Dapat Ready | Typhoon Ompong | World Vision provides shelter support to Ompong-hit families in Cagayan

68-year old Norma has spent several sleepless nights thinking of how she can rebuild her house.

“I was transferring from one relative to another because I didn’t want to spend a lot of days in one house and be a burden to any of them,” she shares.

At 68, Norma is still doing farm labor, earning P250 (USD5) for a whole day of toiling under the heat of the sun. Since her husband died five (5) years ago, she’s been living on her own, although her grandchildren, Junior, 3 and Jizel, 4, would usually visit her.

When typhoon Ompong struck Cagayan last September 15, she was left with only the foundation of her house.

“The whole time until I became part of World Vision’s shelter intervention, I was restless and always without sleep,” shares Norma. She estimated that rebuilding works would cost her more or less P20,000, excluding labor costs.

A space of her own

Last October 20, Norma received shelter materials that included corrugated iron sheets and plywood, cash voucher worth P1300 for other shelter materials. Through the beneficiaries’ bayanihan, a Filipino culture of communal unity, and World Vision’s provision of labor support through hiring of skilled carpenters, she now enjoys her own space. In the earlier days of the response, Norma also received kitchen set and non-food items like mosquito net, blanket and plastic mat.

“Thank you to all the donors. I can now sleep well at night,” she smiles, unable to control her tears.

Also joining Norma everyday since her house was rebuilt are Junior and Jizel.“They spend a lot of time here playing because their house was partially damaged and space is limited,” she explains.

Typhoon Ompong, known to be the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, has decimated more than 200,000 homes in Northern Luzon, rendering thousands of children and their families homeless. It also left an estimated Php26B (USD535M) damage in agriculture, adding burden to the same families who are still reeling from the impact of super typhoon Lawin (Haima) in 2016.

“Every child deserves a decent house to go home to, a chance to go to school and to be protected from the impact of any disaster. By complementing the government’s efforts in empowering their parents to bounce back from their losses, we are also helping ensure these children’s well-being,” shares Executive Director Rommel Fuerte.

World Vision is committed to continue working alongside different stakeholders to support Ompong-hit families in their recovery through shelter and livelihood interventions. The organization aims to reach at least 10,000 families or 50,000 individuals through its on-going relief efforts.