Super Typhoon Lawin (Haima) made landfall on Penablanca, Cagayan on October 19, 2016. It had a massive 800-km diameter and led to placing 5 provinces under signal number 5 and 5 other provinces under signal number 4 in Northern Luzon, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera.

It took some time for CODE-NGO member networks and organizations in the affected area to send community damage and needs assessments, particularly from Cordillera. On a regular day, communication and transportation are already difficult in the mountainous terrain of the region, much more when Typhoon Lawin damaged major roads and brought landslides.

With the support of Christian Aid, the Cordillera Network of NGOs and POs (CORDNET) distributed emergency livelihood packages to 333 organic vegetable farmers in Mountain Province, Benguet and Ifugao from December 17 to 23, 2016. Depending on the needs of each farmer, the emergency livelihood package contained vegetable seedlings, materials for farm repair (plastic greenhouse sheets, plastic drums, mesh net, etc.) and other farm inputs (molasses, bio-organic fertilizer). The Solar Energy Foundation also provided 220 units of solar lamps which have been helpful to families in off-grid areas and which still have irregular power supply to date.

The National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) also organized needs assessments among its member cooperatives in Cagayan and Isabela. Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), on the other hand, provided shelter kit packages and 166 food and non-food packs which contained canned goods, cooking oil, bath soap and rice grains to more than 470 residents of Tuao, Enrile and Amulung in Cagayan.

Typhoon Nina (Nock-ten), on the other hand, made landfall as a Category 3 tropical cyclone in Bato, Catanduanes on Christmas Day, 25 December 2016. Tropical cyclone warning signal (TCWS) number 4 was hoisted over Catanduanes and Camarines Sur and signal number 3 over over Burias Islands, Albay, Camarines Norte, Southern Quezon, Sorsogon and Marinduque. Also on 25 December, CODE-NGO immediately activated its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) CSO Coordination Hub to facilitate exchange of information and initial assessments among members in the path of the typhoon.

With the support of Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), CODE-NGO member Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA) distributed rice and food packages (rice, mongo, luncheon meat, sardines, dried fish, oil) to 352 families in Barangays Silangan and Hinanggayon in Mogpog, Marinduque last January 5-7, 2017. Coalition for Bicol Development (CBD), on the other hand, distributed food and non-food relief packages (rice, water, coffee, sugar, oil, storage box, blanket, canvass) to 200 families in Barangays Caranan and Sta. Rosa del Sur in Pasacao, Camarines Sur and Barangays Sto. Domingo and Pajo in Virac, Catanduanes from January 5 to 14, 2017. The distribution will also involve further needs assessment for early recovery in these and nearby areas.

“Kadakul daa. Mau pa daa sinda experience relief arug kato kadakul, (This is a lot. We have not received this much relief package until now),” says a recipient of CBD’s relief package in Camarines Sur.

In consultation with affected communities, PHILSSA and CBD prioritized the recipients of their relief packages based on the following:

1. Municipality or barangays that have the most need but receiving less attention from government or other partners.
2. Preferably where there are presence of PHILSSA or CBD members and existing engagement with LGUs (to ensure monitoring and possible links to post-disaster actions).
3. Families with vulnerable household members (children, pregnant women, elderly and persons with disabilities).
4. Households headed by women or solo parents and/or with many children and without regular income.