Buhay at bahay, itindig:
A run for Yolanda victims

Text and Photos by Cong B. Corrales

THOUSANDS of people from all walks of life huffed and puffed and took part in the benefit run for the supertyphoon victims at the Quezon City Memorial Circle last weekend, but the more challenging part of Yolanda Run: Buhay at bahay, Itindig has only just begun.

Concerned citizens gathered before the break of dawn at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City Sunday morning for a three kilometer run to raise funds for the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts for communities devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda.

Interestingly, most of the volunteers were hardly the athletic types. There were, of course, those who looked splendidly fit in their running attire; most, however, could just pass off as people recently roused from bed – sleepy but sincere, drowsy yet determined. Volunteers included differently abled people, and even elderly citizens who ambled along.

Despite the difficulty of pounding through three kilometers of pavement, everyone knew though that the more massive and more difficult tasks of rebuilding lives and communities devastated by super typhoon Yolanda is only beginning, as this project will require all citizens and civil servants to stay the course of the unraveling narrative of Yolanda’s survivors.

“We cannot, all, be repacking food packs. Kaya reconstruction ang tutok natin (That’s why we have focused on reconstruction.) Actually, people have begun rebuilding but we want to help communities rebuild away from danger areas,” National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Jose Eliseo Rocamora said.

“Quite literally, we will be rebuilding houses and reconstructing communities. Hence, we partnered with Habitat for Humanity,” added Rocamora.

Buhay at Bahay, Itindig Natin is different from other reconstruction efforts in that it is a people-centered reconstruction project. Rocamora says that past calamities across the globe has “taught us that 80% of the reconstruction of houses are done by the owners themselves.”

“We are also raising funds to guarantee emergency employment for the survivors and they will be hired for the reconstruction efforts,” says Rocamora.

“This way reconstruction becomes more efficient, cheaper and faster. We’ve seen the survivors have started or are starting repairing their houses. Dapat tulungan na, ayaw natin na doon din sa high risk areas magrebuild yung mga survivors (We should help them rebuild not in the same high risk areas),” he points out.

Rocamora says that there are two main components to reconstruction: removal and disposal of debris and securing the land tenurial status of the survivors especially the informal settlers.

“Government should focus on these before reconstruction. Government should buy these lands. If it cannot issue land titles, (then) at least give the survivors land use rights na matagal-tagal na panahon (for a longer time),” he says.

The reconstruction efforts–specifically construction of dwellings–will mainly consist of reconstruction kits and building of core houses.

Gina Delos Reyes Virtuso of the Habitat for Humanity says they have categorized Yolanda as a level 2 calamity which means “(we are) all hands on deck.”

Habitat for Humanity’s initial targets for the reconstruction efforts will be giving out 50,000 cleaning kits worth Php2,000 each, 30,000 shelter repair kits worth Php15,000 each and constructing 10,000 core houses valued at Php120,000 each.

Rocamora says rebuilding goes beyond construction of houses. Damaged and lost sources of livelihood, largely agriculture and fishing, have to be restored. Houses need to be built where there is access to farms and common resources from which people subsisted (bays, water sources, forest resources, market places, fish landing sites).

Fishing boats and gear were destroyed. The latest figure of overall damage to agriculture is P10.59 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture.

(contributed photo)
 

“The worst hit islands – Leyte, Samar and Biliran – belong to one of our poor regions. Approximately four out of ten families are poor (37% poverty incidence),” Rocamora points out.

“The figures are staggering. The depth and scale of the destruction brought by Yolanda that is becoming to be considered as the world’s worst typhoon continue to reel us, all of us. We are here to help and contribute what we have to a post-typhoon surge of sustained support – skills, expertise, a little money. It’s us, common folk who want to help our own,” he adds.

The NAPC reconstruction project Yolanda Run: Buhay at Bahay, Itindig is in partnership with:

• Habitat for Humanity, a non-government agency with a track record of rebuilding homes and communities with vigor and expertise;
• The Alliance of Seven, which is composed of local government units in Metro Manila cities/towns that had been ravaged by typhoon Ondoy (Marikina, Quezon City, Pasig, Antipolo, San Mateo, Montalban, and Cainta);
• Operation Compassion Philippines, a non-government agency that attends to orphans and communities displaced by calamities and disasters;
• and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.