The Philippine Catholic Church’s humanitarian arm has started rebuilding homes and livelihood of people most affected by the recent disasters that hit the country.
Caritas Philippines said its recovery efforts are underway in the provinces of Catanduanes and Albay, the areas hardest hit by super typhoon “Rolly (Goni)” in early November.
Father Antonio Labiao, executive director of Caritas Philippines, said one of the most immediate priorities is rebuilding or repairing homes for thousands of families.
He said a technical team has already gone to Catanduanes early this week “to signal the start of the early recovery program.”
“We call it the inception program, which includes shelter and livelihood projects,” said Father Labiao.
At least 37,200 houses were completely destroyed in the province of Catanduanes alone, with another 23,783 damaged, according to government data.
Father Labiao said reestablishing the people’s livelihood is an “equally urgent task,” with thousands of farmers and fishermen losing their sources of income.
About 27,000-hectares of abaca plantation in the province were heavily damaged by landslides and flooding.
Last week, a Caritas Philippines team made a “solidarity visit” to various communities in Isabela and Cagayan provinces in the northern Philippines that were affected by the flooding.
An initial assessment made by the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao showed that more than 43,000 families have been evacuated at the height of the disaster. – from a CBCP News report
