing Mordeno of the Balay Mindanaw Group facilitate the RTD with the CSOs.

Shelter

World Vision has positively responded to the expressed need for a child-friendly space in Tent Community 3 of Gusa. Hopefully, tents for this purpose will be delivered this week.

Livelihood

Two residents of the Tent Community 1 and another from Tent Community 2 committed to teach rug-making to the Gusa Tent Community residents as a possible livelihood project. A meeting in the Tent Community 2 was held, attended by 20 members who are already engaged in rug-making. They now call their group the Survivor/Sendong Rug Makers. The meeting was facilitated by Richard Rejas of (KPMFI), the meeting was to help them put in place the marketing structure since they already have enough inventories of finished products with no established market.

In Tent Community 1, the delivery of materials for hollow blocks making is ongoing.

Round Table Discussion among the Cagayan de Oro CSOs/private sector

On 5 March 2012, Balay Mindanaw hosted a roundtable discussion among CDO CSOs/private sector - “Towards Rebuilding of Lives and Building of Resilient Communities: A Roundtable Discussion among CSOs/PS in CDO”. This was attended by 21 CSO/PS representatives.

The forum came up with a plan of holding a bigger forum among key stakeholders on permanent housing concerns. This aims at formalizing commitments among participating stakeholders in the build, and creating a mechanism for the IDPs to be regularly updated of the status on permanent shelters construction. This forum will be open to public with the active participation of the camp leaders; to confirm targets re build completion; clarify options on the side of the IDPs (grant or amortization); and firm up (“lansangan”) all commitments. This is tentatively set on 12 April 2012. Archbishop Tony Ledesma, with the other church leaders in CDO, will help convene the forum.

Round Table Discussion among the Cagayan de Oro CSOs private sector.

Partnership with Habitat for Humanity

We will be distributing another 200 repair kits to 200 families in Barangay Bonbon, CDO on 20-21 March. This is the 3rd round of our shelter repair kits distribution with Habitat for Humanity.

Mr. Dabs Liban, Habitat CD Program Manager, advised BM to coordinate with their engineers assigned in Indahag and Calaanan. He said they have the standard size, class of hollow blocks required, and any livelihood initiative supporting their housing program is greatly appreciated. In Indahag alone, they will need 3.75 million hollow blocks for 1,500 units at 2,500 pieces needed per unit.

He also suggested that BM facilitates the training of IDPs on welding, carpentry, etc. with TESDA. Habitat needs local warm bodies in their build project.

With Kuya Fish

Around 15 Japanese volunteers from Kuya Fish Campaign have arrived to help build houses. With some students from XU, they identified Ecoville as their local partner. “Sending for Sendong” project was launched by these volunteers organized by Issey Tanaka, the Overall Organizer at Pamahaw Espesyal, 12 March 2012.

Update on the status of the ECs and summarized profile information for lIigan and CDO. (Source: DSWD)

As of 9th March 2012:

City	Number of Affected			No. of Evac Centers	Served				Total Served
	Number of Affected				Inside ECs		Outside ECs		Total Served
	Brgys.	Families	Persons		Families	Persons	Families	Persons	Families	Persons
	Brgys.	Families	Persons
Iligan City	30	20,249	90,285	16	1,539	5,715	10,472	48,813	12,011	54,528
CDO City	41	38,125	228,728	20	1,555	6,612	24,483	148,667	26,038	155,279

City	Number of Casualties				No. of Damaged Houses
	Number of Casualties				No. of Damaged Houses
	Total	Dead	Injured	Missing	Total	Totally	Partially
	Total	Dead	Injured	Missing	Total	Totally	Partially
Iligan City	2,677	693	1,518	466	20,120	5,246	14,874
CDO City	1,517	737	225	555	18,436	5,801	12,635

For further information go to http://www.fo10.dswd.gov.ph/

Balay Mindanaw's Disaster Response Team with a member of Kuya Fish Campaign.

Resources:

This week, we have received additional non-food donations from Luz and Reggie Villasanta (1 box of clothing), Mr. Barry Hicks and the Rotary Club of Taree, Australia (319 boxes / plastic bags of brand new and used blankets, toys, shoes, clothing, hygiene kits, books and medicines), and the AFP command center (27 boxes of clothing to our Operations Center) with a total estimated amount of P973,500.00.

Last February 29, we also received cash donations amounting to US$3,343 from anonymous donors whom we hope to acknowledge as soon as we determine who the senders are.

As of today, we have already received cash donations amounting to P3,021,492.67 and non-cash donations of P9,690,647.00. In sum, the Balay Mindanaw Operations Center has already received a total of P12,791,901.67 cash and non-cash donations.

Balay Mindanaw

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