Families vulnerable to calamities receive pre-disaster aid

Alvin Ocena lives in a humble and small house on the outskirts of Malobago village in Dolores, a rural town in the Philippines' Eastern Samar province.

He works as a part-time construction and utility worker. Ocena earns about Php 300 or around US$ 5 a day—not enough to provide for his family's increasing needs.

Ocena and his family’s house is made of old woven bamboo panels, known as amakan, with a thatched roof made of nipa shingles, and ceilings made of used tarps.

When disasters strike, they often lose their homes and properties on which their survival depends.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, typhoon Vonfong (local name: Ambo) struck the province of Eastern Samar, destroying houses, including Ocena's.

He said safe food and water supplies were a vital concern following the tropical cyclone.

"I will never forget those days and how our home and livelihood were affected," said Ocena, a father of a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy. 

Crimelyn Nalic buys essential goods at a grocery store in Dolores, Eastern Samar ahead of Typhoon Rai landfall.jpg

Crimelyn Nalic and her family had a similar experience in their home in Burac village in Oras, Eastern Samar. Typhoon Hagupit (local name: Ruby) struck in December 2014, merely a year after super typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) devastated several parts of central Philippines. 

Typhoon Hagupit destroyed properties and displaced many families like Nalic’s. They had to take temporary shelter in evacuation centers for several days.

"After the typhoon, it took a few days before we received relief goods. There is no one to borrow money from," recalled 21-year-old Nalic, who is now married and staying in Malobago.

When they had heard that super typhoon Odette was heading towards the country in December 2021, memories of the previous calamities flashed back in their minds. But this time, both had a sense of preparedness.

The families of Ocena and Nalic were among the 2,650 recipients from different towns of pre-disaster financial aid to help them prepare for the impact of Typhoon Rai (local name: Odette).

The cash assistance had been distributed through digital cash transfer days before the projected impact of the typhoon, allowing the project partners to buy their most urgent needs, such as food, emergency kits, and repair materials.

The initiative is part of Oxfam Pilipinas’ Strengthening Harmonized Action for Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness and Early Recovery (SHARPER) project.

The project aims to ensure that communities affected by recurrent disasters in highly vulnerable areas, specifically in the provinces of Eastern Samar and Catanduanes, have enhanced capacities for disaster preparedness, response and recovery. SHARPER aims to reduce vulnerability and suffering of 32 disaster-prone communities by equipping them to co-lead disaster relief and recovery efforts in collaboration with local authorities.

SHARPER is a three-year project that seeks to reduce the impact of calamities on high-risk communities in four Asian nations, including the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

In Dolores, the SHARPER project has at least 526 project partner families from eight villages.

There are also other project partners from 32 other barangays in Salcedo, Lawaan, Quinapondan, and Balangiga.

The project was made possible by the partnership of Oxfam Pilipinas, People's Disaster Risk Reduction Network, Inc., Sentro Para Sa Ikauunlad Ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya (SIKAT) Inc., and Oxfam America.

Ocena said the financial aid is a sigh of relief for families struggling to make ends meet.

"Whatever happens, we are somehow prepared for our important needs in the face of calamities, unlike before," the 26-year-old said.

Super typhoon Rai entered the country on December 16, 2021. With maximum sustained winds of up to 195 km, typhoon Rai claimed lives and destroyed houses, displacing hundreds of thousands of families as it crossed the central Philippines.

Nalic said that with their cash aid from the SHARPER project, they had bought stock food supplies and medicines in preparation for the typhoon.

Typhoon preparedness, according to her, lessens their stress when a disaster strikes.

"You have no idea how big help this is to us," Nalic said.

Alvin Ocena lives in a humble and small house on the outskirts of Malobago village in Dolores, a rural town in the Philippines' Eastern Samar province.

He works as a part-time construction and utility worker. Ocena earns about Php 300 or around US$ 5 a day—not enough to provide for his family's increasing needs.

Ocena and his family’s house is made of old woven bamboo panels, known as amakan, with a thatched roof made of nipa shingles, and ceilings made of used tarps.

When disasters strike, they often lose their homes and properties on which their survival depends.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, typhoon Vonfong (local name: Ambo) struck the province of Eastern Samar, destroying houses, including Ocena's.

He said safe food and water supplies were a vital concern following the tropical cyclone.

"I will never forget those days and how our home and livelihood were affected," said Ocena, a father of a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy. 

Crimelyn Nalic and her family had a similar experience in their home in Burac village in Oras, Eastern Samar. Typhoon Hagupit (local name: Ruby) struck in December 2014, merely a year after super typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) devastated several parts of central Philippines. 

Typhoon Hagupit destroyed properties and displaced many families like Nalic’s. They had to take temporary shelter in evacuation centers for several days.

"After the typhoon, it took a few days before we received relief goods. There is no one to borrow money from," recalled 21-year-old Nalic, who is now married and staying in Malobago.

When they had heard that super typhoon Odette was heading towards the country in December 2021, memories of the previous calamities flashed back in their minds. But this time, both had a sense of preparedness.

The families of Ocena and Nalic were among the 2,650 recipients from different towns of pre-disaster financial aid to help them prepare for the impact of Typhoon Rai (local name: Odette).

The cash assistance had been distributed through digital cash transfer days before the projected impact of the typhoon, allowing the project partners to buy their most urgent needs, such as food, emergency kits, and repair materials.

The initiative is part of Oxfam Pilipinas’ Strengthening Harmonized Action for Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness and Early Recovery (SHARPER) project.

The project aims to ensure that communities affected by recurrent disasters in highly vulnerable areas, specifically in the provinces of Eastern Samar and Catanduanes, have enhanced capacities for disaster preparedness, response and recovery. SHARPER aims to reduce vulnerability and suffering of 32 disaster-prone communities by equipping them to co-lead disaster relief and recovery efforts in collaboration with local authorities.

SHARPER is a three-year project that seeks to reduce the impact of calamities on high-risk communities in four Asian nations, including the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

In Dolores, the SHARPER project has at least 526 project partner families from eight villages.

There are also other project partners from 32 other barangays in Salcedo, Lawaan, Quinapondan, and Balangiga.

The project was made possible by the partnership of Oxfam Pilipinas, People's Disaster Risk Reduction Network, Inc., Sentro Para Sa Ikauunlad Ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya (SIKAT) Inc., and Oxfam America.

Ocena said the financial aid is a sigh of relief for families struggling to make ends meet.

"Whatever happens, we are somehow prepared for our important needs in the face of calamities, unlike before," the 26-year-old said.

Super typhoon Rai entered the country on December 16, 2021. With maximum sustained winds of up to 195 km, typhoon Rai claimed lives and destroyed houses, displacing hundreds of thousands of families as it crossed the central Philippines.

Nalic said that with their cash aid from the SHARPER project, they had bought stock food supplies and medicines in preparation for the typhoon.

Typhoon preparedness, according to her, lessens their stress when a disaster strikes.

"You have no idea how big help this is to us," Nalic said.