Category 5 storm damages Siargao Island community of Del Carmen: Insights from the community and how you can help

Siargao Islands was declared by Conde Nast in November 2021 as the #1 Island Destination in Asia and one of 2021’s greatest places on earth by TIME Magazine.

On December 16th 2021, Supertyphoon Rai (known locally as Odette) ravaged through the Philippines, bringing torrential rains, violent winds, floods, and surges equivalent to a Category 5 storm. This catastrophic event claimed the lives of more than 400 people and injured approximately 1100 others. Island communities across the Philippines are continuing relief efforts to reconstruct homes and local infrastructure and ensure that its residents get the support they need to recover from this disaster.

As one of the 9 Municipalities of Siargao Island in the Philippines, the community of Del Carmen, was especially affected by Typhoon Rai. Pre-disaster risk reduction efforts in Del Carmen and Siargao Islands, however, allowed low casualty impact as we learned from Super Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines in 2013. According to Alfredo M. Coro II, a former Island Innovation Ambassador and the Vice Mayor of Del Carmen, 95% of the community has lost their homes, public facilities have been heavily damaged or completely lost, and the lives of Del Carmenons have been heavily impacted.

Dr. Anna Marie Tiu of Del Carmen’s Local Government Unit (LGU) walked us through what is currently happening on the ground in Del Carmen and Siargao Island and reflected on measures needed to further rebuild the community. She emphasized the need for donations of essential items and investments in local sustainability programs aimed at building a more resilient community and an environment that can protect the people against future disasters.

It has been more than 6 weeks since Typhoon Rai made landfall on Siargao Island. What is the current state of affairs in terms of damage and active recovery efforts?

Despite the severe damage and the negative impacts brought about by the Super Typhoon “Odette” to the properties, livelihood, and the life of the Del Carmenons in general, the Local Government of Del Carmen led massive efforts to ensure we have enough supply of food and water, functioning public health systems, immediate rehabilitation support for shelters, and urgency of recovering our livelihood.

So far, we have achieved 0% involuntary hunger leading to 0% involuntary crime, no recorded health outbreak despite the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic, rehabilitation of the 14 out of the 20 villages (“barangays in the Philippines”) including the 4 smaller island communities, and the reopening of our tourism on February 22, 2022 with a shift from ecotourism to social (impact) tourism.

We are far from being stable and there is still no food security especially with damaged agriculture having lost 80% of our coconut trees covering 270 square kilometers or 35% of our land area impacting almost 15% of our families. Tourism services are still recovering and the consistency of tourist arrivals is being monitored with our limited availability of accommodations and related services. Tertiary care is done out of a tent hospital and public health programs in spaces that had some roofing left of their public spaces.

What are the most pressing issues facing your community right now as recovery efforts continue (i.e. loss of homes, health, sanitation etc.)?

Infrastructure remains an important issue we must address with heavy damages to health centers, educational facilities and other public buildings to provide the quality public services, we are also highlighting major issues in other sectors.

Social, economic and environmental challenges are now on top of our priority list as we are entering the early recovery phase as ground zero of the Typhoon landfall.

The need to protect the families at risk in identified danger zones must be immediately relocated prior to the next typhoon season from November to February.

Our community can only do so much and thus access to expertise, funding and other necessary resources to ensure that our success in pre-disaster management will not be overwhelmed by lack of support in post-disaster management. We need more help.

What support is currently being offered to your community with recovery efforts?

Social Impact is now being prioritized with the following efforts:

We invite our tourists to visit Del Carmen and Siargao Islands!

We are now driving the local economic activity with the social tourism promotion of the “Join this Journey of Recovery with Us” campaign. The inclusivity of tourism and the loss of our agricultural industry for now, is our main gamble to promote economic recovery and activity. Our island has never lost its jewels – beautiful beaches, world class waves for surfing, access to the bounty of marine produce, and most importantly, we never lost our values of hospitality.

The natural resources which served as our shore protection with the mangrove forest cover of 5000 hectares, the watershed forest for our potable water holding area and our unique flora and fauna as a key biodiversity area of the Philippines, all need support and rehabilitation. Ongoing efforts for immediate assessment to identify appropriate recovery efforts are being done but parallel actions of replanting, clean ups and sustained management are also necessary.

How are the people in your community coping with the aftermath of Typhoon Rai?

The impact of Typhoon Rai was exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic which affected business, family and community dynamics and personal mental health.

We have slowly addressed the physical infrastructure needs with construction supplies, hunger issues with food / water access, and priority public services with primary to tertiary care support for health, the mental and psycho-social impacts are yet to be addressed fully. Nonetheless, our programs allowed us to still address petty crimes, conduct psychological first aid, and sustain when it is needed the most.

Through the help and support of the local government unit and its leaders as well as several NGOs and private companies, the locals of Del Carmen were able to slowly get back on their feet. We are forever grateful for the generosity and kindness of the people and the organizations that have helped us in making us feel that we are not alone in this time of great adversity.

What are the most urgent needs in moving forward with recovery efforts? What supplies, funding, and support does your community require to rebuild?

We have anchored our response and recovery on the principles of human dignity and will continue to do as such to spouse the appropriate behavior as we move forward. We urgently need to build SAFE SPACES:

SAFE SPACES FOR CHILDREN:

SAFE SPACES FOR FAMILIES:

SAFE SPACES FOR MICRO-BUSINESS:

What is your vision for your community in terms of recovery? How can the international community support rebuilding your community in a way that is resilient and can help protect against any future disasters?

We invite everyone to visit Del Carmen and Siargao Islands! “Join this Journey of Recovery with Us”.

Our vision is to respond and recover fast without compromising our values and addressing inequities. We will have to face another typhoon season year after year from November to February and thus living with this disaster risk includes our need to strengthen our ability to respond and recover faster.

We have identified the urgency to ensure the following response to recovery mechanisms and would need support from the international community for us to stay resilient and hopeful in our way of life:

What message would you like to share with people who are learning about the devastation in your community and the Philippines?

Siargao Island is home to many people, not just to Siargaonons, but to the many who have visited us and connected with our community.

We ask help and support to allow us to continue our process of recovery of our homes, our livelihood and our families. Visit us and take part in our journey of recovery in Siargao Islands and in other areas devastated by Typhoon Odette or other natural calamities.

We will recover, we must recover. #bangondelcarmen (#riseupdelcarmen)

Here is how you can help with the recovery efforts in Del Carmen and Siargao Island:

Please Contact us directly for coordinated response:

Riavida Soriaga, Relief Operations, Del Carmen, Siargao Islands, Philippines Contact Number / Viber / WhatsApp: +639565669481 Email: [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)

Alfredo Coro, Vice Mayor, Del Carmen, Siargao Islands, Philippines Contact Number / Viber / WhatsApp: +639178054017 Email: [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)

Other Relief Efforts and How to Donate (Please verify before donating):

Lokal Siargao UNICEF Philippines Waves for Water (You can select Typhoon Rai in the “Donate to:” menu) Philippines Red Cross Samaritan’s Purse International Relief Global Giving: Super Typhoon Odette Emergency Response in Siargao Help the people of Siargao after Super Typhoon World Vision World Food Program