- National Capital Region, Metropolitan Manila (Typhoon Ondoy) – damage is caused by severe flooding. Most properties are still intact, although damage is still to be assessed in many areas. Flooding has destroyed belongings but the level of property destruction is minimal for those that owned land and houses. For the squatter communities, however it is a different story. They have lost everything and have claim to nothing.
- Pangasinan Region (Typhoon Pepeng) – damage was caused by intense rains and resultant floods, but added to this is severe damage, (reminiscent of the 2004 tsunami scenes) caused by the 5m high wave that rushed down the river and flood ways in the region. Many flood dykes were unable to stand the pressure and imploded: solid, concrete/brick houses along the spillway have been completely destroyed, or the ground so eroded that they will be condemned.
- Benguet Region (Typhoon Pepeng) – The areas around Baguio and La Trinidad suffered major landslides that have wiped out, and isolated entire mountain villages. Whilst the cities themselves largely escaped damage, there are numerous villages around the city that are suffering as a result of fatalities, complete destruction and now lack of water, food and issues of sanitation.
We have been able to source good funding for food parcels for Metro Manila, (all we have to do is purchase supplies, sort and deliver them). Now the efforts will turn to identifying the best response and funding to assist the North.
In these regions people are in need of kitchen utensils, water and blankets. (Obviously there are many other needs, but these are the immediate.) So the efforts continue in food, (rice, sardines, noodles, oil, some basic medications and toiletries) but we begin to work on proposals for the next phase now.
