Rebuilding Lives and Communities after Yolanda

“I was not able to get her name as she probably could not understand my Tagalog. I could not help but take this selfie since she greeted me with this beautiful smile as she was getting out of school. I am just amazed that they can still smile amidst the devastation!” — This was the social media post of PBSP’s Executive Director Rafael Lopa after his visit to the areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Truly, the joy and hope reflected through the smiles of these Typhoon Yolanda survivors fuel the commitment and passion of millions to continue taking strides to rebuild lives and communities.

Thousands of organizations and private individuals have been responding to the call for support to help the victims affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).  The generosity of both local and international donors has been instrumental in assuring that immediate relief is provided to those needing it the most.

However, relief efforts alone cannot provide lasting relief to the survivors. The need is for well-thought rehabilitation and rebuilding strategies towards self-reliance and sustainability.

This is where PBSP, with its members and partners, come in. But months after the devastation, what have we done and where are we headed in terms of helping the survivors?

With its call for support following the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda, PBSP has generated more than PhP 65.336 million from companies, private individuals, and funding agencies.

This unified effort from various sectors has allowed PBSP to conduct a disaster relief mission, which benefitted 20,378 households in various areas in the Visayas. This kicked off last November 12, 2013 and covered barangays in Daanbantayan Municipality in north of Cebu.  The relief operations also reached the provinces of Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Western Samar. The donations also paved the way for water to be supplied to 16,000 people in Tacloban after a power generator was provided.

In the area of livelihood, PBSP is working closely with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Habitat for Humanity in the distribute shelter repair materials in Iloilo and North Cebu. To further make the donations sustainable, PBSP is implementing projects that aim to give boats and fishing gears, provide planting materials to farmers, and carry out cash for work strategies in Iloilo, Biliran, and Cebu.

For education, PBSP has distributed starter kits to 4,185 students and 166 teachers in 10 schools in the second district of the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu.

Aside from these, PBSP has negotiated funding assistance from corporate donors and an international agency to implement projects on shelter, emergency livelihood, classrooms construction, and potable water. More efforts to rebuild lives and communities will be managed and implemented as PBSP also works on proposals for mangrove rehabilitation in Bantayan Island and coconut seedlings nursery in Leyte, and encourages more donors to fund disaster-resilient classrooms.

Way forward, PBSP, through the unwavering support of its members, partners, and donors, already completed its data gathering, monitoring, and assessments to manage holistic programs for target municipalities in Iloilo, Cebu, Easter Samar, and Leyte. The long-term outlook is for PBSP and the local stakeholders composed of public and private sectors to have coordinated and collaborative response towards reconstruction.