Church's Typhoon Response Builds Resilience, Boosts Economy

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Mar 04, 2014, 11:50 ET

NEW YORK, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) has completed the initial relief phase of its response to Typhoon Haiyan – known locally as Yolanda – and will continue to assist impacted communities in rebuilding homes and rehabilitating livelihoods. Episcopal Relief & Development supplied funding and technical support for these activities, which have strengthened relationships among participating communities, built local resilience and created economic growth.

Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, causing widespread flood and wind damage. ECP immediately sent locally-sourced relief supplies and medical teams to areas that had not been reached by larger humanitarian efforts. From November to February, ECP staff and volunteers distributed a total of 10,317 food and hygiene relief packs. ECP purchased the food items from Church-based cooperatives in the northern part of the country, and volunteers packed the supplies in bags crafted from surplus donated clothing.

Sara Delaney, Program Officer for Episcopal Relief & Development, commented that "ECP sees disaster response as part of their larger work, and looks at how the response can utilize programs they already have while strengthening communities to be more resilient to challenges."

For the first round of long-term recovery work, Church staff identified four barangays (municipalities) on the island of Leyte, where severe winds destroyed homes and wiped out crops. Local farmers are now starting over with all-natural, harvest-boosting fertilizers and techniques from the Church's Tadian Demonstration Farm. Supplemental food assistance will continue during this time of rehabilitation, as farmers have been able to replant their fields but will not be able to harvest for several months.

Economic rehabilitation is essential for the long-term recovery of typhoon-affected areas, and ECP is working with the Philippine Center for Social Enterprise to restart existing businesses and develop new ones. For supplier communities outside the impact zone, participating in the typhoon response led to an increase in production capacity, which will position them to compete in the regional market. Additionally, many of the products are organic, strengthening their competitive advantage and responding to the growing demand in the Philippines for organic food.

With wind speeds peaking at 195 miles per hour, a majority of residents in the four selected barangays experienced severe or total damage to their homes during the storm. Utilizing Interlocking Compressed Earth Block (ICEB) technology pioneered by the locally based JF Ledesma Foundation, residents will be able to use local materials to produce low-cost, durable bricks for home reconstruction. Recovery plans include other proven risk reduction strategies such as planting trees and other vegetation to combat wind and erosion.

Looking ahead, ECP plans to explore the potential for long-term recovery partnerships in four additional barangays that were impacted by the storm. By applying a "receivers to givers" methodology, ECP enables program participants to eventually "give back" by contributing labor or a portion of income to help other groups start projects of their own.

Following their asset-based approach, ECP will accompany communities through the relief and rehabilitation phases of disaster recovery, laying a foundation for further community development beyond just rebuilding to pre-typhoon status. "The aim of the ECP disaster response is to help communities identify their own strengths and capitalize on them," Delaney said, "so that after several years of growth, they are not only fully recovered, but stronger."

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency works with Church and ecumenical partners to fight poverty, hunger and disease.

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SOURCE Episcopal Relief & Development