Leyte Center for Development: Forward unto Dawn

LCDE relief operation in San Antonio,Basey, Samar.

Forward unto Dawn – What LCDE has achieved so far

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but
for the heart to conquer it.”

- Rabindranath Tagore

Albuera, Leyte relief mission.

PALO, LEYTE - It has been more than a hundred days since Typhoon Haiyan laid waste to much of Eastern Visayas, it too has been more than a hundred days since Leyte Center for Development faced and overcame the challenges that arose.

We began our relief efforts as early as November 17, 2013 with the help of our local and foreign partners in Tanauan, which was one of the most heavily devastated areas in Leyte. Coordination between our counterparts and even amongst ourselves during this period was marred with numerous difficulties, as communication and transport were some of the most immediate problems we faced, some of us had to walk several kilometers to get to anywhere (which was very dangerous as there was widespread civil disorder in many places at this time), it also did not help that communication was close to non-existent as almost all cellphone networks and telephone lines were completely damaged across Eastern Visayas. Not that any of this had any serious impact against our efforts.

Calbiga releif mission, held on February 14.

Relief mission, in Guirang, Basey, Samar.

Relief mission in Hernani, Eastern Samar

Our office in Palo, Leyte was not spared from Typhoon Haiyans’ onslaught and neither were many of our staff’s homes. Even so, we carried on and worked in makeshift tents, huts, and even through the night. As days went by relief aid began arriving from our foreign donors and we were confronted with the task of making sure these goods arrive to intended areas and beneficiaries, this in itself is labor intensive as it is in our practice to carefully prepare an area before implementing projects and holding disaster response activities. Almost all our staff were working double shifts and performing multi-roles all across Leyte and Samar, since we began to expand our operations as the month of November came to a close.

Much of the goods we distributed included rice ranging from 10 to 25 kilos, with the minimum being 10 kilos, assorted canned goods up to six per relief pack, 1 kilo of dried fish, tarpoline sheets for roofing, used clothing, and packs of cooking oil and salt. Some selected areas also received tents.

Marabut, Samar relief operation.

December and January turned out to be even busier months for us as more and more of our partners looked to us to help facilitate and execute relief missions, of note are Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) from Germany, CARE International, Civic Force - Japan, Peace Winds - Japan and MERCY Relief Singapore. At the onset, barely a week after the storm, these organizations were already here laying down the groundwork for their planned disaster intervention activities. With the help of volunteers, staff from Citizens Disaster Response Center and our other affiliate NGOs from all across the Philippines, we accomplished what we set out to do, and have served at the present over 27,000 households from 11 major towns and 70 barangays all over Eastern Visayas and counting.

by: Carlo A. Jerusalem
LCDE Advocacy Officer