It has been one year since Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) hit the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Norte but its effects are still greatly felt by survivors. Classified as a Category 5 Typhoon, Typhoon Pablo struck on December 4, 2013. It affected over 6 million Filipinos and over 2,000 were left dead or are still missing.

Save the Children is an organization focused on giving children “what every child deserves – a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.” They have been on site for many months now and they assert that there has to be an increase in support to help families fully recover the impact of Typhoon Pablo on their livelihood.

Below is an excerpt from their press release regarding the Typhoon Bopha anniversary:

The storm caused widespread damage to agriculture, which account for the livelihoods of 80
per cent of the residents in the affected area. The Filipino government’s disaster agency
estimates a loss of over US$700 million in agricultural damage, including bananas, coconuts,
rice and maize.

“The job that aid agencies need to fulfil shouldn’t stop at immediate relief,” said Tom Howells,
Team Leader for Save the Children’s Bopha Recovery Program. “But many are forced to end
their projects as there is little to no funding available for long-term rehabilitation of livelihoods.
Our worry is that these families will no longer be able to send their children to school, provide
nutritious foods and a protective home environment once aid stops.”

Save the Children conducted two livelihoods projects in the Bopha-affected areas,
unconditional cash grants for vulnerable families and cash-for-work to rehabilitate schools.
Roselyn Cabatlao, 34, was one of the program’s beneficiaries in Davao Oriental after her family
lost their only source of income – a coconut plantation – in the storm. It will take them at least
seven more years to get back on their feet as coconut trees take about eight years to mature.

“I can see there are still many families here that do not have stable income because many of
our coconuts have been damaged by the typhoon,” she said.

Through income generated from Save the Children’s cash-for-work program, Roselyn is now
able to buy food, vitamins and condiments for her children. The mother of three was also given
the tools and seeds to plant vegetables in their backyard for consumption and income. The
vegetables and direct nutrition interventions helped Roselyn’s son, Jericho, to recover from
severe acute malnutrition.

“Families like Roselyn will be left to their own devices once aid agencies leave. We have given
them the basic tools to sustain themselves, but it will be years before Roselyn harvests
coconuts again and builds a sturdy house for her family,” said Tom Howells.
Save the Children responded to the needs of affected families in Typhoon Bopha, delivering an
integrated package of child protection, education, health and nutrition, water sanitation and
hygiene, disaster preparedness in schools, food security and livelihoods in Agusan del Sur,
Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. Overall, the children’s aid agency has reached about
138,000 people.

It’s been one year and there’s still a lot that can done and SHOULD be done to fully rehabilitate the survivors affected by Typhoon Pablo. We can certainly do more, through Save the Children and other organizations, to contribute to the empowerment of our kapwa Davaoenos. Let’s proactively help in helping the survivors, not just to survive, but to thrive.

In the Philippines, Save the Children continues to work with the families and communities affected by Typhoon Bopha, while also working with communities in Zamboanga, earthquake survivors in Bohol, and Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors in Visayas.

For more information, visit the Save the Children Site at http://www.savethechildren.net/.

Image by Anj Nacorda of AnjNacorda.com.