LocationsKorea, UNDP extend shelter assistance to typhoon-hit families in Bohol
March 13, 2023
Families affected by Super Typhoon Rai are living in evacuation and transition shelters for over a year now while waiting for permanent resettlement on safer grounds
TALIBON, BOHOL – Over a year since Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) made several landfalls in the Philippines, many families living in the coastal areas of Talibon, Bohol are still reeling from the devastation suffered from the typhoon. With support from the Republic of Korea, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines partnered with the Municipality of Talibon and the Province of Bohol to provide climate-resilient houses to selected families that have been staying in the evacuation site and transition shelters since the typhoon struck.
“Families living in danger zones like the island communities experienced most of the impacts of disasters. We have experienced extreme weather events in the Philippines repetitively and while we always find ways to rebuild and recover, we want to see more resilient communities that can, in the future, avoid similar damages,” said UNDP Philippines Climate Action Team Leader Floradema Eleazar.
The climate-resilient houses are designed to withstand the impacts of hazards such as typhoons and earthquakes to provide the affected families a safer and more durable housing that can last for generations. These will be funded through the USD 300,000 support from the Republic of Korea. The local government of Talibon is providing a four-hectare land within its resettlement program area at Phase 2, Barangay San Carlos, Talibon, Bohol. The local government committed also to providing potable water for each household.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado, Talibon Mayor Janette Garcia, UNDP Philippines Climate Action Team Leader Floradema Eleazar, and representatives of beneficiary families
One of the coastal towns in northern Bohol, Talibon and its island barangays were badly hit by Typhoon Rai. According to the Bohol Provincial Planning and Development Office, over 26,000 families were evacuated during and after the typhoon and more than 290,000 housing structures were damaged. The total number of damaged houses reached 17,500, reaching over PHP 135 million in losses.
Aside from the housing units, the selected beneficiaries, including women, will also be trained in designing and rebuilding their own houses with disaster-resilient designs. Since the onslaught of Super Typhoon Rai (Odette), UNDP Philippines has been helping selected affected areas in the country based on its needs-based approach in disaster recovery and resilience work.
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