Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Iglesia Filipina Independiente
OBISPADO MAXIMO
1500 Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila, Philippines 1000
TASK FORCE ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE (TFER) REPORT
December 2013-February 2014
I. DISASTER RESPONSE INITIATIVE
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s disaster response arm, Task Force on
Emergency Relief (TFER), has provided relief and medical assistance to the
victim communities and families of typhoon Yolanda that hit the Visayas in
November 2013. In the immediate aftermath of typhoon Yolanda, TFER, in
cooperation with five (5) other IFI organizations (Visayas Bishops
Conference, Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (VIMROD),
Saint Paul’s Theological Seminary (SPTS), National Priests Organization
(NPO), and Ramento Project for Rights Defenders (RPRD) facilitated the
formation of TFER-Bulig Katilingban (TFER-BK) to become the conduit
organization for relief operations in the Visayas region.
A Coordinating Committee, composed of representatives from the various
organizations, was organized to draw-up a systematic relief operations plan.
Three Regional Coordinating Centers were formed – one in Cebu City
(Central Visayas) serving as the Central Coordinating Center, another one in
Leyte (Eastern Visayas), and another one in Iloilo (Western Visayas).
Officers and staff for the Coordinating Committee and coordinators for the
three regional centers were appointed by the Obispo Maximo to provide
manpower to these structures.
II. FUNDS MANAGEMENT
A TFER-Bulig Katilingban bank account was opened at Bank of the Philippine
Islands (BPI) in Cebu City under three (3) signatories for the purpose of
transparency in the use of funds. A Bookkeeper records and monitors the
receipts and disbursements of funds using the standard financial
management procedure of the Church. Funds were released to the three
Regional Coordinating Centers (RCC).
THE IGLESIA FILIPINA INDEPENDIENTE is a congregation of new men educated in and liberated by the teaching of Christ,
dedicated to the worship of God in spirit and in truth, nourished and sustained in the Eucharist, and commissioned to be witnesses to
God's love in the world.
Tele-Facsimile: +63-2-521-3932
P.O. Box 2484, 1000 Manila, Philippines
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://ifi.ph
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III. THE RELIEF DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS
TFER-Bulig Katilingban has conducted Relief Distribution Operations (RDO) in
17 municipalities, covering one hundred and 102 villages (barangays), in the
5 provinces of Leyte, Samar, Iloilo, Antique and Aklan. The RDO had reached
out to 12,505 benificiary families covering the period from December 2013
to January 2014.
Western Visayas
Date
December 2, 2013
December 7-8, 2013
December 23, 2013
December 23, 2013
Municipality/Province
Banate, Iloilo
Estancia, Iloilo
Albasan, Aklan
New Washington,
Aklan
Barbasa, Antique
January
Culasi, Antique
January
Lemery, Iloilo
January
Sara, Iloilo
January
TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES
Municipality/Province
Julita, Leyte
Tagkip, Julita,
Leyte
Inawangan, Julita,
Leyte
Bonifacio, Julita, Leyte
San Pablo, Julita Leyte
Amantillo, Marabut,
Western Samar
Sano Nino, Marabut,
Western Samar
Catato, Marabut,
Western Samar
Lipata, Marabut
Western Samar
Odoc, Marabut
Western Samar
Ferreras, Marabut,
Western Samar
Pinalangga, Marabut,
3,
3,
4,
4,
2014
2014
2014
2014
Beneficiaries
100 families (2 barangays)
1,000 families (5 barangays)
200 families (3 barangays)
300 families (2 barangays)
200
200
400
600
families (3
families (2
families (3
families (3
3,000
barangays)
barangays)
barangays)
barangays)
Eastern Visayas
Date
Beneficiaries
December 14, 2013
786 families
December 15, 2013
247 families
187 families
December 19, 2013
259 families
120 families
230 families
173 families
200 families
250 families
120 families
141 families
250 families
2
Western Samar
Hinamok, Basey
December 23, 2013
Samar
Buenavista, Palompon, January 17, 2014
Leyte
TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES
350 families
200 families
3,513
Central Visayas
Municipality/Province
Date
Beneficiaries
Santa Fe, Cebu
December 21-22,
5,152 families
2013
(10 barangays)
Daandantayan, Cebu
December 19, 2013
310 families (3 barangays)
Madridejos, Cebu
30 families (1 barangay)
Tabuelan, Cebu
150 families (2 barangays)
Tudela, Cebu
350 families (3 barangays)
TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES
5,992
Organizing volunteers for relief operations were undertaken side-by-side
actual relief efforts. Diocesan TFER-BK Teams have been formed in affected
dioceses to help the regional TFER-BK in the conduct of relief operations and
mobilization of other services.
Informal advocacy campaigns intended to raise the awareness of individuals
about ecological issues and the factors that triggered the devastating
calamity that struck their communities were conducted alongside RDO.
Liturgical activities were also held in parish churches to uplift the spirits of
typhoon victims and to help them make sense of the misery they have
experienced.
IV. OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES AND INTERVENTIONS
TFER-BK organized two Medical Missions (MM) in Estancia, Iloilo in
December 2013 and January 2014 to address the health conditions of
calamity victims. The MM was conducted in partnership with other
organizations and through the help of medical workers and other volunteers.
Medicines were also given to the indigent patients free of charge.
TFER-BK also initiated support programs in Estancia, Iloilo, which includes
Bulig Panday (a rehabilitation drive assisting local residents in the
restoration and repair of their houses), and Children Ministry (a psychosocial
and counselling program for children intended to help them cope with the
trauma from their tragic experience
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V. SOLIDARITY VISITS AND EXPOSURES
TFER and TFER-Bulig Katilingban facilitated the solidarity visits and
exposures of friends from international partner organizations and Churches
the IFI has concordat relations with. Revd Dr. Franz Segbers from the Old
Catholic Church in the Union of Utrecht visited Marabut, Western Samar, in
December 2013. Two female nursing students who are members of the
Church of Sweden stayed in Iloilo for ten (10) days in January 2014 and
participated in the RDO and Medical Mission. The Revd Richard Barlett from
the Church of England, and vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the
United Society, visited Cebu in January 2014.
VI. PARTNERSHIP IN DISASTER RESPONSE INITIATIVE
TFER works in partnership with the National Council of Churches in the
Philippines (NCCP) and Damayang Simbahan sa Panahon ng Disaster Ecumenical Disaster Response (DAMBANA) in the delivery of goods and
services to typhoon-affected communities.
Regional TFER-BK have likewise established collaboration with other church
bodies, church-based organizations, regional
and provicial
relief
organizations, local government units, academic institutions, partylist
groups, peoples’ organizations and various task force organizations also
engaged in RDO and MM. This form of cooperation has widened the scope of
relief and medical services to areas needing assistance.
Apart from cash contributions, IFI dioceses and parishes have also sent
boxes of clothing, canned goods, bottled drinking water and other food items
as part of their support to typhoon-affected families and communities. An
audited TFER financial statement will be published at the end of the program
period.
VII. MILESTONES IN DISASTER RESPONSE IMPLEMENTATION
TFER-Bulig Katilingban had reached the target number of families that
needed immediate relief assistance as laid-down in its December 2013 plan
of action. In the particular case of Western Visayas TFER-BK, it exceeded its
target and actually extended relief assistance to more than 23,000 families
in the provinces of Iloilo, Aklan and Antique due to the strong support it has
received from partner organizations and institutions. It has received
recognition from the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as a legitimate humanitarian organization in
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Panay because of its competent leadership, credible reputation and
commitment to serve the victims of typhoon Yolanda.
Clergy and lay volunteers from the affected areas were mobilized to help in
the preparation to the actual distribution of relief goods and holding of
medical missions. The relief operation and medical missions have offered
enriching experience for IFI members who joined the volunteers group of
TFER-BK.
The RDO and MM offered a face to the effort of the IFI to alleviate the
situation of the poor calamity victims. It also raised the commitment of the
clergy in the typhoon-affected dioceses to serve the poor as TFER-BK offered
them the opportunity to engage themselves to work with the victims of the
calamity even as they were victims themselves as well.
TFER-BK has also helped indigent residents in communities affected by the
typhoon to gain critical awareness of environmental issues and an
understanding of the ecological factors that triggered the devastating
calamity that struck the Visayas.
VIII. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The aftermath of the typhoon calls for a large scale rehabilitation assistance
to significantly rebuild the shattered lives and livelihood of the victims and
restore them back to normalcy. The situation, likewise, highlights the
imperative to initiate concrete advocacy and campaign actions on the issue
of global warming and other related ecological issues.
Based from the extent of damage and devastation wrought by typhoon
Yolanda, relief operations would take a long time even before honest-togoodness rehabilitation efforts could be initiated. TFER-Bulig Katilingban, in
cooperation with IFI dioceses in areas affected by the typhoon, is currently
developing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan to help affected communities
fully recover from the devastation brought about by the calamity.
The actual RDO and MM provided opportunity to see the actual situation of
affceted families and communities after several weeks and received appeals
from the victims to address their need for rehabilitation assistance. The
people in most of the coastal areas affected are pleading for support to
restore their pre-Yolanda socio-economic activities so that they themselves
can rebuild their own houses. Most of the fisherfolks lost their fishings boats
and gears to the typhoon. On the other hand, farmers whose crops were
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destroyed by the typhoon expressed their need for farm implements and
seeds to plant new crops.
The IFI and Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) held a Concordat
Dialogue on the occasion of their 17th Concordat Anniversary in February
2014. Both Churches have undertaken individual initiatives to assist the
disaster-affected population through their respective disaster response
program. Being Churches in Corcordat of Full Communion, the IFI and ECP
recognize the need to form a special partnership to improve disaster
response initiatives and work together towards putting-up a joint
community-based disaster preparedness and response program.
Rev. Wilfredo L. Ruazol
Head Coordinator
Task Force on Emergency Response
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