'Yolanda rehab efforts next to focus on sustainability'

MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Church's rehabilitation program for the families affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda will focus on interventions to sustaining resilient communities as it enters the next phase on April, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippine's social arm said on Friday.

 

NASSA-Caritas Philippines executive secretary Father Edwin Gariguez said the REACH Philippines program (Recovery Assistance to Vulnerable Communities Affected by Typhoon Haiyan) is set to enter the second phase beginning April of this year.

 

"We want to empower the communities by putting emphasis on capacity building and community-managed disaster risk reduction activities in order to prevent disaster nightmares such as Yolanda from happening again," Gariguez said.

 

Among the proposed interventions is the formation and organization of various groups within the community that would be in-charge of the maintenance and repair of the shelters, and water and sanitation facilities.

 

There would also be financial management trainings for livelihood beneficiaries, ecosystem restoration, and forging of long-term and deeper partnerships with local government units on disaster risk reduction management.

 

"These are just among the highlights of the second year proposal. But considering the magnitude of the devastation, we would still continue to provide more water and sanitation facilities, houses and livelihoods especially to those who have not yet received any aid from the government and other non-government organizations," the prelate said.

 

 As of February, NASSA-Caritas Philippines has already constructed 2,241 disaster resilient shelters, repaired 264 houses and built 3,540 various water and sanitation facilities. 

 

There is also an on-going construction of 264 more houses and repair of 98 units. It has also provided various livelihood interventions such as fishing, farming, livestock and micro-enterprise to 5,818 households. 

 

The REACH Philippines program, which started in April of 2014, is a three-year program deemed as the most massive recovery scheme led by the Catholic Church in Leyte, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Palawan, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Cebu-- province severely affected by Yolanda.