Special Issue December 2013

Special Issue December 2013

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Table of Contents

NASSA and SAC Caritas Village Shelter Project

4

Emergency Response:Shelter for TS Washi Victims

8

TS Washi VictimsAwarded Shelter Units

12

Completion of Caritas Shelter14

Tropical Cyclone Bopha16

CHARIS and Conferenza Episcopale Italiana Build Shelters for Pablo Victims

23

Caritas Village

Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro 25Diocese of Iligan 26Diocese of Mati 27

Diocese of Tagum 28Diocese of Tandag 29

Diocese of Dumaguete 30

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3Special Issue • December 2013

Pope Benedict XVI, in his Ap-ostolic Letter “On the Service

of Charity,” reiterated his asser-tion that “the service of charity is also a constitutive element of the Church’s mission and an indispensable expression of her very being.” He also commended the work of Caritas as an institu-tion for its capacity to respond to the needs of the poor, with its network present all around the world. Caritas is a confederation of Catholic relief, development and social service organizations from 162 countries.

Our office, the National Secre-tariat for Social Action (NASSA) was designated by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philip-pines (CBCP) to function as the national Caritas to coordinate the development programs for the poor and the emergency response for the vulnerable communities affected by the calamities. Nec-essarily then, NASSA needed to assume another identity and to take on additional mandate as Caritas Philippines or Caritas Filipinas Foundation Inc.

Since then, NASSA-Caritas Philippines had been coordinat-ing the efforts of the Church involving international partners and local dioceses to embark on emergency response through collaborative mechanism and framework of the Caritas con-federation.

This part of the report is a documentation of our emer-gency response for the shelter rehabilitation under two sepa-rate programs, namely: 1) EA 01-2012 (Typhoon Washi in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Dioceses of Iligan and Dumaguete; and 2) EA 42-2012 (Tropical Cyclone Bopha in the Diocese of Mati). Other affected dioceses were also later covered, namely, Dioceses of Tandag and Tagum for funds coming from CHARIS of Singapore, Caritas New Zealand and Conferenza Episcopale Italiana.

The total contributions re-ceived for both combined proj-ects amounted to around PhP96 Million, with almost 98% of the fund coming from international partners, while only a minuscule portion coming from local con-tribution. While we deeply thank Caritas international partners for the generous contribution and support, we are challenged as Church to increase our own local solidarity counterpart.

This report narrates the sto-ries of the respective dioceses and their Diocesan Social Action Centers (DSACs) as they try to play their significant roles in disaster response management. Reading between the lines, we can pinpoint good practices and venues of cooperation in project implementation process. Some

negative experiences and prob-lematic practices might have gone unwittingly unnoticed. We can do further evaluation if only to learn from our mistakes.

This publication is meant to inform our network of the com-mendable accomplishments of our network and to continually learn from our experiences in meaningful partnership and ef-ficient project accountability and management. This is to document our journey and at the same time to celebrate the achievement of the mission entrusted to us by Him who called us to exercise the “diakonia of charity.”

Tungo sa patuloy na pagtataya at paglilingkod para sa Simbahan ng mga dukha!

Fr. Edwin A. GariguezExecutive SecretaryNASSA - Caritas Philippines

Serving in Charity

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The Philippines was battered by tropical storm Washi, locally known as Sendong, at a time when

Filipinos were anticipating the Christ-mas holiday, an event truly treasured by the local culture. On December 16-17, 2011, TS Washi hit the island, severely affecting the Mindanao area particularly Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental and the province of Lanao del Norte, as well as the Visayas region with most of the impact felt in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

Based on the Disaster Response op-erations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as of March 15, 2012, there are 5,077 families or 21,123 individuals still living in evacuation centers. Around 1,473 deaths were recorded and 1,080 individuals are still missing.

Relief DistributionThe NASSA and its partner DSACs

conducted evacuation center manage-ment and relief distribution to help the typhoon victims. Donations of various items such as food, drinking water and non-food items like blan-kets, mats and mosquito nets poured in from generous fellow Filipinos. The Church’s social action centers in Dum-aguete, Iligan and Cagayan de Oro served as centers of relief operations where donations were channelled.

While these partner social action centers routinely managed relief op-erations in their respective areas, the Social Action Network generously provided bottled water and food items coursed through NASSA. Two 20-feet container vans crammed with food items and bottled waters, donated by social action network members, were delivered to Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City, donated by social action network members.

On January 30, 2012, a consulta-tion meeting with the SAC Director and staff of Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro was conducted in Cagayan de Oro, while a consultation with SAC Ili-gan Director and staff was done in SAC Iligan Office on January 31, 2012. The status of donations and pledges re-

ceived was discussed and planning for succeeding activities was laid down.

Site inspection and AssessmentSocial preparation activities also

involved inspection and assessment of sites where both the transitional and permanent shelters will be con-structed. Several site visitations were conducted during this time to ensure that these areas will pass government clearances and will guarantee the safety of the families to be relocated.

From one site to another, NASSA and its partner DSACs continuously assessed land titles, status of land and geo-hazard risks.

In preparation for the full-blown op-eration of the project, the social action directors started the screening and hiring procedures for the personnel to be employed by the project namely the project officer, area coordinator, finance officer, and foreman.

On February 21-23, 2012, capac-ity building was conducted which involved the project staff of DSACs’ Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. NASSA Emergency and Social Services and Finance Unit facilitated the three-day training. The first two days of the training focused on the Basic Orienta-tion on Social Action Work (BOSSAW), project overview, methodologies, mechanisms and strategies, as well as tasks and functions of the project staff. On the third day, the training concen-trated on financial management and workshop on financial reporting sys-tem.

Land acquisition was a crucial issue for the shelter project to materialize in the three dioceses. Although it was very clear in the proposal that land for the shelter project is a counterpart of the diocese, in Cagayan de Oro, the Archbishop was more geared towards the Community Mortgage Program of the Government to provide the land for the shelter project. However, pro-cessing of such entails uncertainty as to time and viability, thus NASSA initi-ated the purchase of land through its local sources. In Iligan, the Bishop was more than willing to acquire land for the shelter through donations,


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1st Quarter Report

BASIC DATA SHEETName of Program: EA 01/2012

Emergency Response: Shelter for TS Washi victims

Name of Program Partners: Diocesan Social Action Centers(DSACs) in the following provinces:• Misamis Oriental - Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro• Lanao del Norte - Diocese of Iligan• Negros Oriental - Diocese of Dumaguete

Starting date: January 2012

Project Duration: 1 year (January – December 2012)

Status of the report: 1st Quarterly report Period covered by this report:

January – March 2012 Donations from Caritas Partners:

Php 31, 869, 836. 52Non-Caritas Partners:

Php 5, 041, 820. 80

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however, there were scarcely avail-able suitable lands for relocation. In the case of Dumaguete, the Bishop left all transactions to the care of his Social Action Director – who also relied so much on pledges from donors, which remained uncertain and unclear.

NASSA’s intervention came in varied ways. From the local dona-tions it has received around Php 4M for TS Washi, which was equitably apportioned to the 3 dioceses. In its allocation for Cagayan de Oro (CDO), in collaboration with the Social Action Director, NASSA initi-ated the purchase of a one hectare land to start the relocation project. On March 28 a down payment of Php 2.2M was given to purchase the current relocation site; the remain-ing Php 1.8M was shouldered by the Social Action Center.

In the Diocese of Dumaguete, NAS-SA’s visit on March 22 provided an avenue to meet with the City Mayor, City Administrator and the Social Action Director, together with 3 priests from his Social Action Team. In this coordination meeting, City Mayor Manuel Sagarrbaria vowed to provide the land for NASSA’s shel-ter donations for Dumaguete City. Likewise, NASSA was able to obtain his commitment for the package of preparing the subdivision plan and doing the entire site development of the relocation site he will allocate.

The Diocese of Iligan is still in the process of scouting for land, but it is assured of its Php 1.2M allocation from the local TS Washi fund do-nations through NASSA to support their efforts of finding a viable relo-cation site.

Targeting of beneficiariesNASSA and its partner DSACs

crafted the criteria which shall be used in choosing the targeted ben-eficiaries. The severity of the dam-ages brought by TS Washi neces-sitated the crafting of three levels of prioritization. The criteria listed below falls under the 1st level of prioritization:


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I(1) Danger / high risk / non-build-able areas

(2) Totally washed out / damaged houses

(3) Staying at the evacuation cent-ers: schools, covered courts, tents

(4) Poorest of the poor / jobless family heads and/or dependents

(5) NSO census; years of residence in the affected area (10 years and above)

(6) OWNER of HOUSE and LOT; IPs(7) Family composition & size: with

PWDs, children, dead / missing family members

These criteria shall serve as the lo-cal partners’ guiding point in arriving at the appropriate beneficiaries. In conducting interviews, the area co-ordinator shall use a uniform intake sheet indicating the basic information of prospective beneficiaries.

CoordinationNASSA joined two shelter cluster

meetings organized by the Office of the Vice-President and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The meetings conducted in Metro Manila last January 9, 2012 and in Cagayan de Oro last January 11, 2012 were called to coordinate and consolidate all relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government, interna-tional humanitarian organizations and other private sector donors. A Coordi-nation meeting with CAFOD was also held and attended by NASSA’s Execu-tive Secretary last January 12, 2012.

NASSA and its partner DSACs were visible at these coordination meetings. NASSA attended the Diocesan Disaster Risk Reduction and Management com-mittee meetings of the Diocese of Iligan, headed by Bp. Elenito Galido, DD on January 18, 2012 at the Bishop’s House in Iligan City. Updates on the status of the evacuees and those affected fami-lies outside the evacuation camps were discussed, as well as their processes for thorough data profiling, screening, and social preparation of beneficiaries. Sta-tus of relocation, as well as shelter com-mitments were also shared.

A multi-sectoral meeting attended by a staff of NASSA at the Archbishop’s

Residence in Cagayan de Oro on Janu-ary 21, 2012 gave updates on the cur-rent status of the evacuation centers, tent camps, and those who are outside the evacuation camps and have impro-vised makeshift shelters but need to be relocated. Criteria for prioritization of target priority beneficiaries were likewise presented. Another Shelter Team Meeting called by Abp. Ledesma on March 23 at Cagayan de Oro was attended by NASSA – the highlight of which is the status of identified lands for MGB clearance.

Preparatory meetings with each DSAC Project Staff were conducted by NASSA to lay out upcoming plans and activities related to land preparations before the construction, i.e. the secur-ing of necessary permits and clear-ances.

Monitoring and EvaluationNASSA continuously assisted its

local partners—admittedly inexpe-rienced in a disaster situation as se-vere as TS Washi’s destruction—at every stage of this project, particu-larly in the relocation site scanning; and coordination and planning meet-ings with the project staff in prepa-ration for the actual construction, as well as the social preparation of their targeted beneficiaries. Monitoring activities have been frequently con-ducted which involved dialogue and consultation with local project staff, key informant interviews, observa-tion through various evacuation site visitations among others. At the end of each monitoring activity, local partners are left with plans of action and instructions on ways of moving forward to ensure that they are guid-ed properly in the course of project implementation

Financial AspectThe figures presented are the cur-

rent financial status—donations re-ceived and pledges specified by CI confederation members. Based on the figures presented on the financial report, it can be observed that NASSA and the partner DSACs had utilized mainly its human resources during the

social preparation activities conducted in the first quarter of the year. The bulk of the expenditure presented was at-tributed to the land acquisition costs for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro and there are the minimal administra-tive and operational expenses, which can be observed.

Clarity on the land concerns were more of the tasks at hand of the SAC Di-rectors and the Bishops while project personnel have not officially rendered work thus no salaries were released yet. It may be safe to assume that NAS-SA and the partner DSACs took high caution on managing expenditures particularly during the 1st quarter of the year when the project is at its early stage and both the pledges and dona-tions were continuously monitored to assess shelter targets.

Clearer horizonThe first three months of EA 01

2012 project revolved around social preparation activities. During this pe-riod, coordination was heavy. Time revolved around identification of pos-sible relocation sites, employment of key project staff and capacity building. While these fundamental activities were being conducted, relief opera-tions were simultaneously happening as well. It may be difficult to grasp, but our local partners have been in the pic-ture actively, maximizing their parish volunteers and leaders.

The last month of the first quarter has opened a clearer horizon espe-cially for the Dioceses of Cagayan de Oro and Dumaguete, as land concerns for the shelter construction began to materialize. With the key persons and structure already in place, NASSA and its partner DSACs look positively to-wards the days and months to come when they can already see the outputs of their efforts, that is, the construction of shelter units. Amidst land availabil-ity remaining as a significant concern, nothing can prevent them from achiev-ing their goal of building homes for the disaster-affected population. This will hopefully provide shelter not only for their weary bodies but for their faith as well.

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2nd Quarter Report



Name of Program Partners: Diocesan Social Action Centers(DSACs) in the following provinces:• Misamis Oriental - Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro• Lanao del Norte - Diocese of Iligan• Negros Oriental - Diocese ofDumaguete



Status of the report: 2nd Quarterly report Period covered by this report:

April - June 2012 Total cost of the project:

Php 71, 424, 492.00From Caritas Partners: Php 31, 869, 836.52Non-Caritas Partners: Php 19, 787,105.60

Total donations received for EA 2012:Php 51, 633, 261.54

BASIC DATA SHEET


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Tropical storm Washi was recorded as the most destructive cyclone of 2011 reaching a death toll of

1,268 in terms of casualties according to the National Disaster Risk Reduc-tion and Management Council (NDR-RMC). Five months after its onslaught, the devastation of TS Washi remains a challenge especially for the affected families and communities in Visayas and Mindanao. Most of them are inter-nally displaced persons (IDPs) who are still staying either in the evacua-tion centers or transitory sites, hop-ing that government and non-govern-ment organizations will take notice of their plight and provide them decent homes.

For instance, in Iligan City, 1,519 families or 7,065 individuals are still living in evacuation centers and tent cities alone, excluding those still re-siding in their original communities which are declared high risk and no longer safe for settlement by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment & Natu-ral Resources (DENR). In Cagayan de Oro, a total of 2,577 families or 9,760 individuals currently reside in evacu-ation centers/ tent cities or transition sites as reported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10. While IDP’s were not visible in the small city of Dumaguete, these families remain vulnerable, as they re-built their houses from the same area where Sendong devastated them. The statistics available only include those in evacuation centers and transitory sites, but many families are forced to stay with their relatives, adding to the category of home-based IDP’s.

Rapid response activities gradually diminished as government and non-government organizations shifted towards rehabilitation phase follow-ing TS Washi. With the various inter-ventions ranging from blanket distri-bution of food and non-food items, emergency shelters, WASH and health based intervention, as well as the use of cash based intervention, the reha-bilitation phase took an even greater challenge, if not equal to that dur-ing the early phases of intervention,

where land remains the most signifi-cant impediment.

Relocation sitesMany stakeholders were actively

involved in the rehabilitation and re-covery phase, including government and non-government organizations. In Cagayan de Oro, three relocation sites were identified: one in Barangay Calaanan, Cagayan de Oro City; the other two in Barangay Indahag, where the NASSA and Archdiocesan Social Action’s Caritas Village Shelter Project and another government relocation project are both located.

In Iligan City, relocation sites for the affected families are the diocesan-initi-ated relocation at Barangay Luinab; the government’s relocation at Barangay Santa Elena; the GMA Kapuso Founda-tion’s relocation at Barangay Mandulog; and the NASSA and the Diocesan Social Action’s Caritas Village Shelter Project at Barangay Upper Tominobo.

However, in Dumaguete City, our partner diocese remained the sole re-habilitation project implementor for the affected families of TS Washi. The City Government provided the site: a 5,000square meter lot at Barangay Ba-jumpandan, Dumaguete City.

Construction of SheltersIn the Visayas region, the NASSA,

Dumaguete diocese and the City gov-ernment partnered to build the Cari-tas Village Shelter Project. On April 30, 2012, a groundbreaking ceremony was held and Memorandum of Agree-ment (MOA) was signed in Barangay Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City. The first batch of the beneficiaries was identified and a model house, exclu-sive of latrine, was completed.

The completion of a model house provided the project team sufficient information on the costing and la-bor requirements. Canvassing, ne-gotiation with suppliers and placing of orders were facilitated by NASSA and the project team. To ensure avail-ability of materials, the project team placed orders to chosen suppliers for the targeted units, with the payments on installment basis.

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The first phase of the construction involved the building of 12 units in-cluding six (6) septic tanks. Each sep-tic tank is to be shared by two shelter units/ families.

On June 29, 2012, a turn-over cer-emony of the 11 units was conducted to the 11 families screened and had completed the 200 hours sweat eq-uity. The one unit remaining of the 12 units fully constructed is reserved for demonstration purposes.

The 5,000 square meter lot at Brgy. Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City can only accommodate 58 shelter units, each with 60 square meter lot area, 20 square meters of which is the floor area, based from the Building Code Policy of the National Government. The City Mayor has committed to pro-vide the land for the rest of the target-ed 150 units.

The Indahag relocation site of NAS-SA and Social Action Center in Ca-gayan de Oro went through the rigid process of site development due to the government procedures undergone such as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) clearance, the conduct of topography survey, the submission of site development plan and subdivi-sion plan, among others. As soon as these requirements were completed, the construction of the shelter units started.

Currently, there are four blocks un-der construction, where 53 shelter units lie. Each shelter unit has its own septic tank. This one-hectare land can accommodate 90 units based on the site development plan.

The Diocese of Iligan on the other hand, recently acquired a 4.09 hectare property at Brgy. Upper Tominobo, Sta. Elena, Iligan City through dona-tion from NASSA’s local and interna-tional partners. The same rigorous processes of application for permits and clearances, site development and actual construction were undergone by the partner social action centers.

To date, 41 transitory shelters have already been constructed, with very active labor counterpart from the tar-get beneficiaries.

NASSA and CRS PartnershipThe shelter project proved to be an-

other opportunity for partnership be-tween NASSA and CRS, which already have an existing collaboration in an-other program on capacity building of selected DSACs.

CRS’ emergency shelter aimed to de-congest IDP’s in the schools serving as evacuation sites and at the same time provide them adequate shelter. With this in mind, NASSA – through SAC-ACDO and SAC-Iligan – collaborated with CRS for the construction of emer-

gency shelters in the social action center’s relocation site to serve three significant purposes: to decongest IDP’s from the camps; for the family beneficiaries to be able to accessibly render their sweat equity; and for the children to be enrolled already in the nearest school where their families are relocated.

The family beneficiaries identified were transferred first to CRS’ emer-gency shelter, and later on to the per-manent and transitory shelters of Ca-gayan de Oro and Iligan, respectively.

Targeting To arrive at the most vulnerable

beneficiaries, families were identified through a basic intake form. Each fam-ily had a profile collated in a summary form as basis of the general informa-tion for deliberation by the screen-ing committee, of which the project team and other clergy members are involved in.

Identified couple beneficiaries were likewise interviewed and a general orientation on the project implemen-tation was conducted, followed by the signing of Attestation of Commitment to the project.

First level of selection was based on the criteria set by NASSA and the partner DSACs. Upon arriving at the 1st phase of selection, performance on


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their sweat equity is being monitored, which shall be ground for the 2nd lev-el screening succeeding the turn over ceremony.

ParticipationSweat equity is a major aspect be-

ing considered at the start towards the end of the construction period to confirm the sense of ownership among beneficiaries identified. In Ca-gayan de Oro, 500 hours sweat equity is required from each family benefi-ciary, while 200 hours of sweat equity is required from the beneficiaries of the transitional shelters of Iligan and Dumaguete. The time spent by each family beneficiary to be counted as sweat equity is regulated through proper monitoring and recording of the Area Coordinator, Foreman or even the Warehouseman, such as in the case of the Dumaguete project.

Our DSAC Partners took higher level of ensuring community participation by conducting value formation work-shops, as in the case of our partner social action center in Cagayan de Oro and Dumaguete.

Coordination and CollaborationThe shelter clusters in our target

areas were led by UN Habitat, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as Co-lead.

Our partner dioceses, represented by Fr. Nazer Zaragoza in Iligan and Fr. Nathaniel Lerio in Cagayan de Oro, regularly sit during cluster meetings in their respective areas. In the case of Dumaguete, Fr. Burton Villarmente directly coordinates with the City Mayor and City Administrator to ad-dress concerns on the relocation site development.

Coordination served as a good av-enue to share information on target-ing beneficiaries especially in ensur-ing that there shall be no beneficiary served by two or more shelter donors.

The Local Inter-agency Council (LIAC) where all the humanitarian re-sponses and concerns were brought up is a helpful mechanism for social action partners in settling require-ments particularly for relocation site development concerns. In Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, the site development plans were prepared by the NHA; and the needed backfilling materials for each unit were provided by the City Mayor of Cagayan de Oro and possibly through DPWH of Iligan, respectively.

Financial AspectFinancial management is being en-

sured from the start until the end of the project, the finance team fully committed to this goal. Fund manage-ment has been monitored particularly

requests, liquidation and releases. As of June 30, 2012, a total of Php 14, 734, 911.02 or 29% of the project fund has been released.

As there was no land from the gov-ernment that became available except for Dumaguete, the project’s time frame has been a deciding factor for NASSA to initiate the purchase of land for the shelter construction to materi-alize. Presented with this reality, the overall project budget needed to be realigned to appropriate considerable amount for land acquisition, shelter costs and operational expenses, af-fecting the targeted shelter units.

With the funds coming in from in-ternational donors, the following are our targets in the following areas of operation:

(1) Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro - 160 units(2) Diocese of Iligan

- 200 units(3) Diocese of Dumaguete

- 150 units

Gearing towards the rainy season of the year, NASSA and the partner DSACs remain committed to complete the targeted units, as they anticipate with ardent faith and hope the imme-diate transfer of their expectant Washi survivor beneficiaries.

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12 IMPACT

Nine months after the devastation caused by TS Washi, both gov-ernment and non-government

organizations (NGOs) involved in the shelter construction have intensified their response on the rehabilitation and relocation of over 13,000 affected families and communities in Visayas and Mindanao. More than half of the total affected internally displaced persons (IDPs) are still staying either at the evacuation centers or transito-ry sites, and are continuously hoping for the speedy action of the govern-ment and NGOs to provide them with decent homes.

Technical and legal concerns had beset the bulk of operations in the three project sites for the entire third quarter of project implementation. As actual construction work progressed, other concerns related to land set-tlement and site development were simultaneously being processed and settled. These included the installation of water systems and electrical con-nections, establishment of road net-works, and applications for construc-tion of the drainage systems.

To ensure responsible stewardship of the shelters to be awarded, and be qualified as project beneficiaries, a “Core Shelter Unit Award Contract” was executed between the project implementers (NASSA and the con-cerned diocese to where the Social Ac-tion Centers belong) and each of the qualified project beneficiaries. Prior to the actual awarding of shelters, an orientation about the contents of the Contract was given to the beneficiar-ies, followed by the draw-lots of the shelters to be awarded.

To date, the following shelters have already been awarded and currently occupied by qualified beneficiaries:

Caritas Village at Brgy. Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City - 61 permanent shelters

Caritas Village at Brgy. Upper Tom-inobo, Iligan City - 40 transitional shelters

Caritas Village at Brgy. Bajumpan-dan, Dumaguete City - 28 transitional shelters

Awarding of Shelter units

Caritas Village in Brgy. Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City

The first 31 shelter units were awarded to Cagayan de Oro qualified beneficiaries on 08 September 2012; while the next 30 units were awarded on 29 September 2012. Both award-ing ceremonies commenced with a Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebra-tion officiated by Most Rev. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD, Archbishop of Cagay-an de Oro. After the Mass, the Award-ing Ceremonies followed: the signing of Core Shelter Unit Award Contract by the couple beneficiaries; and the Blessing of each unit and family to be awarded. Agape followed as a sign of fellowship and sharing of blessings.

Caritas Village in Brgy. Upper Tominobo, Iligan City

During the awarding of the first 20 transitional shelters in Iligan City, the Thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration was officiated by Most Rev. Elenito D. Galido, DD, bishop of Iligan; while the second awarding ceremonies was of-ficiated by Fr. Albert Mendez, the Social Action Director. Blessing of the awarded shelters likewise followed, and each awarding ceremony com-menced with a tree planting activity.

Caritas Village in Brgy. Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City

3rd Quarter Report



Name of Program Partners: Diocesan Social Action Centers(DSACs) in the following provinces:• Misamis Oriental - Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro• Lanao del Norte - Diocese of Iligan• Negros Oriental - Diocese ofDumaguete



Status of the report: 3rd Quarterly report Period covered by this report:

July - September 2012 Total cost of the project:

Php 71, 424, 492.00From Caritas Partners: Php 31, 869, 836.52Non-Caritas Partners: Php 19, 787,105.60

Total donations received for EA 2012:Php 51, 633, 261.54

BASIC DATA SHEET


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Twenty-eight family beneficiaries in the Diocese of Dumaguete were award-ed shelter units as of September 2012.

Spirit of volunteerismThe very active and hard-working

labor counterpart from the target ben-eficiaries was indeed a crucial factor that helped speed-up the construction work in each project site.

Apart from developing in them a strong sense of ownership of the pro-ject, it has likewise helped in fostering the spirit of volunteerism and “bayani-han” (sense of unity) among the ben-eficiaries. This kind of spirit will serve as a strong driving force, as these new sets of families coming together in this new site are preparing to organ-ize themselves into a community, and later form their own homeowner’s as-sociation.

The couple beneficiaries were also oriented on the contents of the “Core Shelter Unit Award Contract” that was awarded to them. During the award-ing ceremonies, the document was signed by the contracting parties and notarized afterwards – one copy was given to each family beneficiary as a clear assurance of their ownership, responsibility and stewardship of the unit awarded to them.

Beneficiaries are given ongoing for-mation workshop sessions by DSAC and other parochial organizations and movements that include topics on Responsible Parenthood and Natural Family Planning, Value Formation Ses-sions, Good Governance & People Em-

powerment, among others.

InfrastructuresDuring the third quarter, particular

concerns in the relocation site devel-opment, such as infrastructures need-ed by the settlers were given priority through coordination with the govern-ment and non-government agencies and organizations involved in the relo-cation projects.

• Installation of Water System and provision of backfill materials through the City Government of Cagayan de Oro;

• Provision of heavy equipment to establish the road networks and ex-tract backfill materials through the City Government of lligan, the Depart-ment of Public Works and Highways, and the National Housing Authority;

• Provision of heavy equipment to assist in the site development by the City Government of Dumaguete.

NASSA’s engagement does not end with its collaboration with local partners such as the DSAC, government agencies, and non-government organizations. It is likewise building relationship with oth-er Caritas countries, in particular, with Caritas Humanitarian Relief Initiatives Singapore (CHARIS), which committed funds for the construction of 100 transi-tional shelters in Iligan.

The remaining half of the proposed budget still unspent, NASSA has allo-

cated the fund for the second phase of the permanent shelters corresponding to the 60 remaining units in Cagayan de Oro, the second phase for Dum-aguete on the remaining 92 units and the rest of the 200 targeted shelter units in Iligan – inclusive of CHARIS’ shelter donations.

Enkindles hopeHaving a home of their own en-

kindled much hope in the spirit of the beneficiaries. Children feel more secure and safe from the threat of homelessness; parents feel much con-tentment and strong drive to work harder for their families. Each family beneficiary has started and continu-ously enhances their living conditions in their new homes as they move to a more stable and secure process of development.

On the other hand, the challenge of constant, ongoing monitoring and su-pervision for continuity and comple-tion of the project in the three sites remains a tedious challenge for the project staffs in all the sites: the open-ing of the new sites for the remaining shelters of Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro, respectively; and the ongoing, te-dious progress of the site development in Iligan.

Amidst all these challenges and the sparks of hope, the project implement-ers continue to hope that by the fourth quarter, more beneficiaries will be able to transfer to the permanent shel-ters before the anniversary of typhoon Washi.

14 IMPACT14

One year and four months after the devastation wrought by TS Washi, the Caritas Village Shelter project in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro and Dioceses of Iligan and Dumaguete came to completion, thanks to the fund donations received by Caritas Philippines, both from local and international sources.

Areas Covered Target SheltersConstructed

Status of Implementation / Remarks

a) Misamis Oriental:Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

150 permanentcore shelters –single-detached

• at Site 1 (Brgy. Inda-hag): 90 unitsCOMPLETED as of 17 December 2012• at Site 2 (Brgy. Mam-buaya): 60 unitsCOMPLETED as of 31 May 2013

b) Lanao del Norte -Diocese of Iligan

262 transitionalcore shelters –single-detached

• at Brgy. Upper Tom-inobo: 262 unitsCOMPLETED as of 18 May 2013

c) Negros Oriental -Diocese of Dumaguete

165 transitionalcore shelters –single-detached

• at Site 1 (Brgy. Ba-jumpandan): 58 unitsCOMPLETED as of 17 December 2012• at Site 2: 107 units COMPLETED as of30 May 2013

Total Shelters Built:• permanent• transitionalOVER-ALL

150427577

• fund source: CI• fund source: CI & CHARIS

Overall Progress of Caritas Village Shelter Project (EA 01/2012)



Name of Program Partners: Dioceses in the following provinces:• Misamis Oriental - Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro• Lanao del Norte - Diocese of Iligan• Negros Oriental - Diocese of Dumaguete


Project Duration: 16 months (January 2012 –April 2013)

Status of the report: Terminal Report

Period covered by this Report: October 2012 –April 2013

BASIC DATA SHEET


TYP

HO

ON

WA

SH

I

Awarding of Shelters and Turn-over to the Concerned Dioceses

1. Archdiocese of Cagayan de OroJust on time for TS Washi anniversa-

ry, on 17 December 2012, CBCP-NAS-SA and the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro awarded the last 29 core shel-ter units of their Caritas Village Shelter Project to their qualified beneficiaries – completing the 90 permanent shel-ters awarded to 90 beneficiary IDPs. From the excess construction materi-als, the project was still able to build a unit that now serves as office and multi-purpose building of the Caritas Village of this multi-purpose build-ing was already a counterpart of the CVHA. To date, Caritas Village at Brgy. Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City is the first completed relocation project of NASSA and the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro partnership.

Caritas Village in Brgy. Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City

90 shelter units awarded to beneficiariesDecember 17, 2012

Cooperative Village in Brgy. Mambuaya, Cagayan de Oro City

60 shelter units awarded last April 25 and May 31, 2013

2. Diocese of Iligan Two partial turn-overs were done in

December 20 (22 shelters) and March 17, 2013 (23 shelters). From the ex-cess construction materials at Iligan

Caritas Village, the project was still able to build a 60-square meters learn-ing center that now serves as a place for meetings, gatherings, and adult education classes of the relocation site beneficiaries.

Caritas Village at Brgy. Upper Tominobo, Iligan City

115 shelters awarded to qualified beneficiariesMay 18, 3012

Caritas Village at Brgy. Upper Tomino-bo, Iligan City

263 units constructed: 163 are from CI donations while 98 are from CHAR-IS donations. The original 100 units al-located by CHARIS have been reduced to 98 due to unforeseen needed cash-for-work allocation of Php 1,175.00 for each family beneficiary. Given the large number of families at the site, the Bishop requested that one unit be al-located as office of the Homeowners’ Association Officers for the Project’s Area Coordinator.

3. Diocese of Dumaguete

Caritas Village in Brgy. Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City

58 units at Phase I of the project was completed and turned-over on Decem-ber 17, 2012. On April 30, 2013 Cari-tas Village was able to complete and turn-over the remaining 92 shelters, plus 15 more which were completed in mid-June 2013 –making a total of 107 shelters at Phase II; or a grand total of

165 shelters.Building of infrastructures needed by the new communities

Coordination with both government and non-government agencies and organization (GAs/GOs and NGAs/NGOs) fast tracked the building of in-frastructures needed by the new com-munities.

1. Caritas Village –Indahag • Installation of water supply by the

city government of Cagayan de Oro • Installation of Electric posts

through the efforts of the CVHA Offic-ers

• Development of the road networks and drainage systems at the site

2. Co-op Ville –Mambuaya• Water connection for each shelter

unit• Installation of electric posts by

Misamis Oriental Electric Cooperative (MORECO);

3. Caritas Village –Iligan• Building roads, dredging of canals

in relocation sites• Water connection• Livelihood programs

4. Caritas Village –Dumaguete• City government provided heavy

equipment to assist in site develop-ment of Phase II

• Coordination with the WASHI clus-ter was also done for the provision of necessary latrines, water sources –both for drinking and washing

16 IMPACT

Typhoon Bopha (local name “Pab-lo”) is the 16th tropical storm that entered the Philippines in 2012.

Considered the strongest, it is com-paratively larger than tropical storm “Washi” which struck Northern Mind-anao on December 16-17, 2011. Bopha made three landfalls, first in Baganga, Davao Oriental in December 4, 2012, then in Negros Oriental and finally in Palawan.

According to government reports, around one million households or approximately 5.4 million individu-als were affected by the typhoon. Of this figure, around 177,801 individu-als were crammed in 173 evacuation centers.

Four months after Typhoon Bopha, the province of Davao Oriental is still in need of help as affected families lost their livelihood and shelter. OCHA re-ports that 11,767 people remain in 68 evacuation centers/transition sites; 921,649 affected people are living out-side evacuation centers. The shelter needs remain staggering: there are 158,769 damaged houses and 140,000 families affected. The response provided by the shelter cluster members, so far gathered, is meager: 31,000 shelter kits were distributed, 1,800 tents, 22,000 re-pair kits and 400 transitional shelters. In brief, only an estimated 65,000 families received shelter support.

Upon consultation with the Diocesan Social Action Center and the Catholic Relief Services, NASSA Caritas Philip-pines decided to focus its emergency and rehabilitation efforts to the mu-nicipalities of Cateel and Boston in the province of Davao Oriental. CRS, mean-while, focused is initial shelter efforts to the adjacent municipality of Baganga.

Project implementationThe first quarter emergency re-

sponse was conducted in coordination with the Diocese of Mati. It involved

meetings with Bishop Patricio S. Alo, Fr. Dan Fuentes, the Social Action Di-rector, and two parish priests: Fr. Nestor Morata, of Cateel, and Fr. Diomy Lagroma, of Boston. A Memorandum of Commitment was drafted between NASSA and the Diocese to ensure effec-tive implementation and sustainability of the project.

Another focus was the hiring of per-sonnel for both municipalities: a Di-ocesan Program Coordinator, 5 Com-munity Organizers, 1 Finance Officer, 1 Technical Supervisor/Engineer, 2 Construction Foremen, 2 Warehouse-men/Utility Men, and 1 Delivery Truck Driver. A volunteer Quality Assurance Officer was installed to ensure the ma-turity and hardness of coco-lumber purchased from chainsaw operators. To date, the QA officer oversees 28 lo-cal chainsaw operators. The fund sup-port for the project staff are as follows:

The staff attended the Catholic Re-lief Services’ piloting of their shelters in Baganga and community consulta-tions on the final lay-out of the CRS-de-signed transitional shelter. While CRS decided to build core/skeletal tran-sitional shelters, the Mati team (local personnel and NASSA Program Coor-dinators) came up with a transitional shelter complete with floorings and walls, taking into account the avail-ability of local materials, as well as the limited financial capacity of families

who lost everything: properties and livelihood to Pablo.

The CRS-designed transitional shel-ter model was adopted by Caritas Philippines because it incorporated designs and features according to the Sphere standards. Locally available materials (80% coco-lumber) were used, appropriate technical design and construction to make the shelter typhoon-resilient were incorporated, the expertise of the local carpen-ters (including beneficiaries) were enhanced and provided them liveli-hood, the 18sqm completely covered transitional shelter allowed 3.5sqm covered area per person for a family of 5. Furthermore, the shelter can be constructed in 3-4 days. Based on the total unit cost of PHP 22,000 for a floor area of 3x6 square meters, inclusive of labor costs, the number of beneficiar-ies under the Caritas Internationalis’ grant was estimated to be 140 in Ca-teel and 300 in Boston. These figures add to the 360 transitional shelters funded by Caritas New Zealand in the Cateel area.

BeneficiariesThe BSK beneficiaries were chosen

based on a set of criteria that was es-tablished and presented to the Mati staff during the Program Management Training:

• Households staying in evacuation


TYP

HO

ON

BO

PH

A

18 IMPACT

centers found to be unable to return home due to inhabitable shelters;

• Household who have returned back to their communities but still living in makeshift shelters;

• Households whose livelihood was severely damaged by the typhoon;

• Older persons/couple living by themselves and found to be vulnerable and person with disabilities found in similar situation;

• Solo parent households with two or more family members that depend on them;

• Households with pregnant and lac-tating women.

• Households with family members recorded as casualty or missing

• Households with 4 or more than characteristics listed above shall be qualified for the BSK.

The beneficiaries of the BSK were identified in coordination with the Municipal Social Welfare and Develop-ment Office and the Barangay Councils. Prior to the distribution of the goods, the Diocesan Project Coordinator gave an orientation to the communities re-garding the on-going Caritas projects, as well as their responsibility for the upcoming shelter project.

Local participationThe Barangay Chairman and his

Council members identified the sitios (cluster of families) that were most affected and the list of beneficiaries were drawn up from these. Based on the interviews with the locals, the Mati Team modified the generic list of food items and non-food items that are relevant to the communities. For example, as protein source, they replaced fish with beans since fish can be easily sourced out in the area. Instead of blankets, they replaced it with “malong” which is culturally ac-ceptable and used in various ways: as dress, blanket, shawl, baby car-riage, and general protective cover-ing. Toothbrushes and mosquito nets, which were distributed early on by other humanitarian groups, were also replaced with flashlights due to pro-longed power outages in the area.


Emergency Response: Shelter for TC Bopha victims

Name of Program Partners: Diocese of Mati, Davao OrientalMunicipalities of Cateel & Boston

Starting date: 25 February 2013

Project Duration: 8 months (February 25 – October 25, 2013)

Status of the report: 1st Quarter Report

Period covered by this Report: 25 February 2013 – 25 May 2013

Total cost of the project: Php 21,792,000 (435,840 euros) **

** Cost of the project as of latest re-vision was PhP 14,312,000.00 (286,240 Euros) but funds specifically for shel-ter construction coming from Cari-tas New Zealand amounting to PhP 7,480,000.00 (149,600Euros) was add-ed to the budget giving a new total cost of PhP 21,792,000 (435,840 Euros).

BASIC DATA SHEET


TYP

HO

ON

BO

PH

A

Date AreaNumber of

Family-Beneficiaries

04 May 2013

Sitio Ba-guidanan, Brgy. Pobla-cion

69

05 May 2013

Brgy. San Alfonso

66

06 May 2013

Brgy. San Antonio

65

06 May 2013 Sitio Abijod 50

07 May 2013

Brgy. Sta. Felomina

78

TOTAL 328 families

A simplified survey questionnaire translated in the vernacular and con-ducted during the BSK distribution en-sured proper assessment and feedback on the conduct of the distribution.

Furthermore, 20 local youth were tapped as CBCP-NASSA volunteers to as-sist in the proper distribution of goods. They too were given orientation on So-cial Action works and values formation.

ProtectionControl numbers were given out to

the BSK beneficiaries a day before the actual distribution. This is to ensure orderly collection of the BSK and to update the list of beneficiaries. They were advised to bring sacks for the items, while some used the “malong” to carry the goods. A staff was sta-tioned at the end of the line to check with the beneficiary if all the goods are in good condition or are complete in order to avoid comparison or com-plaints. The distribution was done on-site and finished at broad daylight in order to minimize risk of violence (e.g. rape, robbery) on the way home, both for the beneficiaries and the staff.

Distribution of Basic Survival Kits (Food & Non-Food Items)

Out of the 500 BSKs, 328 kits were already distributed in the same baran-gays and sitios mentioned under the shelter project in Cateel. Specifically, they are as follows:

The distribution of remaining BSKs in Cateel and Boston was postponed because of security issues in the midst of the campaign leading to the elec-tions in May 13. The distribution re-sumed on the last week of May.

Shelter for 800 households

The following criteria are followed in the selection of on-site or within-the-barangay relocation site shelter beneficiaries:

• Household recipient of basic sur-

vival kits who have not rebuilt their shelters at the time of validation;

• Households with totally damaged houses who are currently living in makeshift houses at the time of valida-tion and having no access to any form of shelter assistance.

• Households living in high-risk ar-eas as declared by the Mines & Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB).

The following barangays were pro-filed and are the site of NASSA-Caritas Philippines on-going shelter project:

AREAS AND WORK SCHEDULES for SHELTER CONSTRUCTION

CATEEL By June 30

By July 31 By Aug 30 TOTAL Remarks

*Sitio Bagu-idanan in Brgy. Poblacion

30 20 10 60 12 com-pleted; 8 lay-out (foundation for col-umns)

Sitio Canaum & Tungkit in Brgy. Sta. Felomina

15 20 15 50 For valida-tion, last week of May

Sitio Lambog & BalinaonaoIn Brgy. San Alfonso

41 50 50 141 3 completed shelters; full blast construc-tion last week of May

Sitio Talisay in Brgy. San Antonio


Sitios Tuburan, Panlikanan, Mahu, Langyawan/Hulid in Brgy. Aragon


Sitio Lang-yawan/Hulid Proper in Brgy. Aragon

15 15 4 complet-ed, 5 lay-out

TOTAL in Cateel

453 **

20 IMPACT

BOSTON

Brgy. Sibajay including Sitio Carabatuan

40 60 50 150 12 lay-out including 5 unfinished shelters

Brgy. Carmen 30 60 60 150 For ori-entation; on-going screening

TOTAL in Boston

300

* Sitio is local term for village or small cluster of families within a Barangay, the smallest geo-political unit of the Philippines

** The number of beneficiaries will still increase. Screening and validation are still on-going in the areas listed above.

Construction of transitional shelters In April 12 and 13, groundbreak-

ing ceremonies were held in three (3) areas: Baguidanan and Hulid, both in Cateel, and Carabatuan in Boston, re-spectively. This was followed by anoth-er in San Alfonso. Model coco-lumber houses were built in these areas.

At the end of May, other areas simul-taneously started construction giv-ing employment to local carpenters. Based on actual experience, the 3x6 square meter shelter made of 90% co-co-lumber material can be built in 3-4 days employing the contracted labor of a team of 4 carpenters. Upon com-pletion, the construction foremen con-duct a quality control inspection of the finished house based on set specifica-tions, which is further verified by the Construction Engineer to ensure that specifications are met.

Approximately 1,363 board-feet of coco-lumber in eight (8) various sizes are needed to construct one transi-tional shelter.

LogisticsThe transport of hardware materials

from the city, of gravel from quarrying sites to the community sites, collection of felled coconut trees and delivery of processed coco-lumber from one ba-rangay to another made logistics very crucial in the initial implementation of the project.

The military offered their trucks to transport hardware supplies from Davao (341kilometers) or Mati City

tions in order to prevent the outbreak of horn-beetle and to regulate the en-try of commercial coco-lumber buyers, agreed to lend 10 chainsaws for our shelter project in Cateel. This is in ap-preciation of the Diocese of Mati being the first to provide complete transi-tional shelters in Cateel.

Collaboration with the Provincial Government after the elections saw the provision of heavy equipment for the use in our shelter project. One dump truck was used to transport gravel and sand to our community-beneficiaries, and a back hoe for minor site development.

Network and Strategies

CoordinationTo ensure continuous supply of un-

processed quality coconut timber, the Mati Team established various net-

(168kilometers) to Cateel, but the trucks available at that time could only carry limited quantities, thus, they had to make several trips.

The Diocese of Mati gave as local counterpart its used mini-truck for the transport of gravel and lumber, but engine maintenance and fuel are main considerations. To minimize transport of processed coco-lumber, the com-munities are instructed to collect avail-able and donated felled coconut trees, then chainsaw operators come to pro-cess the timber on-site into pre- deter-mined sizes. They are then distributed to the beneficiaries for safekeeping, and the Mati team pays for the pro-cessed lumber. The Diocesan Project Coordinator and the Construction En-gineer conduct regular external audit of lumber inventories in the areas.

To ensure continuous supply of un-processed quality coconut timber, the Mati Team established various net-work and strategies. First, MOAs with Barangay leaders and landowners en-sured both the donation of land for on-site construction of shelters and the donation of felled coconut trees for the shelters. Second, the Team also had a verbal agreement with local coordina-tors under cash-for-work program of other humanitarian groups that felled coconut trees can be rolled down from the mountainside and then collected by our mini-truck for processing later. Lately, the Philippine Coconut Author-ity, the government agency tasked to oversee the clearing of coconut planta-


TYP

HO

ON

BO

PH

A

21

work and strategies. First, MOAs with Barangay leaders and landowners en-sured both the donation of land for on-site construction of shelters and the donation of felled coconut trees for the shelters. Second, the Team also had a verbal agreement with local coordina-tors under cash-for-work program of other humanitarian groups that felled coconut trees can be rolled down from the mountainside and then collected by our mini-truck for processing later. Lately, the Philippine Coconut Author-ity, the government agency tasked to oversee the clearing of coconut planta-tions in order to prevent the outbreak of horn-beetle and to regulate the en-try of commercial coco-lumber buyers, agreed to lend 10 chainsaws for our shelter project in Cateel. This is in ap-preciation of the Diocese of Mati being the first to provide complete transi-tional shelters in Cateel.

Collaboration with the Provincial Government after the elections saw the provision of heavy equipment for the use in our shelter project. One dump truck is being used to transport gravel and sand to our community-beneficiaries, and a back hoe for minor site development.

Banking SystemOne big challenge is the lack of

trusted commercial banks in Cateel and Boston. The nearest bank, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), is found in the municipality of Mangagoy, 89 kilometers away. Strategies have been adopted to ensure safety of the Mati team from robbers and accidents, while ensuring prompt payment of li-abilities to suppliers.

One such strategy is by minimizing the withdrawal and transport of large sums of money, instead doing all trans-actions in Mangagoy. Funds for the pro-ject are deposited by NASSA to the LBP. Withdrawals are being done directly at the LBP bank in Mangagoy through the ATM, and then deposited to a local bank. This local bank would have a branch in Cateel. It is in this local bank that smaller amounts are withdrawn for payments and salaries of staff in Cateel. Through this process, the risk of robbery and hold-ups is minimized, as the money is not being transported in long distance. It is withdrawn di-rectly at the area where it is needed. Also, only small and needed amounts

are deposited in the local bank given that such small rural banks are not as financially stable as big banks. There-fore, all amounts deposited on a par-ticular day are also withdrawn on the same day. As such, no big amounts are left deposited in the rural bank.

Aside from its proximity, LBP was selected due to its fast and reliable ser-vice. Since opening a checking account was not viable, because they require a high maintaining balance, Savings Ac-count with ATM access was selected. The ATM is handled by the project co-ordinator, but the account is also be-ing accessed and monitored by NASSA for transparency and double checking of the transactions made. The docu-mentation process of withdrawals will still be the same as with the checking account. That is budget requests will still be made and cash vouchers will be used to support transactions. The ATM receipts will also be attached to the vouchers. LBP offers online in-quiries so even at the NASSA office in Manila, the account can be viewed and details of bank transactions can be printed any time.

Risk factorsTo construct one coco-lumber

transitional shelter, we need timber from10 coconut trees. While there is abundance of felled trees, there are not enough chainsaw operators in Cateel and Boston areas resulting to limited daily production.

22 IMPACT

The entry of commercial buyers who offer competitive prices for felled coco-nut timber to landowners and families might later on increase the demand and consequently the price of pro-cessed coco-lumber from the current PHP 5/boardfoot. Since our shelters are 90% made of coco-lumber, higher prices translate to lesser number of shelter beneficiaries. To mitigate this, our Mati team have been stocking up piles of timber in Barangay San Anto-nio and constantly replenishing it with fresh supplies. A table saw was also installed to process them to finished products and serve as back-up. Fur-thermore, the Mati team lobbied to the Provincial office of the Philippine Co-conut Authority to constantly regulate the entry of commercial buyers.

Recurring problems on peace and order in Cateel, aggravated by the in-creased military presence in the bor-

ders of Compostela Valley and Cateel, may limit construction activities such as transport of construction materials from Mati City or transport of gravel and sand from quarry areas.

LearningsThe shelter project is now going

full-blast thanks to the collaboration, cooperation and support of the people in the affected communities, various CSOs and LGUs, Caritas International, Caritas New Zealand, Catholic Relief Services and other Caritas confedera-tion. Guided by the Sphere standards and equipped with the on-field learn-ing and experience on coordination, logistics and project management these past 3 months, the Mati team expects a more efficient and harmo-nious running of the project. Needs and gaps have been identified and solutions arrived at. The Mati team

is in the process of compiling its own Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) documenting all the learning and strategies starting from the qual-ity control of coco-lumber down to the payment of finished shelters.

As to the purchase of BSKs and sup-plies, the Mati team has learned that there are more to consider than the price of items. For example, while the ‘malong’ was more culturally ac-ceptable, giving them blankets would not do any harm; and while prices for goods are lower in Manila, purchas-es should have been made locally to boost local economy and to speed up assistance. Delays have its hidden and irreversible costs, and these include the indescribable suffering of our brethren trying to survive one day at time. Our choices and strategies should always be guided by the adage ‘Do no harm.’


The Caritas Humanitarian Aid & Re-lief Initiatives Singapore (CHARIS) mission team came to Barangay

Babag, Monkayo, Compostela Valley last September 8 to 14, 2013 to build shelters and experience life among the beneficiaries of the Caritas Shelter Vil-lage, a project of Caritas Philippines and the Diocese of Tagum’s Operation Tabang. The beneficiaries lost their homes and livelihood to super typhoon Pablo (international name Bopha) that struck the region in 4 December 2013. CHARIS has donated 40 shelters in ad-dition to the 145 units constructed in May to September 2013 with funds from Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI).

Another need that they proposed to fund is the construction of an Emer-gency Evacuation area within the parish compound which can shelter school-children who are often strand-ed for nights and days when the river which they cross everyday to go to school swells. The bridge was washed out by flooding several years ago.

The team was accompanied by Fr. Emerson Luego, Director of Opera-tion Tabang, Fr. Jerson Estose, parish priest, Harvey Luistro, Emergency Program officer of Caritas Philippines, Frank Cinco and Marlina Jamio, Caritas

24 IMPACT

Philippines’ project staff, all through-out their stay. Dubbed “Mission of Friendship”, the team was headed by CHARIS’ Frederick Foo, Director of Operations, and with him were vol-unteers: Stephanie Ng, Sheron Heng, Joan Tan, Don Kingsley, Galvin Tay, Mi-chael Tan, and Simon Lim. The group also shared the technology of making durable construction materials with used plastic bottles and gravel and solar lamps using water and chlorine solution.

They were touched by the joyful and warm welcome accorded to them by the residents, especially the chil-dren who devoted late afternoons to celebrate the Eucharist with them. At the worksite, the family-beneficiaries also demonstrated to them the prac-tise of “bayanihan” (volunteerism) by working together in building row-houses, assisting skilled carpenters to fast-track the construction. Towards the end of their stay, Simon Lim and Stephanie Ng shared their life-giving experiences to the community during the Eucharistic Mass celebrated by Fr. Emerson Luego.

During the initial response of Cari-tas Philippines to TY Pablo in the first quarter of 2013, CHARIS donated food and non-food items to more than 900 TY Pablo survivors in different areas in the Compostela Valley in partner-ship with the Diocese of Tagum.

ArCHDIoCESE of


Cagayan de OrO

ArCHDIoCESE of

26 IMPACT

Diocese

of

Iligan


Diocese of Mati

28 IMPACT

Diocese oftagum


Dioceseof tandag

30 IMPACT

dumagueteDiocese of


dumaguete


AcknowledgmentNassa Caritas - Philippines

sincerely thanks its Caritas International partnersespecially Charis of Singapore

Caritas New Zealand andConferenza Episcopale Italianaas well as non-Caritas partners

in the process of rebuilding the lives of Filipinosshattered by

typhoon Washi and typhoon Bopha

Special Issue December 2013

Documents