Philippines disaster response
Putting livelihoods at the forefront of post-Haiyan reconstruction
The scenes of devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan leave no doubt that rebuilding will be a formidable task. The ILO is focussing on helping the most vulnerable pick up the pieces, rebuild their livelihoods and become more resilient.
Tears welling in his eyes Roberto Lagu stares out at the sea that robbed him of his nine-year-old son and his livelihood.
“My son was in my arms when Typhoon Yolanda hit our home. He was lost because of the big waves. I could not get him back. He died. My boat was wrecked. I am entirely dependent on the sea, so now I have no source of income. I have no way to get an income.”
The deadly storm left millions of people struggling to rebuild their shattered lives.
Fifty three-year-old Annie Almero used to run a small grocery store with her husband. Business was good and the income was enough for their simple lifestyle.
All that changed on the fateful day when Haiyan slammed ashore.
Annie Almero points to a few small packs of biscuits and shakes her head.
“Our sales were gone down, they’re gone, the only ones left were wet, spoiled. They cannot be sold any more. We are waiting for help, whatever, anything, so we can build this again.”
Speaking after a meeting with government officials in Tacloban, Lawrence Jeff Johnson, who heads the Philippine office of the ILO, pointed to the enormous task that lay ahead in rebuilding livelihoods.
“The scale of this disaster is massive. We know that 13 million people over a 300-kilometer area have been affected. Five million of those have lost their livelihoods. What we need to start with is emergency employment from day one.”
“Emergency employment essentially puts money in the hands of individuals affected.”
“But we also ensure they are not victims again by ensuring they have safe working conditions – gloves, protective materials, also good practices when they work. But they also get access to social protection – social security, health insurance, accident insurance while working.”
The ILO has been working hand-in-hand with the Philippine authorities to ensure that livelihoods are at the forefront of recovery efforts.
At the Department of Labour and Employment, or DOLE, in Tacloban, staff compile lists of people registered for emergency employment who are charged with such tasks as clearing the mountains of rubble that litter the ground. The DOLE officials work from a makeshift open-air office outside their building, which was badly damaged by the storm.
Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga said emergency employment is crucial at this stage but efforts should eventually focus on helping victims rebuild their lost livelihoods, which in many cases may involve learning new skills.
“We’re rolling out emergency employment immediately to give at least money to our jobless people who at this point in time need the money to procure their needs. And hopefully this will be supported later on, as we move along -because this is only very short-term, just to give them enough to sustain them in the meantime – but we have to think about the options like giving them sustainable livelihood assistance. Looking at it from the positive side, this is an opportunity for people to develop certain skills, like carpentry, for instance, to rebuild houses that were washed out, masonry, electricity to set about those things in the houses and residences they may be setting up.”
Relief supplies are pouring in and there are first signs of recovery, with vendors setting up stalls selling whatever goods they can. And as relief turns to reconstruction, helping the most vulnerable not only pick up the pieces but build back better will go a long way towards making them more resilient in the future.
Patrick Moser in Tacloban, Philippines, for the ILO
“My son was in my arms when Typhoon Yolanda hit our home. He was lost because of the big waves. I could not get him back. He died. My boat was wrecked. I am entirely dependent on the sea, so now I have no source of income. I have no way to get an income.”
As far as the eye can see, there’s little more than rubble and uprooted coconut trees. The devastation in this village on the outskirts of Tacloban bears witness to the fury of Super Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, that barrelled across the central Philippines on November 8, 2013.
The deadly storm left millions of people struggling to rebuild their shattered lives.
Fifty three-year-old Annie Almero used to run a small grocery store with her husband. Business was good and the income was enough for their simple lifestyle.
All that changed on the fateful day when Haiyan slammed ashore.
Annie Almero points to a few small packs of biscuits and shakes her head.
“Our sales were gone down, they’re gone, the only ones left were wet, spoiled. They cannot be sold any more. We are waiting for help, whatever, anything, so we can build this again.”
Speaking after a meeting with government officials in Tacloban, Lawrence Jeff Johnson, who heads the Philippine office of the ILO, pointed to the enormous task that lay ahead in rebuilding livelihoods.
“The scale of this disaster is massive. We know that 13 million people over a 300-kilometer area have been affected. Five million of those have lost their livelihoods. What we need to start with is emergency employment from day one.”
“Emergency employment essentially puts money in the hands of individuals affected.”
“But we also ensure they are not victims again by ensuring they have safe working conditions – gloves, protective materials, also good practices when they work. But they also get access to social protection – social security, health insurance, accident insurance while working.”
The ILO has been working hand-in-hand with the Philippine authorities to ensure that livelihoods are at the forefront of recovery efforts.
At the Department of Labour and Employment, or DOLE, in Tacloban, staff compile lists of people registered for emergency employment who are charged with such tasks as clearing the mountains of rubble that litter the ground. The DOLE officials work from a makeshift open-air office outside their building, which was badly damaged by the storm.
Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga said emergency employment is crucial at this stage but efforts should eventually focus on helping victims rebuild their lost livelihoods, which in many cases may involve learning new skills.
“We’re rolling out emergency employment immediately to give at least money to our jobless people who at this point in time need the money to procure their needs. And hopefully this will be supported later on, as we move along -because this is only very short-term, just to give them enough to sustain them in the meantime – but we have to think about the options like giving them sustainable livelihood assistance. Looking at it from the positive side, this is an opportunity for people to develop certain skills, like carpentry, for instance, to rebuild houses that were washed out, masonry, electricity to set about those things in the houses and residences they may be setting up.”
Relief supplies are pouring in and there are first signs of recovery, with vendors setting up stalls selling whatever goods they can. And as relief turns to reconstruction, helping the most vulnerable not only pick up the pieces but build back better will go a long way towards making them more resilient in the future.
Patrick Moser in Tacloban, Philippines, for the ILO