You may read the SOS Newsletter Issue 3 here or
or download it here
Nearly two months after Typhoon Yolanda battered 12,129
barangays in the country’s 44 provinces, 57 cities, 591 municipalities in
Regions IV-A, IV-B, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern
Visayas,Northern Mindanao, Davao Region and CARAGA, remain essentially the
same. With victims of the super typhoon still facing Nearly two months after
Typhoon Yolanda battered 12,129 barangays in the country’s 44 provinces, 57
cities, 591 municipalities in Regions IV-A, IV-B, Bicol, Western Visayas,
Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas,Northern Mindanao, Davao Region and CARAGA,
remain essentially the same. With victims of the super typhoon still facing
hunger, homelessness, economic dislocation and joblessness the Samahang
Operasyong Sagip (SOS) continues its efforts to help them recover.
The third batch of relief and medical missions were
conducted in three municipalities of Eastern Samar-- Quinapondan, Giporlos and
Balangiga. A total of 75 people joined the relief and medical mission. They
were divided into two medical mission teams and one relief distribution team.
There were four doctors, five nurses, three medical interns, two psycho-social
therapists, health workers and non-health volunteers from Manila, Leyte-Samar,
Southern Mindanao Region, United States of America and Canada.
Like in the last two missions, affected population in
far-flung barangays outside the town centers who have received few or no relief
and medical assistance were chosen for the medical missions. A total of 1,121
patients from 14 barangays in the municipality of Giporlos (455 patients);
Barangays Kalian and Anislag in the municipality of Quinapondan (179 patients);
and, Barangays Cansumangkay and Ginmayuhan in the municipality of Balangiga
were served. The most common medical cases included upper respiratory tract
infections, acute gastro-enteritis and hypertension, tension headache among
adults; and fever, diarrhea, cough and colds among children. These ailments
were also observed in the first and second waves of SOS medical missions in Eastern,
Western Samar and Leyte provinces.
Twelve psycho-social therapy sessions among children and
mothers in the selected barangays of Quinapondan, Giporlos and Balangiga were
conducted by the mission team. There were nine therapy sessions for children
and 3 therapy batches for mothers, benefitting a total of 550 children and 150
mothers. The psycho-social team effectively made use of play therapy (for
children and adults), experience sharing and exercise methods (for adults) to
help them process what they have gone through with Typhoon Yolanda. Eleven
individuals were provided psycho-social counseling. The relief drive operations
on the
other hand, benefitted 2,376 families from 13 selected
barangays in the towns of Quinapondan, Giporlos, and Balangiga. They were able
to receive relief packs, clothes, plastic sheets, building materials like
nails, saw, and hammers. The mission team also gave hundreds of Christmas
Goodies Packs for children. Six water filtration pails were given to
representatives of the barangays in the towns of Giporlos and Balangiga.
As in the previous relief and medical missions, health risks
such as the lack of potable water supply, lack of electricity, nails and
pointed objects in debris that could lead to disease outbreaks and accidents
were noted. The number of diagnosed diarrhea cases among children and cases of
acute gastroenteritis among adults proved the risk of a possible disease
outbreak. Most people in affected barangays are trying to rebuild their homes
and lives. Yet many barangays especially those far from town centers are still
in need of assistance, food, supplies, and construction materials. The affected
families shared their hopes that they may be assisted in
repairing/reconstructing their homes and in regaining their lost livelihood
especially in starting up food production and their fishing activity.
People’s participation in planning and actual implementation in relief and
rehabilitation efforts is important to ensure relevance of relief efforts and
medical services. SOS thus maintains and reiterates the following
recommendations:
1. Government’s relief and medical assistance should include
far-flung barangays. Many communities especially those located in the upland
received very little assistance while many shared that they have not received
any assistance at all.
2. There is a great need to provide assistance for people to
rebuild theirhomes and communities, through provision of construction materials
including GI sheets, nails, hammer, saw, etc. The government should reconsider
the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) program of selling GI sheets that is
beyond the capacity of the affected population.
3. Immediate and comprehensive health interventions to
address potential sources of outbreaks and epidemics. These include immediate
clearing of debris, provision of safe/potable water source, construction of
shelter, provision/ assistance in food production and livelihood.
4. Assistance for livelihood and rehabilitation- livelihood,
food production and economic activities. ##
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