December 24: Typhoon Haiyan Relief Update #4

An update from Grant Iverson, a local Kamloops resident and past Developing World Connections participant. Grant is in the Philippines assisting with Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in northern Cebu province with our Host Partner, Rise Above Foundation Cebu.
 
It's been another very busy 11 days since my last update. I traveled back to Tabogon with Gabe on Monday, December 16th, and we stayed there until Wednesday, December 18th. The main purpose of this trip was to identify the first 5 families that we were going to build houses for and purchase the building materials. We were able to accomplish both tasks, and the ordered supplies would be delivered over the next 3-4 days.

A bit of an update on the area we are helping: close to the barangays of Camoboan and Salag are the barangays of San Vicente and San Isidro. The population in total in these 4 barangays is approximately 3,800 people. This is the area that we are directing most of our relief work. Up until now, there has been minimal help from the government in this area. The landscape of the area is quite hilly and the roads are very crude which makes getting aid to this area a bit difficult, but between a few small vehicles, motorbikes and, of course, some pretty good walks, we have been able to reach basically all of this area.

We toured the area again meeting some of the first 5 families and letting them know that their new homes will be started very shortly. To say the least, they were extremely happy and very grateful to have someone finally providing them shelter for their families.

We also met up with Jimmy, the chainsaw operator. Unfortunately, the chainsaw was out of commission with a broken piston ring. We have ordered a new part and hope to have it back in use in 2-3 days. That chainsaw has probably had the equivalent of 6 months use in less than 1 month!

A lot of this visit was spent organizing with Sally and Wilma regarding the construction of the first 5 homes. Bamboo can’t be ordered from the lumber yard so a separate supply for that needs to be located. The bamboo is used to make the floor. It is cut into strips about 1-1 1/2 “ wide and nailed to the sub floor. This takes time to get done, but hopefully when our first 5 homes are ready for the flooring, it will be available.

We headed back to Cebu City on Wednesday afternoon. For me it was an eventful trip as I drove from Tabogon to New Mandaue (the first subdivision as you enter Cebu.) Don’t think any dogs, bikes or people got hurt. I now know why they use the horn so much here though, without it people just stay in the middle of the road. The horn is their signal to move aside. It seems to work pretty well and there's no where near the amount of road rage we see in Canada.

I was "home" (my home away from home home) for 2 days and then headed back up to Tabogon. Along with checking on the delivered lumber, I also took part in delivering 10 house warming gifts for Mike’s first 10 homes. Basically each family got new plates, bowls etc. which will making eating a bit more pleasurable. Through Mike’s generosity, we were also able to purchase 250 kilos of rice which we divided into 2 kilo bags and delivered them throughout the area. A British lady, Sue, and her helper, a Filipina from Manila, Anna-Lynne, were also there and had brought up a lot of different things to give away. These things included diapers, clothes, stuffed animals, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Over the next 2 days, all of the items were distributed to whatever families we happened to cross paths with.

During these 2 days along with distributing goods to the people who needed it, we also experienced some very special moments. The first happened in San Vicente. We will be building 1 of our first 5 homes in this barangay so wanted to meet the people we were building it for. It was for 2 single women: one who is 75 years old; the other who is 86 years old! Since Yolanda, they have basically been living under a tarp amid the rubble of what use to be their home. They were extremely thankful that they would be getting one of the first homes.

As we headed back to the village square where we were parked, the ice cream man just happened to be peddling his bike into the area. It would have been impossible to just buy for a few of the children so Sally and I bought his entire cooler full of treats. As it turned out, there was just enough in his cooler to make sure everyone who wanted ice cream got some. I think Sally would agree that the 500 pesos each that we spent was probably the best 500 pesos we had ever spent! Not only did all the children get something they don’t usually get, but the ice cream man sold a week’s supply of his product and, to top it off, also got a 2 kilo bag of rice!

The other special moment happened on our last afternoon there on December 22nd. I mentioned in my last update about the young blind girl we met so this morning we were going to visit her in Salag. During my trip of December 7th, Sally and I decided to go in together to build her and her dad a new home. Visiting her would give us a chance to get the construction underway. I am happy to report that she will no longer be referred to as the blind girl, but from now on she will be Sheila-Mae Compia. It was great finally knowing her real name! Knowing that was special enough but that is only a small part of what we were going to enjoy.

Sally was talking to her about a special gift that was being given to her by Sue, a radio so she could listen to music. You could tell that she was very pleased to have gotten it. I should note that the first time I met Sheila-Mae, she barely spoke a word. I’m not sure what Sally said to her but the next thing I know she is singing a traditional Christmas Carol in English! Her voice was amazing and I think the whole group of us were in shock. Well to top that off she then sings My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion & she sings it beautifully! Along with our group of 7, there were about 20 local villagers gathered around. When Sheila-Mae was finished singing, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. I now had the best Christmas present I could have ever dreamed of and a memory that will stay with me the rest of my life.

I will have about a week of down time to rejuvenate the batteries and play a few games of golf. My plan is to head back up to Tabogon on January 2nd and stay up there for a week or so checking not only on the first 5 houses but also on the progress being made on Sheila-Mae’s home.

This has truly been a Christmas to remember!

Grant Iverson
Past DWC Volunteer
Cebu City, Philippines

December 14: Typhoon Haiyan Relief Update #3

An update from Grant Iverson, a local Kamloops resident and past Developing World Connections participant. Grant is in the Philippines assisting with Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in northern Cebu province with our Host Partner, Rise Above Foundation Cebu.

Since my last update of December 1st, things around here have been very hectic. We finished getting the Aid Packs (AP) organized and headed up to Tabogon on Saturday, December 7th. A trip that was not without a few interesting moments: 2 over-packed trucks heading up on roads we might actually close in Canada, going “the back way” to avoid any road checks, a flat tire on the bigger truck causing a bit of a concern as there are no shoulders to pull off on so tire basically changed in the middle of the highway, last few kilometers actually more of a trail - not meant for 5 ton trucks to head down. But we finally made it to our drop off place at around 4pm. Just in time to get all of the 2 trucks unloaded and the APs all organized for distribution Sunday morning.

Another crew from Rise Above Foundation (RAF) came up early Sunday morning and after a quick coffee, we were ready to start the task of distributing the APs. Another 250 families were identified by Wilma, a local lady and Sally who’s place we stayed at, as the next most needy in the area. At about 8am we opened up the gate and all of the families moved towards the distribution area. Wilma had a list of all of the families and called each family one at a time in order to control the distribution. Not an easy task when you have families that have had very little since Yolanda’s devastation.

With only minor problems after we started, we managed to distribute all 250 APs by 10:30am. People were very thankful for our assistance and it was very hard at times to hold back tears as I watched the young and the old, the weak and the strong, struggle to carry their goods away. It was heartwarming to see those that could help those that couldn’t get things back to their homes.

A point of clarification, Tabogon is basically a region made up of many barangays (like our small towns and villages). We are basically helping two of the worst hit barangays in the area, Camoboan and Salag. All of the 325 APs were delivered were for families in these two barangays.

All of the volunteers except myself heading back to Cebu in the afternoon. I remained until Wednesday with the goal over the next 3 days to look for possible DWC projects, assess the full extent of the damage, and see how the chainsaw that RAF and I purchased was being utilized. I was supposed to be assisted by an architect, specializing in disaster relief assessment from the USA, but for some reason he was denied access into the Philippines so I was on my own.

Sunday night a game plan was decided on and early Monday morning I headed off on foot to visit the Camoboan Elementary School to assess the damage. The majority of the school rooms sustained some damage, but a separate building, which is their Home Economics Building, lost its entire roof. I talked to the principal and she told me that this building was well used prior to the typhoon - getting fixed would be wonderful. She also indicated that the other classrooms suffered water damage and do not have any screening left on the windows to keep the flies and mosquitoes out so getting it replaced was also important. They also lost their fence around the property; for safety and security reasons, this is another project that needs to be undertaken. The school also lost their outdoor stage. Not an urgent project, but something that would be a bonus if it got repaired.

After I returned, Sally and I headed out as passengers on 2 motorbikes into the hills of Camoboan. I didn’t realize that the damage I saw along the road into the barangay, while quite extensive, was no way near what I saw off the main road. The majority of homes we passed this morning were destroyed. A lot of people had only the blue tarps we distributed the day before over their heads as cover. It was an emotionally tiring morning listening to the stories many families shared with us about what they had lost and how they are coping now.

We headed back to base and in the afternoon we headed back on the bikes to go to another part of Camoboan. This time we went a little farther into the hills and the destruction was, if anything, even worse than we saw in the morning. Again, blue tarps were the main item seen throughout the landscape.

Tuesday morning we were up shortly after 5am to take a banka boat (a small catamaran fishing boat) over to Salag. Before Yolanda, we could have walked, but the suspension bridge that joined Camoboan and Salag was badly damaged by the typhoon so, without driving for at least an hour, a boat was our best option. We visited a high school and an elementary school - both which had sustained extensive damage. At the high school, classes were being held outside under tents. We walked underneath the tents and the temperature was probably 10 degrees higher than the already 30 C it was outside. To say the least, hardly ideal learning conditions. After about 3 hours of walking around Salag talking to families and meeting with the barangay captain (like our mayor), we headed back to base.

That afternoon we took a vehicle (what a treat!) and headed into the most remote area of the 2 barangays. On top of seeing the massive damage done by Yolanda, we met 2 special families. We had heard about both and they were our main reason for this afternoon excursion.

The first family was basically a single mother with 9 children. Sorry not quite correct - one of her children after the typhoon had since died from starvation so there is only her and her 8 children with the youngest child being only a few months old. Right after the typhoon, her husband abandoned her and the family. Their house was destroyed; the 9 of them are living next to a relative in a very small dwelling that probably measures 5’ deep, 8’ wide, snd 4’ high – ALL 9 of them!! This space is barely big enough to kennel a dog.

The second family we visited was that of a motherless child. She has a father who is away quite a bit working so she is on her way a lot. Their house was completely destroyed and she is staying with her grandmother right now. A lot of children in this area only have a mother or a father, but the difference in this case is that the young girl, 13, is blind! Her grandmother brought her out to meet us and it was one of the most emotional things I have ever experienced. I am struggling to control my feelings again just writing this. Then, as we were leaving, the family members went out to what remains of their crops and brought us back a squash to take home. They also gave us some fresh peanuts (first time I had even seen a peanut bush) and wanted to give us some corn. These people have nothing, but the little they have, they were prepared to share with me. Truly humbling.

It had been 33 days since the typhoon crossed over the Philippines and  much of the area affected was still without power including ourselves. RAF had purchased a generator and lent it to Sally so we had some lights at least, but generally it was shut down around 8:30pm so early to bed as the norm. But Tuesday night, a big breakthrough for Camoboan – in the dark as the electricians were working by flashlight, they were able to provide power to where I was staying! The balance of Camoboan will get it the next day and Salag probably 2 days after that. While not much, it will provide some encouragement to the 2 barangays. And what do the workers at Sally's want to do first - in typical Filipino style - they want to sing karaoke! It was great to sit back, listen, and see them forget about their troubles - if only for a few hours.

Wednesday morning I was able to accomplish my last goal of seeing the chainsaw in action. I went with Jimmy, who knows at least 3 words of English, to an elderly lady’s place so he could remove the tree that still rest on the roof of her house, stopping her from repairing it. The crew of 4 with 2 chainsaws were very efficient in cutting and removing the limbs of the tree. Within 25 minutes the job was done.

Anyone looking to make a personal donation, another chainsaw would be the ticket. They are quite expensive here though. The one we bought cost 35,000 Pesos or about $875 Canadian. A lot but given that they are very capable of cutting lumber, it would be a very good and needed investment.

I returned Wednesday afternoon with Mike Smith. I mention his name because him, along with us, are basically the only people helping these 2 barangays. Mike and his group has raised about 1,000,000 Pesos which has been spent there. Along with a generator among other things, Mike has been able to build 10 new small houses and will build 5 more.

Well, that brings us to today. The plan going forward is that Gabe from RAF and I will head back up to Tabogon Monday morning to do some more assessments and to purchase the materials to build 15 more houses. Gabe will return Tuesday and I will remain for 4-5 more days actually helping build some of the homes. Hard to believe a retired banker can help, but actually, I am a pretty good handyman and can swing a mean hammer.

Christmas is fast approaching and I will try to provide one more update after I return before Christmas. If I can’t, my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Grant Iverson
Past DWC Volunteer
Cebu City, Philippines

December 2: Typhoon Haiyan Relief Update #2

On November 27th, 2013, Rise Above Foundation staff, volunteers, and 10 teaching students from Denmark helped with the first distribution of aid packs to families in the Tabogon area in the northern part of the island of Cebu. 75 aid packs were created and loaded on to a truck and headed to the Sea Turtle Lagoon Resort.

After an hour, the people started arriving from the mountains. It was mostly older women and women with their babies, as the men/fathers were at work. Families’ names were called, and they received their packages. Many of these families had not yet seen relief aid in those 20 days after the typhoon made landfall in the Philippines.

Those who did not receive an aid pack at this time were added to a list to be helped when the next delivery of aid packs would come in about a week's time. This ensured that everyone in the area would receive relief aid.

Sarah Johnstone
DWC Communications Coordinator

December 1: Typhoon Haiyan Relief Update

An update from Grant Iverson, a local Kamloops resident and past Developing World Connections participant. Grant is in the Philippines assisting with Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in northern Cebu province with our Host Partner, Rise Above Foundation Cebu.

It has been an interesting 12 days since I got here, to say to least. First few days were spent getting acclimatized & planning what we needed to include in each Aid Pack (AP) to take to the small town of Tabogon which is situated north approximately 120kms/3 hour drive from where I am staying in Cebu.

This community like many other smaller communities seem to be overlooked when a major disaster like Typhoon Yolanda happens. The Rise Above Foundation (RAF) here which partners with Developing World Connections (DWC) in Kamloops have contacts in Tabogon & it was through this connection that the extent of the need was realized.

I visited the community on November 24th to see firsthand the devastation the typhoon caused. As we left Cebu, other than some minor damage & a bit of general rubbish that was obviously caused by Haiyan (locally called Yolanda), things looked pretty much like normal here. After driving for about 2 hours, around the town of Sogod, it was becoming pretty clear that things were getting worse. Power lines down, extensive structural damage to smaller dwellings, and damaged vegetation.

Every kilometer we drove north from there, things got worse and worse. When we arrived at Tabogon, the need for assistance was overwhelming. Major structural damage to schools, total destruction of family dwellings, power lines lying across roads, almost every banana tree destroyed, coconut trees raped of their fruit, the general landscape browned by the ocean water that was lifted and dropped well inland.

The founders of the Rise Above Foundation, Flemming and Elisabet Hansen, had also visited Tabogon the day before I did, and we all agreed this is a town that needs are help. Now was time for action!

Through our contact in the town of Tabogon, 300-325 families were identified as families in great need. We put a list together from what was indicated as the most needed items. These packs included rice, nylon rope, sugar, coffee, soap, canned goods, nails, kerosene, tarps, and water jugs. It should be noted that each AP weighs approximately 50 Kilos or 110 Lbs. We have assisted in delivering 75 of them to the families already and have 250 more very close to being ready for delivery. That works out to about 16.3 metric tons or almost 18 imperial tons of goods.

It was a very onerous task in trying to collect all the goods we needed for such a large undertaking especially when some of the basic needs in our APs were already sold out because of the disaster. But by combing most corners of the major local merchant market in an area called Cologne, Gabe from RAF and myself were able to not only get the goods we needed, but also negotiated some pretty good deals. While I don’t understand all of the local dialect, it is amazing how body language can get you message across.

Now with all of the supplies on hand, we have started organizing each AP. With help from some Danish students, the young men and a couple of the wonderful ladies that live here at the Foundation, and a couple of us Canucks, we have already portioned out the rice and the nylon rope. The next 3-4 days will finish the job with plans to deliver the APs to Tabogon on Saturday, December 7th for distribution on Sunday, December 8th.

I will then stay in Tabogon for 6-7 days along with David, an architect from the USA that specializing in disaster relief assessment, analyzing not only what needs to be done but in what order it needs to be done in. I am very excited to have this opportunity as I hope I can gain knowledge from David that might help in the future.

Well that’s it for now. As I said, it has been a very interesting 12 days but something tells me not nearly as interesting as the next 12-14 days will be.

Grant Iverson
Past DWC Volunteer
Cebu City, Philippines