Severe tropical storm Paeng “Nalgae” made series of landfalls in the Philippines. Heavy rains spawned across many provinces last October 28 , 2022 ( Friday) . The crisis exacerbated by the prevailing northeast monsoon. Houses were flattened, affecting many families especially the children in many areas in Mindanao.
In Iligan City, barangay Tambacan was deeply affected by the raging flashfloods where the Samau Bajau community resides. Most of their stilt houses were submerged and washed out by the high-level water from the coastal area.
A total of 115/268 (43%) Bajau families evacuated to the nearby barangay gymnasium. As per record, 587 individuals including children 0-5 years old and pregnant women were affected.
Rima (not her real name), 40, was one of the affected residents displaced by the emergency. “Alongside with my husband, four children and three grandchildren, we saved as much valuables and furniture as we could. Our house was completely submerged in the water. We don’t know what will happen to us after this” she shared.
Save the Children Philippines were quick to respond to the affected community in Tambacan. The organization promptly conducted a rapid assessment. As per consultation, the majority of the respondents expressed the need for shelter, household items and food stocks, sanitation, and hygiene kits. To support their immediate needs, hot meals were provided to the evacuees in collaboration with the local government unit of barangay Tambacan.
“We want to guarantee that these vulnerable families will have decent shelters, clean water, food, education, and healthcare. We will do our best to ensure that these affected children are protected at all times,” Edwin Horca, BARMM Team Leader, Save the Children Philippines.
Through the Life Changer for Children project, the assessment team will continually provide immediate needs such as hot meals/food items, household items, and hygiene kits.
Save the Children Philippines, with the support from private corporations like Opella Healthcare Philippines, seeks to establish long term community partnerships enabling life-saving interventions not only during emergencies but more importantly in creating resilient and safe communities for children and their families moving forward.
