Operation Sambayanihan has conducted relief operations from October to December 2009 providing assistance to 9, 290 recipient families in 144 severely affected communities in Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Ilocos Norte.
Relief operations were facilitated and coordinated by the IFI Task Force on Emergency Relief (IFI-TFER) which was created to help assist calamity victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng that hit the country in September and October 2009.
Medical missions were also organized to respond to the health conditions of calamity victims. IFI TFER was able to reach out 1, 530 individual beneficiaries providing free medical check-ups and medicines in 6 areas in Metro Manila, the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Quezon and Ilocos Norte. A medical team, composed of 5 medical doctors, 20 nurses and other medical workers, offered voluntary services.
During the period, the Task Force was able to reach out to local and foreign donors, generating more than Php 2M. The Episcopal Church gave a grant of Php 551,241 through the Episcopal Relief and Development.
Php 459,701 was given by the Old Catholic Church in Switzerland through Partner Sein, and Php 590,191 from the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui. Donations from IFI congregations and individuals from the United States and Hong Kong reached up to Php 521,999.
Local donation amounted to Php 91,292 which included support received from individual pledgers, and from the Diocese of MOBUCA, the Diocese of Southern Mindanao, the Diocese of Romblon and Mindoros, and Peace for Life.
Local task force groups, which served as quick reaction teams, were formed in affected dioceses to coordinate with and help IFI TFER in data gathering and mobilization of services so as to efficiently respond responsibly in the affected communities. Advocacy campaigns were conducted alongside relief operations to raise the awareness of individuals and communities about ecological issues and the factors that triggered the devastating calamity that struck the country.
The aftermath of the typhoons calls for a large scale rehabilitation assistance to significantly rebuild the shattered lives and livelihood of the victims and restore them back to normalcy. The situation, likewise, highlights the imperative to initiate concrete advocacy and campaign actions on the issue of global warming and against the operation of mega water dams and destructive large-scale mining ventures seen by many to be contributory to the raging floods that destroyed many lives and properties.
Based from the extent of damage and devastation wrought by these nature-triggered and aggravated by human follies, greed and abuse of the environment catastrophes, relief operations would take a long time even before honest-to-goodness rehabilitation efforts could be initiated.
IFI TFER, in cooperation with the local churches in the typhoon-devastated priority areas, is currently developing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
