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"While we can’t stop the next disaster from happening, we can help people prepare for it."
The beautiful coastline and dramatic views of Panay Island mask the cataclysmic damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan to the Philippines less than three years ago.
One of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, it killed 6,300 people, destroyed over 1 million homes and left more than 4 million people homeless.
The Gemaol family have lived in Punta Buri village for almost five years. Abigail recalls how the day before Haiyan hit, her and her husband, a local fisherman, were told to gather what they could and take shelter in the nearest school.
“We knew it was serious, but never imagined that several months later when we were finally able to return, there would be nothing left,” explained Abigail. Their home, and everything in it, was completely destroyed.
But people didn’t just lose their homes. Millions were deprived of their ability to generate a steady income: shop owners lost their stock; rice farmers saw their paddies decimated; fishermen were confronted with damaged reefs and a diminishing fish population.
The local response was phenomenal; more than 8,000 Philippine Red Cross volunteers took part in relief efforts – the disaster was the biggest that our local branch had ever dealt with.
The international community was also quick to react. The British public, for example, donated 13 million pounds to the British Red Cross, making the Haiyan appeal one of its biggest appeals to date.
The Philippines is no stranger to typhoons – in fact, it is one of the most disaster-hit countries in the world. But while we can’t stop the next disaster from happening, we can help people be prepared.
Through the “Build Back Safer” scheme, we’ve been training communities to rebuild their homes to be more resilient in future disasters.
The houses built as part of the scheme are up on the hills – away from the shoreline – and stand on stilts with a concrete foundation, to reduce the risk of flooding. They are designed to withstand high-velocity wind.
The population in Punta Buri relies heavily on fishing – around 80 percent engage in it – for food and income. During Typhoon Haiyan, the coral reef surrounding the village sustained major damage.
“Most of the people living in this community, like my husband, make a living as fishermen – so the community decided to start an artificial reef project,” said Susan Gomia, chairman of the Long Line Fishing Association, a local association supported by Red Cross micro-enterprise grants.
The grant supported the community to set up the association and provided people with the training needed for the project to succeed – in this case, hollow block making.
Through the project, artificial reef modules are dropped into the sea with strips of coconut fronds, attracting more fish to the reef.
Not only will this help local fishermen get back to work and provide a vital source of food for the community; it means they no longer have to make the perilous deep sea journey to fish.
“Now communities – especially younger generations – are better informed on how to cope with future disasters, which in turn lessens their impact” Gomia added.
Our duty, as organisations built on the principle of humanity, is to share our knowledge, resources and skills to help people prepare for the worst, so that when the inevitable happens, they are ready.
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