Metro Infanta Foundation

by Deacon Mario Van Loon

Editor's Note: As a Project Agency, Metro Infanta Foundation received a voluminous report on the status of the implementation of the relief and Rehabilitation Funds for the typhoon disaster victims in the Prelature of Infanta from the Social Action Center. Because of the length of the report we will give only a series of brief summaries that would be of interest to our donors who gave a total of $30,000 funds already distributed for the emergency relief, and another $20,000 still being raised for the rehabilitation of Mt. Carmel School of Infanta.

The unprecedented natural calamity to hit the Prelature of Infanta has highlighted the new role of the Church during humanitarian crisis. Geographically, the area is one of the most vulnerable and susceptible to disaster due to its location: a long strip of abused forested uplands of Sierra Madre and coastal communities along the restless Pacific Ocean.

When strong tropical storms late last years struck the country, several towns of the Prelature were seriously hit including Real, Infanta and General Nakar, Quezon (or the RIN area), and Dingalan (Aurora province). heavy rains induced the mountain soil erosion, landslides, overflowing of river systems that caused sudden flash floods, mud flows, uprooting of trees and drifting of logs and uprooted trees. These wrought havoc to all communities in the lowland portions of the area also on densely populated places.

The approximate estimate to affected people in the affected areas in the Philippines is close to three million (3,000,000) and billions of pesos worth of properties has been destroyed. The primary cause of this environmental nightmare could be attributed to rampant legal and illegal logging and tolerated deforestation of this critical mountain range in the country. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), the country's lead agency for natural calamity, in its official report stated that:
880,000 people were displaced;
1,460 confirmed dead and 559 still missing;
38,000 houses are totally damaged (not fit for human habitation;
134,000 are partially damaged; and
334,424 hectares of agricultural lands are seriously affected with corresponding production losses of 555,531 metric tons of crops, fruits and vegetables.

The Social Action Center roughly estimates that more than 250,000 food packages were provided to the affected victims in the prelature, with 200,000 packages going to Dingalan, Infanta, Real and general Nakar. The rest went to Sand Luis, Baler, Maria Aurora and Casiguran, also in Aurora province. The tribal brothers and sisters were given special attention as most of the wretched victims in the prelature. They were given relief goods twice the normal per capita of its amount. The worth of the food packages distributed so far was amounting to forty five million pesos (P45,000,000). On the other hand, donated brand new and used clothing and set of bedding and household items were distributed to the intended beneficiaries as these home articles were lost when their houses were partically or totally destroyed. The combined value of these items surpasses the five million pesos (P5,000,000) mark.

The SAC Rehabilitation initiatives concentrates first in assisting the poor victims to get back their homes to lessen not only their sufferings but also their anxieties about their future. This program provides Previsionary Shelter at a cost of P10,000 per shelter for construction materials. The first phase of the program built 500 temporary housing (P5,000,000), with the latest figures approaching the 3,000 mark. SAC reports that 4,000 provisional homes are needed!

Next report: Livelihood projects.