World Vision and partners respond to emergency needs of quake survivors

Following three succeeding earthquakes that hit southern Mindanao last month, World Vision launched its relief operations to help the affected families of Kidapawan City, Makilala, and Tulunan in Northern Cotabato.

To complement the efforts of the local government, World Vision provided non-food items such as hygiene kits (bath and laundry soaps, toothbrushes and toothpastes, sanitary packs, nail cutter, undergarments and malong or tube skirt), jerry cans, mosquito net, mats, and blankets, and emergency shelter kits (tarp and rope) among others.

World Vision also focused its efforts to address the special needs of children affected by the quake. Interventions such as child-friendly spaces and temporary learning centers provided children with psychosocial support and a safe place to learn and play.

As of November 12, World Vision has reached at least 947 affected families with emergency shelter kits, hygiene kits, non-food items, and clean water kits (459 in the City of Kidapawan and 488 in the Municipality of Tulunan), 602 affected children with psychosocial support through child-friendly spaces in school-based evacuation centers in the City of Kidapawan, and 354 school children with 2 temporary learning spaces in their affected school in the Municipality of Makilala.

With the help of generous individuals and companies like Owndays Philippines, J&J, Emerson, Nexus, and RichMedia Inc., the aim to assist 1000 families or 5000 individuals will soon be achieved.

More Help is Needed

Bringing help to the hard-hit earthquake sites are not without challenges. In Tulunan, World Vision response team had to brave the landslide-prone areas in order to reach the survivors including the indigenous tribe B’laan.

“Every day since the quake, we had to walk at least two hours to go here and wait for help,” said 5-month pregnant Chona. She leaves her makeshift shelter at 6 o’clock in the morning and goes back at around 4 in the afternoon, depending on the schedule of relief distributions.

Analiza, another B’laan from a different sitio shared, “We have no choice but to do this. Most of us are farm workers, but our farms were damaged not only by the quake but by the landslides. It’s not easy.”

While help has reached some of the quake-affected families, challenges remain to rebuild their communities, and to start with their lives anew.

"Thank you for partnering with us as we help fellow Filipinos affected by the Mindanao earthquake. Much needs to be done and we hope that God will continue to enable us to help reach the most vulnerable children and communities”, says World Vision Executive Director Rommel Fuerte.

To know more about World Visions work and how to help our fellow people affected by the Mindanao Earthquake, please visit https://wvph.co/DonateforCotabato. You may also call World Vision at (02) 8372-7777 or (0917) 866-4824.

For more information and updates, you may follow /worldvisionph on Facebook and @worldvisionphl on Instagram.

About World Vision

World Vision is a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.