Iligan City / Philippines
A new start after Tropical Storm Washi with temporary shelters and psychosocial care
To many of the inhabitants of the new temporary shelters near Iligan City, the little house they now call home is so much more than a short-term accommodation. For them, the lumber construction, based on a concrete foundation to withstand the next storms, is also a sign that their life is getting better again. These families lived in Iligan, directly by the river – some even on an island in the river. But all of the houses in their neighbourhood were washed away by Tropical Storm Washi in December 2011. Now, they want to regain their inner peace – the new houses and the psychosocial work of the Order of Malta support them in this task.
The Philippine association of the Order of Malta distributed relief items to the affected population directly after the disaster. In January 2012, together with Malteser International, the association started an emergency relief project to build temporary shelters for 100 families. The construction work is complemented by activities for psychosocial care and disaster risk reduction. A further part of the emergency relief program of the Order of Malta Philippines is the psychosocial care for children in the evacuation centres of Iligan City.
- The wood houses, built on a concrete foundation, will help the families who lost their homes to withstand the next storms.
- Malteser International also provides psychosocial care especially for the children in Iligan City.
- Malteser International supports the construction of temporary shelters for 100 families.
On 16 December 2011, Tropical Storm Washi hit the north of the Philippine island of Mindanao, causing flash floods and landslides. Many people living at the coast or near the river were caught by surprise in the middle of the night, while they slept. More than 1,000 people died. Thousands more were able to save their lives, but lost all their belongings. The consequences of the tropical storm were especially severe, as this area was very rarely hit by cyclones in the past, so the population was unprepared.
- Improvement of the living condition of those affected by Tropical Storm Washi
- Construction of temporary shelters for 100 families and development of self-administration structures
- Training in disaster risk reduction
- Psychosocial care for those affected in the evacuation centres and temporary sites with a focus on the care for children
- Training for the local authorities and civil society organisations that are mandated to manage the evacuation centres/temporary sites
- Support of the local authorities regarding family reunifications
| Project data | |
| Duration: | Since January 2012 |
| Financing: | Caritas Germany, Sternsinger (Pontifical Missionary Childhood of Germany), Malteser International |
| Partner: | Order of Malta Philippines |
| Contact | |
| Cordula Wasser: info(at)malteser-international.org | |
Facts & Figures
General information:
Capital: Manila
Area Size: 300,000 km²
Population: 93.6 million
Standard of living:
Average life expectancy: 71.8 years
Infant mortality: 26.5 per 1,000 live births
Child mortality (children under 5 years): 33.5 per 1,000 live births
Maternal mortality: 162 per 100,000 live births
People living below 1.25 US$ per day: 22.62%
Health:
Births attended by skilled personnel: 61.8%
Estimated mortality of TB cases: 52 per 100,000 population
(Sources: www.alertnet.org, www.unicef.org)
Malteser International has been working in the Philippines since 2009.
The database on this website presents an exemplary range of the projects realised in the Philippines.
