SENDONG UPDATES: Balay Mindanaw Relief Operations Report No. 15

As we get more involved in the other aspects of disaster response and in the task of helping rebuild people and communities, we pursue our relief work in the five barangays/communities that have been assigned to our care.

Our relief assistance package has been constantly evolving based on the priority needs identified by the survivor families. Today, we will start distributing school supplies kits to 336 children from Kindergarten to Grade 6 in Bulao, Iponan. The school supplies kit, amounting to P400 ($10) contains a backpack, school uniform/shirt, 5 notebooks, 1 ball pen, 2 pencils, a sharpener and eraser.

We will be distributing more school supplies kits to about 700 children in barangays Bulua, Canitoan, Bonbon and Kauswagan within the week. This package is courtesy of the Philip Morris Corp., the American Chamber Foundation Philippines, Inc. (ACFPI) and from the other cash donations that we have received.

Yesterday, we received hygiene sets for 100 families containing alcohol, laundry soap, bath soap, cotton buds, toothpaste and tissue paper. These non-cash donations came from the Sebolino Family in Gingoog City and the transport of the goods was facilitated by Katilingbanong Pamahandi sa Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (KPMFI).

Balay Mindanaw is also actively involved in responding to psychosocial, health and shelter concerns. With the assistance of the Disaster Aid Australia, we will be setting up 5 tents on the provincial hospital grounds to help health workers in responding to the growing number of leptospirosis patients. We will also set up a tent community with 95 tents initially. The Balay Mindanaw Shelter Team is now finalizing the identification of site for this tent community.

We also continue to support Balay Mindanaw family members who were affected by the typhoon. Yesterday, we have provided food package to 12 colleagues from Bangko sa Balay Foundation, Inc. (BBFI) containing 6 bottles of 4liters drinking water, 6 kilos rice, 6 cans of sardines and 6 packs of noodles.

Today, the shipment from the Team Energy Foundation arrived consisting of 15 boxes of Life Straw Family, 13 boxes of solar bulbs w/ one solar lantern & solar panel inside of one box, 6 sacks of assorted clothes, and 2 packs/sacks of TEFI relief bags. These will be used mainly to support the tent community we are helping to set up.

As of today, our Operations Center has already received total cash donations of P2,155,974.55, non-cash donations of P4.6M, and cash pledges of P1,592,650.00.

Again and again, we say very sincerely: Thanks! Salamat po!

We refuse to be victims. We choose to be resources.

[See our previous reports here: Jan. 4, Jan. 2, Dec. 31, Dec. 29, Dec. 28, Dec. 27, Dec. 26, Dec. 23 4pm, Dec 23 12nn, Dec. 22, Dec. 21, Dec. 20, Dec. 19 6pm, Dec. 19]

Helping Build Empowered and Sustainable Communities in Mindanao. Helping Build Peace.