This report was prepared by consultants contracted to Save the Children (SC) in Vietnam to conduct an external evaluation of SC's post-typhoon Ketsana Emergency Response and Recovery Programmes in Vietnam and the Philippines. The evaluation is a requirement from the Disaster Emergencies Committee (DEC) - the donor - and the report is based on findings from site visits (including meetings, interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) with key project beneficiaries, partners and stakeholders) to the project areas conducted in November and December 2010.

Situation Overview

- Landslides and flooding occurred in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes as a result of moderate to heavy rains that prevailed since early morning of 29 December 2010 due to tail-end of a cold front

Situation Overview

- Landslides and flooding occurred in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes as a result of moderate to heavy rains since early morning of 29 December 2010 due to tail-end of a cold front

- As of today, improved weather condition is prevailing in the following Bicol provinces: ALBAY -sunny & partly cloudy; CAMARINES NORTE- Cloudy with intermittent rainshowers; CAMARINES SUR - Cloudy; CATANDUANES - sunny & partly cloudy; MASBATE - rainy; and SORSOGON- cloudy.

- All national roads affected by flooding

Unfortunately, the fretful situation has caused the demise of 2 persons, who were later on identified by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as mother-and-son, Lolita and Antonio Dadap-ages 80 and 60, successively.

To date, a total of 991 families, or approximately 4,670 persons, were reportedly evacuated as PRC Albay Chapter

* Government popularity a risk to traditional support

* New Philippine military strategy focuses on social issues

By Manny Mogato

DAVAO CITY, Philippines, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Maoist rebels in the Philippines have come back to peace negotiations not to end their four-decade insurgency but to ensure they do not lose support and relevance to a popular government.

The Maoists' demands and talk of a strategic stalemate show a negotiated peace is unlikely, despite government optimism

Source: MDRRMCs and PDRRMCs through OCDRC V

Situation Overview

• Landslides and flooding occurred in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes as a result of moderate to heavy rains since early morning of 29 December 2010 due to tail-end of a cold front

Vicenç Fisas, Director of the School of Peace Culture, Universitat Aut=F2noma de Barcelona.

Confidence-building measures (CBM ) are those military actions, political, social, humanitarian, cultural, economic or diplomatic efforts to ease the tension between two opposing sides or opposing interests. CBM can be the basis of a peace process or complement other negotiation policies and it helps reduce negative stereotypes, calm things down and humanize the conflict.CBM also allows for a negotiation

IFRC's vision is to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies, with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering, and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.

In brief

Programme purpose: The disaster management programme focuses on strengthening disaster response and preparedness capacities of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) at the institutional level as well as

The Catholic priest celebrating the early morning Christmas mass was among those wounded, said military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Randolf Cabangbang.

Cabangbang said about 100 people were at the service in the main police base on the island of Jolo, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, a small Islamist militant group with ties to al Qaeda.