Philippines Struggles to Recover from Typhoons

Hundreds of thousands of families in the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia face a long and difficult process of rebuilding their lives after a series of typhoons struck the region beginning in late September.

Five Food for the Hungry (FH) child sponsorship communities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Norzagaray and Laguna were affected. In partnership with local organizations and churches, FH responded immediately in these communities with food and non-food items, including toiletries, blankets, first-aid kits and clothing. FH provided schoolchildren with uniforms, bags, books, shoes and other essential items they needed to return to school. FH is also working with local volunteers from the churches to provide encouragement and prayer support to the affected families.

A donation of emergency health kits were received from Medical Teams International and distributed to three local hospitals providing assistance to badly hit communities. The kits benefitted 10,000 people.

After the most recent typhoon (Mirinae) hit the Philippines, Food for the Hungry responded with food packets to communities in San Pedro, Laguna, an area that is still flooded. FH will also provide water containers to affected communities in Los Banos, Bay and Pila, and will teach families the “sodis” or solar sterilization method of disinfecting drinking water.

Food for the Hungry is also providing construction materials such as coco lumber, plywood, nails, galvanized iron, steel bars, and cement to 27 families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the typhoons.