TASK FORCE: children of the storm is a network of children’s organizations in the Metro Manila area of the Philippines dedicated to the relief and rehabilitation of child victims after the recent tropical storm ‘Ondoy’ (Ketsana).
Beneficiaries are families of sitio Olandes, Bgy. IVC in Marikina City. Sitio Olandes sits right between the Marikina River and the more affluent Cinco Hermanos Subdivision (see google map as of April 2009). It is home to almost 3,000 families, 90% of whom live below the poverty line.
When Typhoon Ondoy hit Metro Manila, 99% of the households were completely awash with water and mud from the overflowing Marikina River up to the roof level of 2nd-storey houses. On that day, September 26, teachers of the BATIBOT Learning Center were conducting a child rights orientation for the parents of the community. When water levels started to rise, the teachers sent out alarm messages which other child rights advocates responded to by going to the community. Unfortunately, they all were trapped when the water level quickly rose. They had to spend the night on the roof until the water level started to go down.
Next order of the following day, September 27, was to evacuate and rescue as many children as possible, which they did to the best of their abilities. Some child rights advocates had 5 kids clinging to them as they waded over the muddy waters. Other child rights advocates who were not residents of the community volunteered to help clean up houses.
In the meantime, appeals for relief goods and other forms of support were sent out and a more organized system of relief distribution was planned. On September 28, relief goods started to arrive and a system to repack as well as distribute numbered stubs to the first batch of beneficiaries was done. September 29 came and the child rights advocates of said organizations are happy to note that planning a well-organized distribution system paid off. There was no scrambling for the goods and everyone waited patiently in line knowing that they would all receive their share of the relief goods.
After 3 visits our advocates and volunteers were able to distribute relief packages to 1,100 families. They were also able to clean a few community organizers homes as well as the Batibot school.
Even after that, the work continues. As more families are in need of relief, neighborhoods and homes still need to be drained and cleaned, and there’s the whole rest of the city that needs help as well.
Task Force: children of the storm was by local organizations to assist in cleaning and restocking supplies in the hopes of reopening day-cares and schools around the city.
Expanding our operation beyond Marikina.
We started our relief efforts in sitio Olandes, Marikina but as we enter our 2nd phase of operation we are now extending relief operations. We will also provide relief for children in evacuation centers in Brgys. Nangka, Tumana and Malanday all in Marikina City. In a few days, we will also be going around in some parts of Quezon City where the disaster’s effect was felt the most, particulary in Sitio Talanay in Barangay Batasan Hills and Barangay Bagong Silangan We will be concentrating on helping rebuild daycare centers in the said areas.
MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE:
SALINLAHI Alliance for Childrens Concerns
Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC)
Parents Alternative for Early Childhood and Development (PAECCD)
Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia
Samahan sa Maagang Pagkatuto ng Bata (SMPB)
Concerned Mothers League (CML)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
CRC office: 90 J. Bugallon St. Proj.4 Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone numbers: (632) 913-9244
(632) 439-1053
Email add: tfchildrenofthestorm@gmail.com
