PRESS RELEASE
Educo: A month since Super Typhoon Rolly, children and families in Catanduanes struggling to get back on their feet due to loss of homes and livelihoods
Child rights group Educo distributes essential relief supplies to 560 families in Catanduanes to aid in emergency response and recovery
(November 29, 2020, Catanduanes) A month since super typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) typhoon barreled through Catanduanes and many parts of the Bicol region, Educo Philippines says that children and families in devastated communities are still struggling to get back to their feet after losing their homes and main sources of livelihood to the storm.
Shiena Base, Educo’s emergency response team lead says: “We visited some of the worst-hit municipalities with many homes and communities completely washed out. We found that many of them are still struggling to get back on their feet. One of their main concerns is their livelihood. Before Rolly, their main source of income was farming – specifically abaca cropping – but now that’s gone and they have no way to earn. Even if they try to rebuild their farms, it will take a long time.”
Base adds: “Another major concern is the lack of shelter and its implications. Since many families are taking refuge in their neighbors’ and relatives’ homes, makeshift homes, and evacuation sites, as many as 3-10 families stay in small areas, removing all sense of privacy for them – especially girls and women. The cramped spaces and the lack of electricity can expose them to heightened protection risks. It will be difficult for them to report these as their families have other problems to deal with, simultaneously.”
Educo has launched an emergency response to provide aid to children and families whose homes and schools have been ravaged by Super Typhoon Rolly. Educo has started distributing relief kits to 560 households in the municipalities of San Miguel, Baras, and Bato in Catanduanes where the typhoon made its first landfall.
The “family kit” contains supplies such as solar light, blankets, towels, sleeping mat, cookware, and utensils to help many of those who have lost nearly everything to the typhoon. Educo has also provided each household with a box of surgical face masks and hygiene materials such as soap and detergent to protect families from COVID-19.
Base also expressed concerns over the impact of the loss of livelihood to children’s education:
“Before the typhoon, children were already adjusting to the concept of blended learning and online classes due to COVID-19. Many of them were unable to salvage anything, not even their books and school supplies, during the storm.”
“Parents pay particular attention to provide food on the table, before anything else. Some are unable to spend money on transportation to school when their school-age children need to pick up modules for distance learning.”
2020 is going to be the worst year for most school children as they grapple with the after-effects of the typhoon, compounded by the challenges of online classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Base in a previous statement. The organization’s initial assessment found that at least 90% of schools in Catanduanes had suffered damage from the super typhoon.
Educo Country Director in the Philippines, Olga Rodriguez says: “We’re anticipating that because of the current health crisis, recovery from the typhoon will not be the same as previous years. Our response plan includes the distribution of family kits to identified households, cash assistance, psychosocial sessions, school kits, risk communication, and community engagements – all done in coordination with our partners.”
For media interviews, please contact April Sumaylo-Tesz, Global Communications Specialist, Asia Lead at +639171791240 or email april.tesz@educo.org OR Divine Magno, Communications & Advocacy Officer in Manila, at +639399042097 or email divine.magno@educo.org
About Educo
Notes to Editor
EDUCO is a global development INGO with a head office in Barcelona, Spain that has over 25 years of experience in service and defense of children and their rights. EDUCO works with children and their communities to promote just and equitable societies that guarantee their rights and wellbeing.
Educo started in the Philippines in 2005 where it implements programs on education, protection, and child-friendly local governance, as well as doing humanitarian action in disaster-affected areas. It operates in 192 schools in 184 communities within the provinces of Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Albay, reaching about 70,000 children.
The organization continues to raise funds for long-term projects focused on recovery and education in emergencies to ensure children can continue their education amid disasters.
