PROGRAMME TITLE:
Philippines /Typhoon Koppu (Local Name “Lando”)
PROGRAMME LOCATION:
Central and Northern Luzon
DATES COVERED:
24-26 October 2015
SITREP NUMBER:
9
PREPARED BY:
MAYEE ABEAR-MARZAN, Donor Liaison Officer
Humanitarian Unit, NASSA/Caritas Philippines
1.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Cloudy skies with light rains dominated most of Northern Luzon today, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers
or thunderstorms prevailed in other parts of Luzon including Metro Manila.
Despite this “calm” weather, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), has
projected that dry spell and drought seasons will be experienced by the same provinces affected by Typhoon Koppu until December
2015. This and the severe damages to agriculture brought by the typhoon are expected to cause much more devastation especially
to farmers and the indigenous communities. Prices of agricultural products (rice, vegetables and poultry) have started to escalate
and the same can be expected especially that Nueva Ecija, considered as the Rice Granary of the Philippines, is one of the severely
affected provinces.

Key data on affected populations
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A total of 2,356,408 persons (536,498 families) in seven (7) regions1 were affected.
Damages to agriculture and infrastructure are estimated to be PhP 8.5 billion and PhP 1.2 billion respectively.
At least 803 school buildings were damaged (249 totally damaged, 554 partially damaged)
At least 3,228 houses were totally damaged and 2,344 were partial damaged
The provinces of Aurora and Isabela, city of Ilagan, and eleven (11) municipalities are under the State of Calamity.
NASSA/Caritas Philippines and CRS’ Rapid Assessment Teams (RAT) deployed in several affected areas reported the following:
Cagayan Province, Diocese of Tuguegarao (as of October 24, 2015)
- Residents were also able to practice emergency preparedness measures: families in high-risk locations evacuated to relatives.
Food, water, livestock were secured.
- Community barangays along the tributaries and the main Cagayan River were mostly affected by the rise in water causing mud
flood.
- Damages to agriculture for 16,061.9 ha amounts to PhP 87,905,149.35, to infrastructure is PhP 7,300,000 and PhP 50, 950,000
to roads.
- The province is also affected by the El Niño phenomenon causing a toll on agriculture.
- Rapid Assessment Team recommended the following:
a. Testing and possible treatment of water sources.
b. Improvement of latrines and assessment of sanitation, and assessment of Municipal Health Office/Barangay program on
WASH
c. Assessment of agricultural systems, and provision of seeds and production capital from relevant agencies
Quirino Province, Diocese of Bayombong (as of October 24, 2015)
- The two hardest hit towns of Madella and Nagtipunan have a combined number of 5,927affected households.
- The four hardest-hit barangays are Asaclat, and Disimungal in Nagtipunan (on top of the Sierra Madre) and Abbag, Madella,
right beside a major tributary to the Cagayan River.
- Indigenous peoples comprise the majority of these populations. Asaclat is an Ifugao community which migrated from the
Mountain Province, Disimungal is largely Kankaney (Igorot) from Benguet, and Abbag has a large Bugalot population.
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Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, NCR and CAR
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A large sector of the affected households is vulnerable: pregnant women- 95; children below 5 years old – 623; senior citizens
– 151; and persons with disabilities – 42.
Infrastructure and agriculture suffered the heaviest.
Food security remains to be the greatest threat to all affected households. Livelihood suffered 100% in all barangays. In the
whole province, the three major crops – banana, corn, and vegetables were damaged, almost 60% of these were ready for
harvest. 50% of the total damages in the province is attributed in the towns of Madella and Nagtipunan.
The two mountain communities (Asaclat and Disimungal) are at high risk. They already previously lost their livelihood due to
drought. Food from remaining savings, some relief aid from private sector and Local Government Unit (LGU) will only be
enough until the last week of October.
Other significant needs emerging from the assessment include shelter assistance (GI sheets), livelihood, and clean water
sources.
Nueva Ecija Province (two dioceses) as of October 24, 2015
- Diocese of San Jose - Cabanatuan City, Talavera, San Leonardo, Sta. Rita, Jaen, San Antonio, Sta. Barbara, Talavera, Bongabon,
Laur, and Gabaldon
Diocese of Cabanatuan – Carranglan
- All assessed municipalities of the Diocese of Cabanatuan, except for Talavera, also have no electricity. Gabaldon has no
electricity yet, and will take to two weeks to one month to repair.
- In Gabaldon, particularly in Brgys. Calabasa and Bagting, several houses were destroyed by landslide. The local parish priest
claims that this is due to continuing logging and mining operations in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. Residents are now
temporarily staying with their relatives. The LGU has previously planned for their relocation. With the effects of this typhoon,
the families will no longer be allowed to build houses in the areas.
- Conservative estimate is that 85% of all rice fields are totally damaged, and 95% of banana trees have been totally damaged.
Source of livelihood for farmers is unsure, apart from the debt for farm inputs that they have yet to pay.
- The most urgent needs are food assistance, cleaning materials, hygiene kits and jerry cans.
- For the DSAC Cabanatuan alone, they have close to 5,000 food packs distributed to the parishes in the diocese. Relief packs for
DSACs Cabanatuan and San Jose were also provided by Caritas Manila, Radyo Veritas and Quiapo Church.
- Aside from relief items, the following aid for early recovery are already being suggested:
a. Recovery livelihood for each families/households – this is an immediate concern as their food will only run for a few more
days. Food /cash work will supplement them temporarily.
b. Shelter assistance for families in Gabaldon for relocation must be worked out with the LGU (including profiling of target
beneficiaries).
- Based on the initial meeting with CRS and DSAC of Cabanatuan, CRS will provide assistance to Cabanatuan City and
NASSA/Caritas Philippines will cover Gabaldon (this has to be confirmed).
- DSAC Cabanatuan also verbalized their need to undergo CMDRR training.
Aurora Province, Prelature of Infanta
- Communities had been given trainings on Disaster Preparedness by the local government units and other local partners.
- In Dinggalan, large areas of agricultural lands are devastated. Vegetables, banana, coconut, corn and rice fields were mostly
destroyed.
- Local markets are open and accessible but with significant price increase (price increase was specifically reported in Purok
Camalatan at Brgy. Nonong with rice originally at P35/kg to P65/kg).
- The rest of the barangays visited in San Luis (San Isidro, L. Pimentel, Ditumago, Deteki,) and Ma. Aurora reported flashfloods,
totally and/or partially damaging houses.
- 4 coastal barangays in San Luis, Aurora predominantly inhabited by indigenous peoples are reported to not have received any
kind of support as they live in isolated islands.
- There are pockets of households who have totally damaged houses. Most at risks are the indigenous peoples (IPs). Some of the
families with damaged shelters do not have enough resources to rebuild.
- Some families lost essential household items like hygiene materials and thermal needs i.e. blankets and mosquito nets.
- Damage on livelihood sources (coconut and rice) suggests assistance through provision of seed vouchers, or alternative
livelihood activities that will tide them through the next planting season in January 2016.
Quezon Province, Prelature of Infanta (as of October 25)
- In Infanta, there are a total of 2,865 families affected.
- Totally damaged houses count 277, while there are 2,587 partially damaged.
- Brgy. Agos-Agos has a total of 542 affected households including those in NASSA/Caritas Philippines relocation (2004 project)
site.
- 20 families temporarily transferred to the vacant units of the NASSA/Caritas Philippines housing project (St. John Paul II Village)
due to the damage brought to their homes by the typhoon.
- The Rapid Assessment Team recommends shelter assistance in the form of GI Sheets. The team also tested the drinking water
and the result will be shared with the DSAC.
- In Real, 1,557 families were affected.
- In General Nakar, 4,367 families were affected. Partially damaged houses totalled to 883, totally damaged is 109.
Baguio City, Benguet Province
- An assessment team will be sent to Benguet to further evaluate damage to houses.
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There is a total of 3,926 persons (950 families) affected in the province.
568 houses were partially damaged, and 134 totally damaged.
Initial damage to crops in the province is assessed at PhP 5,142060.20.
Deaths totalled to 15, 1 injured, and one missing.

Security/Political situation
- Security situation remains normal. No untoward incidences related to the calamity have been reported. Government agencies
continue to ensure preparedness measures.
2.
CARITAS RESPONSE
From the initial funds, NASSA/Caritas Philippines has released a total of 2.822 million pesos for eight (8) provinces: Aurora, Quirino,
Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija, La Union, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Zambales. The fund covered food, hygiene kits, and shelter
assistance (plastic sheeting) for 6,980 households severely affected by the typhoon.
By Tuesday, October 27, 500 hygiene kits will be delivered to Aurora, 250 will be delivered to Quirino and another 250 for Nueva
Vizcaya. Further, Caritas Manila has delivered food and non-food items to the Dioceses of Lingayen-Dagupan, Malolos, San Jose,
Cabanatuan, and to the Prelature of Infanta. Other Catholic organizations: Ateneo de Manila Dream Team, La Salle Zobel, de La
Salle University-Manila and Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan also distributed relief goods.
To ensure accountability, DSACs were asked to sign a memorandum of understanding stipulating the responsibilities of the local
social action centers in the purchase and distribution of the relief items such as canvass forms, contracts and beneficiary master
list.
In view of the rapid assessments conducted, and as stated in the NDRRMC reports, NASSA/Caritas Philippines is seriously
considering the revision of the originally proposed emergency appeal. The national social action arm is looking into providing
longer-term livelihood assistance to the affected dioceses, while a shift from giving plastic sheetings to providing shelter repair kits
(GI sheets, nails, hammers, etc.) is also being taken into account judging from the extent of damages and the cultural orientations
of the planned beneficiaries.
NASSA/Caritas Philippines also has started doing depth sectoral assessments basing from these new developments.
3.
COORDINATION
NASSA/Caritas Philippines continues to coordinate with the DSACs for the distribution of relief goods to the affected communities.
The national Caritas also has developed a coordinating system involving the SURGE Team, RAT and the DSACs to ensure balance in
the distribution of relief items and prioritization of services being provided. As CRS is still conducting assessments and relief
operations in Casiguran, Aurora and Nueva Ecija, NASSA/Caritas Philippines is constantly communicating with their team for
updated data. Likewise, Caritas Internationalis, the CI MOs, Caritas Manila/Radyo Veritas, START Network and UN-OCHA continue
to receive updates.
4.
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS
NASSA/Caritas Philippines continues to provide vital information (SitReps) to its network and other humanitarian organizations and
the government using SMS, electronic mails, the social media sites (twitter and facebook) and its website
(www.caritasphilippines.org). Press releases are likewise sent to various local and international media outfits, while media
interviews are regularly given.
5.
PLEDGES AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Additional pledges have been signified by Caritas Switzerland (EUR 25,000) and Caritas Singapore (EUR 31,846). Combined with the
commitments of CORDAID, CRS, Caritas Germany, Caritas Spain, and Caritas Italiana, there is now a total of EUR 250,923 received
pledges.
As NASSA/Caritas Philippines considers revising the original targets to meet the emerging (urgent) needs of the affected families, it
may be expected that the required budget stated in the initial rapid response proposal (EUR 264,258.75) and the implementation
period shall change when full assessment report becomes available this week.
6.
KEY CONTACTS
Fr. Edwin Gariguez
NASSA/Caritas Philippines’ Executive Secretary
(+63922) 834-8248
edugariguez@gmail.com
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Jeanie Curiano
NASSA/Caritas Philippines’ Humanitarian Unit MEAL Manager
(+63906) 306-0952
jeanie.curiano@gmail.com
Jing Rey Henderson
NASSA/Caritas Philippines’ Humanitarian Unit Communications Manager
(+63905) 546-9977
jhenderson.caritasphilippines@gmail.com
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