updates regarding Typhoon Haiyan reflief and recovery efforts.

Donor Impact Report
Gawad Kalinga: Philippine Relief and Recovery Efforts
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines and carved a path of devastation across
Southeast Asia. The storm, known in the affected region as Typhoon Yolanda affected 16 million people
in the Philippines. This includes the displacement of 4.1 million people, the damage or destruction of 1.1
million homes, and 6,155 recorded deaths.
In the days following the storm, many members of our donor network asked if Focusing Philanthropy
could suggest an effective way to contribute to relief and recovery projects, In response, we
concentrated our full team’s efforts on identifying and intensively evaluating candidates for donor
support. On November 14, 2013 we announced our recommendation of Gawad Kalinga for those who
wished to support the immediate relief and long-term rebuilding efforts in the Philippines.
Read more about our diligence process and reasons for recommending Gawad Kalinga.
Since then, Focusing Philanthropy’s network of generous donors has contributed $34,600 towards
Gawad Kalinga’s relief and recovery efforts, with the majority of these funds raised and granted to
Gawad Kalinga within the first few weeks following the storm. This report summarizes Gawad
Kalinga’s activities and their impacts in the four months since Typhoon Haiyan.
Immediate Relief Efforts
Gawad Kalinga was actively involved in regional relief efforts even before Typhoon Haiyan. On
October 15, 2013 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Bohol province, an island located in Central
Visayas, Philippines. It was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 years with 222 reported
deaths, nearly 1,000 injured, and damage to more than 73,000 structures.
In response, Gawad Kalinga activated its volunteer and aid distribution networks and delivered
over 24,000 food packs and nearly 75,000 liters of water to 120 barangays (villages) in 15
municipalities. As of November 2, 2013, Gawad Kalinga had officially halted their relief operations in
Bohol and began turning their attention towards rebuilding and long-term recovery. The efficiency and
transparency of Gawad Kalinga’s relief efforts following the Bohol earthquake was one of the
confidence-inspiring indicators of capacity that Focusing Philanthropy used in recommending Gawad
Kalinga to its network.
On November 8, just 3 weeks after the Bohol earthquake, Typhoon Haiyan touched down in the
Philippines. While the area affected by the earthquake was not subjected to the most powerful part of the
storm, the two events added to the stresses placed on evacuation centers and rebuilding efforts.
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Gawad Kalinga activated “Operation Walang Iwanan (Leave
No One Behind)” an ambitious and local volunteer-based relief effort. Within the next short days and
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weeks, Gawad Kalinga distributed approximately 100,000 food packs in 75 towns across 8 provinces.
Each food pack contains 6 meals for a family of 5. Gawad Kalinga also provided nearly 75,000 liters of
clean water and distributed materials to repair damaged roofs, a critical need as the rain and other severe
weather continued.
The following infographic below outlines Gawad Kalinga’s food pack distribution efforts as of
December 11, 2013. Click here for larger version of this image.
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Gawad Kalinga was able to respond quickly to the immediate local needs by leveraging the
organization’s existing network of communities, local volunteers, and knowledge of the region. The
group's staff and volunteers, in collaboration with the Philippine Air Force and Army, were often the
first to reach remote areas affected by the storm. The following images and quotes are examples of the
daily updates Gawad Kalinga provided on their website throughout the relief efforts.
"Yesterday, we braved the way to Northern Antique together with our partners in 82nd Inf Battalion
Philippine Army Clearing the roads. Severely damaged towns were Laua-an, Barabaza, Tibiao and
Culasi, only barangays along the road were given assistance and there are still with Zero
communication. 3 Islands in Culasi has zero communication as of yesterday 6pm.” – Sheila Abella of
Gawad Kalinga, November 10, 2013
“As soon as it was safe for our volunteers to travel to the hard-hit areas a day after Yolanda struck, our
GK communities became the first command centers and our residents the first service teams. They
pointed us to the barangays [villages] that were isolated and most affected. Because of the seeds we
planted all these years, we had the most widespread network, ready to respond and distribute ~100,000
food packs in ~220 barangays in just 40 days.” - Issa Cuevas-Santos of Gawad Kalinga, New Year
posted online January 2014
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Rebuilding
By late November 2013, Gawad Kalinga’s efforts turned from relief to rebuilding. Historically, Gawad
Kalinga’s core programs have focused on providing safe, permanent housing and strong communities
for very poor Filipinos. Therefore, Gawad Kalinga is especially well-positioned to lead long-term
rebuilding efforts. This is an area of focus and institutional capacity that was central to our selection of
Gawad Kalinga in response to the typhoon.
Additionally, the storm had highlighted the quality of the homes and communities that Gawad Kalinga
builds in collaboration with local communities, in comparison to the typical housing in poor Filipino
communities. While many structures were damaged, there was not a single loss of life in any of the 41
Gawad Kalinga communities hit by Typhoon Haiyan. The physical and human infrastructure of these
communities enabled many to serve as key distribution and communication hubs during the emergency
efforts.
Four of the communities previously built with the support of Gawad Kalinga, showing some damage from the storm
but with no causalities reported.
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Gawad Kalinga has outlined a three-year plan and commitment to the rebuilding effort. Recovery goals
to be completed in 2014 include the repair of 5,000 damaged roofs, the reconstruction of 20,000 homes,
and the building of over 300 new homes. To date, Gawad Kalinga has begun or completed the following
projects:
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•
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Identified ~1,500 safe and secure lots for rebuilding and is on-tract to rebuild these homes by
June 2014.
Began building “GK Tambulilid,” a new Gawad Kalinga community, with plans and funding
already secured for a total of 100 homes.
Began repair work on 300 homes scattered across the Visayas, an area severely affected by the
storm.
Built or repaired 40 boats to help the fishermen of Northern Cebu get back to work. (See
Attachment A for more information on this project.)
A row of homes under construction in GK Tambulilid.
The “Bayani (Hero) Challenge,” scheduled to take place April 12 - June 12, 2014, will be a major source
of the volunteers needed to complete these recovery goals. This annual initiative, which predates the
disasters, organizes large groups of local volunteers to complete a wide range of community
infrastructure projects within a specific time period. Volunteers are asked to commit 5 days of service
over these 9 weeks in one of the target regions.
The Bayani Challenge began 8 years ago with one site and a couple hundred volunteers. This year,
Gawad Kalinga aims to leverage the time and efforts of 1 million volunteers working on 100 sites in 12
provinces over the two-month initiative. Projects will include the building of homes, repairing schools,
health missions, and tree planting.
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Attachment A
GK Balangay: The Heart of Starting Over
February 19, 2014
by Gia Leanne Luga
When a supertyphoon makes landfall on a small island, what happens?
Hours before Haiyan (Yolanda) hit Bantayan Island, Cebu on the morning of November 8, 2013,
fisherman Louie Rebamonte made sure his fishing boats were tied securely in place. Familiar with the
shifting moods of the wind and sea, Louie thought Yolanda would be just like any other typhoon they
had survived in the past. The tide was low, but he recalls witnessing the sea rise menacingly,
accompanied by the deafening wind. That's when he knew he was wrong.
As the wind became stronger, Louie, his wife, and their 6 year-old daughter Siena had to run to seek
shelter in a bigger and more stable house. Along with a few neighbors, they had to cross the street
amidst falling coconut trees, zero visibility, and flying debris. They held on to each other tightly, so that
their combined weight would prevent the strong winds from blowing them away.
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“After the storm, there was nothing left. Our house was completely wiped out, and the pump boats I
worked so hard for were damaged. But we didn't cry nor feel bad. I even remember laughing that
morning, because we were so grateful to the Lord that our lives were spared. Even if it means we start
from scratch, material things can be replaced. But life is priceless.” - Louie Rebamonte, Typhoon
Haiyan Survivor
Louie echoes the sentiments of the people of Bantayan Island, 80% of whom fish for a living. In the
aftermath of the storm, the shore looked like a parking lot of damaged fishing boats, littered with debris.
Before Yolanda, that shoreline would've been clear because all those boats would've been out to sea.
GK Balangay
The broken boats belong to fisherfolk who face the harsh reality of life after Yolanda. Their homes are
damaged if not completely gone, but worse, they have lost their only source of livelihood, and perhaps
their biggest chance of recovery and starting over. Days after Yolanda, they were relying on relief packs
for food because they couldn't even go out to sea and fish.
Through the 'GK Balangay' program, Gawad Kalinga, the local government unit, and other partners and
volunteers joined hands with the fisherfolk in repairing hundreds of fishing boats in coastal barangays.
But more importantly, through community organizing and values formation, the program will help
fishing communities stand up on their feet again – together.
These fisherfolk who have known the sea all their lives have also known each other for quite some time.
To repair the boats in the soonest possible time, they had to help each other out. This is something that's
not new to them, because to survive the rough seas and unpredictable weather, they had to have each
other's backs. At sea, when they pass by a boat that's in trouble, it is their sacred oath to never leave their
neighbors behind. It is this spirit of teamwork that drives the GK Balangay program.
After all, 'Balangay' is where the word barangay comes from. When the ancestors of current residents
migrated to the Philippines, they arrived on board Balangays – impeccably made sailboats that could
only have been completed with solidarity and cooperation. When they settled on shore, the families in
each Balangay organized themselves into communities – now know as the barangay.
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Starting Over
Last February 18, 2014, after 2 months of hard work and bayanihan, the fisherfolk from 4 coastal
barangays (Sulangan, Sungko, Obo-ob, Guiwanon) in Bantayan finally brought their new boats to sea.
This was made possible by the partnership of GK, the Bantayan Municipal LGU (under the leadership of
Mayor Ian Christopher Escario), and other corporate and individual partners. This fleet of over 100
boats is just the first in the 'GK Balangay' program. In the next few weeks, more fishing boats will be
completed in Cebu and Iloilo, and more fisherfolk can slowly rebuild their lives.
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That day, gone was the debris on Bantayan Island. Gone was the parking lot of damaged fishing boats in
the shoreline. Instead, bright orange boats dotted the glistening sea. And the smiles of the fisherfolk
were as bright as the sun that was shining down on Bantayan.
When a supertyphoon makes landfall on a small island, what’s left?
Yolanda stripped Bantayan bare, and it stripped the people of all the material possessions that they had.
But what it couldn't take away is the very core of their being – their courage to start over. What's left?
What's left are fisherfolk like Louie, Rolando, and many others like them who refuse to stay down and
are now confronting Yolanda's aftermath with resiliency and hope. What's left are survivors who are
sure that just as God's love has been with them through the storm and beyond, they too will be there to
help each other recover.
Bantayan as an island has always been beautiful to me. But I know now that the real beauty of Bantayan,
and of the Philippines for that matter, is in the resiliency of its people. It's not about the boats. In the
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same way that in GK communities all over the country, it was never just about the houses. It's about the
people. And at the heart of it all is building a community that is stronger than any storm – a community
of families who refuse to leave each other behind.
That, more than the boats, is what GK Balangay is about.
Adapted by Focusing Philanthropy from Gawad Kalinga’s impact updates, as shared on www.gk1world.com.
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