Initial Rapid Assessment on Child Protection
TYPHOON HAIYAN-YOLANDA
Region XI-Western Visayas
17 November 2013
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Assessment Period: 12 – 15 November 2013
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Covered areas:
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Aklan Province: Ibajay, Kalibo, Balete, Batan
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Capiz Province: Panay, Cuartero, Dumarao, Pontevedra, Pilar, President Roxas
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Iloilo Province: Concepcion, Sara, Estancia, Carles
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1. IMPACT OF THE CRISIS
Scope of the Crisis and Demographic Profile of the Affected
Total no. of persons affected: 2,728,294
Total no. of families affected: 570,396
Total no. of casualties: 117
Province
No. of
No. of Persons
No. of
No. of
No. of
No. of
Barangays
affected
Families
Evacuation
Casualties
Missing
affected
Centers1)
persons
Aklan
338
97,631
447,215
23
11
0
Antique
441
56,144
265,460
58
10
6
Capiz
473
110,915
514,322
32
54
1
Guimaras
58
2,578
11,080
9
0
1
Iloilo
1,229
200,900
996,524
230
41
3
Negros
419
102,228
494,193
72
1
0
Occidental
* Source: NDRRMC SitRep (16 Nov. 2013)
1) The number of casualties and missing persons reported to the National DRRMC still can be incorrect.
When the UNICEF MIRA team visited Iloilo, Estancia Municipality alone reported 87 casualties and 7 missing
persons. Conception Municipality also had 16 casualties, thus in Iloilo alone the number of casualties
exceeded 100.
2) The number of evacuation centers has not been updated. It was observed that families either have already
left the ECs or only use the space as shelter at night. IOM is currently verifying the active ECs with the
Government and partner agencies.
3) No disaggregated data on sex, age, and other vulnerabilities are available yet.
Status of Populations Living in Affected Areas
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Evacuation Centers/ Shelter: Schools are mostly used as ECs in the affected areas, but 80-90 per
cent of schools are estimated to have been partially or totally damaged. In some areas such as
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Roxas City, it was reported that the Gov. advised evacuees to leave the schools to resume class.
Thus shelter needs were mentioned as one of the priorities both by the Provincial DSWD office and
affected families. Some children also seemed to be unattended in daytime at ECs while parents go
back home to fix houses.
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Safety: Damaged houses, villages, schools debris of the building and damaged electric posts on the
street pose serious threats to children’s safety in general. It was frequently observed that children
were playing in hazardous environment unattended by adults.
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Unaccompanied and Separated Children: two orphaned children were reported to the Capiz
Provincial DSWD. No referral systems are functioning, thus the children’s aunt directly reported to the
Provincial office. Lack of disaggregated data on missing persons and USAC was also acknowledged
by the DSWD offices at all levels.
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Livelihood: The coastal Municipalities/barangays are fishing communities and one of the poorest
areas in the region. Due to the typhoon, it was reported in some barangays that more than 90 per
cent of the fishing boats were damaged. This may increase the risk of child labour, commercial
sexual exploitation and child trafficking.
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GBV/trafficking: Aklan, Roxas City and Negros Occidental were identified as high risk areas on GBV
and trafficking by the Regional Director of DSWD. Aftermath of the emergency the risk may increase
further and the areas of concern can be stretched to other coastal municipalities.
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Psychosocial support: In some hard hit municipality such as Estancia, the municipal social workers
mentioned the need to provide children with PSS.
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Orphanages/Institutions: According to data from the Regional DSWD, there are 1 orphanage in
Aklan, 1 in Roxas City, 2 in Iloilo, 1 in Antique and 2 in Negros Occidental. Except for the one in
Roxas City, no information is available on the safety and wellbeing of the children staying at these
facilities.
2. CAPACITY
a. Government priority is mainly focused on relief operations. Not enough attention has been paid to children,
and no disaggregated data (age, sex, vulnerabilities) has been produced on the affected families.
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b. BCPCs do not function in most of the hard hit areas. Local DSWD pointed out the lack of dedicated human
and financial resources and no training conducted on the roles and responsibilities as the main reasons of the
non-functionality of the system.
c. No referral pathways are in place in most of the affected areas. As two cases of orphaned children were
reported by the caretaker to the Provincial Office directly, no pathways linking barangay, municipal and
provincial levels exist. Some local DSWD officials seemed to be even unaware of the need for referral
systems.
d. Provincial and regional DSWD officials are not familiar with the Cluster approach in humanitarian response
and their role as the lead in CPWG.
e. The anti-trafficking mechanisms such as IACAT were in place in provincial and regional levels, and the
IACAT will be re-activated to prevent and report the cases of trafficking in the aftermath of the disaster.
f. First inter-agency coordination and CPWG meeting was held on 14 November in Roxas City.
- ChildFund will initially focus on 13 barangays in Roxas City mainly on the interventions in ECs, setting up 10
Child Centered Spaces and conducting PSS. Will conduct a rapid assessment in Antique Province
- World Vision will set up 4 Child Friendly Spaces in 4 barangays in Estancia.
- Save the Children and Plan International conducted rapid assessment.
3. ACCESS AND GAPS
a. Initially some roads to inland Municipalities were impassable, but now all areas are accessible.
b. All the island barangays are accessible but some islands seemed to be neglected due to the distance,
limited human resources and lack of communication services.
c. According to the NDRRMC report, SMART and GLOBE services were restored 83 per cent in Aklan, 94 per
cent in Antique, 65 per cent in Capiz, and 91 per cent in Iloilo as of 16 November. However, services in some
remote island barangays have not been restored yet.
Contact: Jeongmin LEE, Child Protection Officer
UNICEF Philippines Country Office
jmlee@unicef.org
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