Help Them Help Themselves

Before the day ends, I give thanks for the blessings that we received for celebrating Girlie’s birthday, and remember our friends who are assisting the households and communities affected by typhoon Pablo.

Thanks to Ayi Hernandez for his photos. You can read the more complete update in the Facebook page of Balay Mindanaw.

Balay Mindanaw Pablo Disaster Response Update No. 6
December 12-13, 2012

As we enter the seventh day of our response to the devastation brought by Typhoon Pablo, we humbly and gratefully share with you this sixth update.

Here is a report submitted by the third team from Balay Mindanaw that journeyed to express solidarity with the the people and communities of Davao Oriental:

12 December 2012: Report from DR work for DAVAO ORIENTAL

The new team (10) from Balay Mindanaw Group in Cagayan de Oro City arrived in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur at 12 o’clock noon yesterday, joining the previous team (5) who remained and were hosted by PhilDHHRA for an overnight stay after coming back from relief and emergency response work in Boston, Cateel and Bagangga, Davao Oriental.

Typhoon Pablo Casualty Assessment: (source: 67IB, 10ID, Philippine Army)
· Cateel: 147 dead, 811 injured, 1 missing
· Boston: 24 dead, 15 injured, 1 missing
· Caraga: 28 dead, 6 injured
· Manay: 1 dead
· Tarragona: 2 dead
· Bagangga: 156 dead, 451 injured, 60 missing
19,533 total number of affected families (53,426 total number of population)

Carmelite Convent and Sacred Heart Parish: a relief center in San Francisco

Fortunately, the Team Balay Mindanaw was offered a big place to stay and manage the accumulated relief goods from donors. Thanks to Carmelite Fathers Tim and Alain of the Sacred Heart Parish for offering their conference hall for repacking of goods and for our team planning and even extending their lodging rooms for us to sleep and their kitchen for us to cook and eat.

The parish is also doing packing of relief goods and distribution in Compostella Valley. They will now also include Boston, Cateel and Bagangga in their itinerary of relief distribution. In fact they are now scheduled to deliver relief goods in Bagangga on Dec 13. Aside from the space they offered for Team BMG, they can also mobilize youth volunteers for repacking needs and the use of their truck which we can rent if ever we need it for our distribution.

Summary of Disaster Response Works (11-12 December 2012)

Other Activities:
· Purchased additional sacks of rice, noodles and sardines
· Sorted and repacked 243 food packs (rice, noodles and sardines) with the help of volunteers from Sacred Heart Parish and from PhilDHRRA helped us in the purchase and repacking of goods.
· Unpacked 13 rolls of tarp and divided them into 100 cuts at 10 meters each
· All food packs, tarps and medicines (including 2 big calderin and food items for feeding) were dropped off at the Incident Command Post (ICP) in Bagangga, with LTC Kris Mortela as the head of ICP, in the absence/incapacity of the Mayor and Vice Mayor in order to maintain peace and order in the municipality.
· We made sure that the vials and other meds were immediately forwarded to the Rural Health Unit of the Bagangga by the ICP
· Bottles of water, loads of bread and vegetables for cooking were provided to the 67IB for consumption of soldiers and BMG Team
· We joined the soldiers in the “first” feeding of one coastal barangay, KINABLANGAN, that has a total number of 1500 affected families, all belonging to the fishing communities.

BMG Team Repacking and Distribution of Relief Goods. Purchases in Cagayan de Oro
Additional Purchase in San Francisco (to come up with 243 packs)
1. Food
a. 6 boxes of sardines -100 cans each=600 (200 packs) plus 180 cans
b. 8 boxes of noodles -72 pieces each=576plus725 pieces
c. Plastic/sando bag for packing 10 packs

2. Water/Water Container
a. 10 boxes of water (12 bottles per box)
b. 3 water containers with faucet

3. Rice (10 sacks from preview purchase)
a. 104 packs (5 kls/pack)- from the previews relief goods plus 15 sacks

4. Tarp/Trapal
a. 13 rolls of tarp (100 meters/roll) – 100 cuts

5. Medicines
a. 1. anti-tetenus serum -20 vials
b. 2. vitamins for pregnant/lactating women – 1 box (100 tab)
c. 3. amoxicillin for children 6 and below (5 bot 60 ml)
d. 4. amoxicillin for children 7 and above (3 bottles)
e. 5. amoxicillin for adults (12 boxes @ 21 capsules/pack
f. 6. anticholinergic (3 packs with 10 tabs/pack)
g. 7. paracetamol – 1 box (500 tab)
h. 8. betadine – 10 bottles (100mg)
i. 9.band-aid/plastic strip – 4 boxes
j. 10.Gloves disposable plastic – 2 boxes (100 pcs each)
k. 11.Alcohol- 4 bottles @500ml
l. 12. Syringe – 4 boxes @100pcs per box
m. 13. 1cc syringe- 3pcs
n. 14. Masks – 6 boxes x 20pcs

6. For feeding: Food and non-food items
Big calderine – 2 pcs
1 sack of rice
Assorted spices (sahog)
10 pcs dressed chicken

Incident Command Post (ICP): System of Relief Operation and Emergency Response

ICP was set up in the 3 municipalities for them to systematically operate and respond effectively to the immediate and long term needs of the people in the areas while it monitors and update information on the status of the damages and affected. Search and rescue operation remains the priority of the ICP.

For Boston and Cateel, the Mayors automatically took command of the ICP. But for ICP in Baganga, LTC Kris Mortela has just assumed responsibility yesterday to lead the post in order to maintain the peace and order in the area, in the inability of the Mayor and Vice Mayor.

More and more help and support have come: installation of water purification system by the 67 IB and 525 EB; team of medical personnel for the provincial health office and for municipal health offices; medical mission; more relief distribution, etc.

Plans/Needs for the next days in the Area
· In the Area
Medicines
Assorted food items for Lugaw/Arroz Caldo for Feeding (to be cooked/prepared by soldiers at ICP-Bagangga)
Seeds and seedlings and garden tools for vegetable gardening
Psychosocial Support/Trauma Healing for survivors, volunteers/care givers and soldiers in the area

Needs of BMG Team (others are reiteration from the earlier report)
Identification Card of Volunteers
TShirt/Tarpaulin  Container for extra gasoline for travel. Printer and other office supplies. Additional youth volunteers for repacking at Sacred Heart Parish. Additional volunteer-nurses led by Lala (to serve during Saturday-Sunday at the RHU-Bagangga and Cateel District Hospital)

Must-haves: Caps, Jackets, Warm blankets, Scarves, Sleeping bags. Healthy food (Not Junk Foods)
Lots and lots of water. Mosquito repellent, wet wipes, sun block, Alcohol or hand sanitizers
Ice boxes (to store food). Stress debriefing of staff and volunteers

Donations, Pledges and Support
1. Cindy and Noel Vergara – donated 5 sacks of rice
2. Team Energy- pledged 300 bottles with 1000ml ; 20 units of generators; 30 tents 6×8; solar kit (from the meeting of Jojow with Team Energy representatives)
3. Board and Lodging of BMG Team provided by Carmelites Fathers at the Sacred Heart Parish (including the use of big conference hall used for repacking/meeting)
BMG Team (of course with Jojow as the lead): BIG BIG THANKS!
· KPMFI: Richard (Hepe de Byahe), Flong, George, Lisbeth, Maritess
· BMFI: Jojow, Belle, Lala, Toni, Bernard, Pritush, Cindy and Noel
· VOICE: Myrna and Weng (YOS) based in PhilDHRRA-San Frans)
Budget (please see separate report of Flong and Tony)

PADAYON Team Balay Mindanaw!!!
Thank you so much for the opportunity and blessings. God Bless. Again and again, we thank you very sincerely for journeying with us.

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

 

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