Educo | ReliefWeb.Int

Educo, a humanitarian and development organization based in Bicol region since 2005, has deployed rapid assessment teams and planning for humanitarian and early recovery interventions

(Legazpi City, December 5, 2019) –Child-focused agency Educo estimates that at least 130,000 children have been affected in the aftermath of typhoon Tisoy [international name: Kammuri] based on the report by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region V. This number of affected children is expected to increase with delays in submission of reports due to inaccessibility, limited public transportation, absence of electricity and internet connectivity in some affected municipalities a few days after the typhoon.

Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri) tore across the Bicol region on Monday evening, packing maximum sustained winds up to 175 kph near the center and gustiness up to 240 kph. According to Dec 5 national disaster risk reduction agency (NDRRMC) report, at least 90,000 families have been displaced and thousands of school-aged children are still waiting for classes to resume.

Educo’s Child Protection Specialist Shiena Base, who was on the ground when the typhoon battered central Philippines, says: “Our staff have experienced firsthand how the typhoon’s violent winds and heavy rains battered our own homes and villages. But there was no time to dwell on what happened that night as we needed to move quickly and find out what happened to the rest of the provinces. As our rapid response teams travelled through the worst hit communities, we have met families and children who have lost their homes and belongings to the storm. Many of the schools we saw during our assessment have also incurred damages.”

In Camarines Sur alone, the provincial disaster response office (PDRRM) report that around 293 classrooms have suffered major damages while more than 7,000 learning materials and textbooks have either been soaked or torn. Moreover, Department of Education Albay’s 11AM December 5, 2019 Rapid Assessment Damages Report (RADaR) stated that 883 classrooms were damaged (70 totally, 264 partially major, 549 partially minor). Also damaged were 1,330 school furniture, 7,943 learning materials and 178 computer equipment. Total cost of damages for Department of Education Albay alone amounted to 323 million pesos.

Educo Philippines immediately deployed rapid needs assessment teams across the worst hit areas in Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Albay to identify the immediate needs of some of the vulnerable children and families.

Base adds says: “Aside from communication and power lines still cut in many areas, children are telling us that they need clean water. Particularly in emergency situations, children are at an increased risk of getting sick due to water-borne diseases. We are still in the early stages of our assessment and we will continue to collaborate with local officials and communities. It is critical that we do everything we can to support the needs of these children.”

Educo Philippines staff was one of the first organizations on the ground when the storm hit and have been collaborating with local governments across the Bicol region and with other international NGOs.

Educo is participating in the Multi-Cluster Joint Rapid Needs Assessment being undertaken in Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur together with other UN Agencies, International NGOs, Local NGOs and the Office of Civil Defense.

Currently, EDUCO has committed its own fund for the rapid assessment, coordination work and initial response. The organization is also actively working to mobilize resources for humanitarian and early recovery interventions targeting cash transfer for shelter/school repairs/economic support, Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) support, Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) and EiE (Education in Emergencies), among other interventions to be prioritized based on the results of multi-cluster assessment.

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