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Philippines

Philippines: IFRC network mid-year report, January - June 2023 (14 December 2023)

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OVERALL PROGRESS

Implementation of the 2023 unified plan has been progressing well.
Significant achievements have been made in the Flood Resilience Alliance Project. Several programmes have been successfully completed, including training of volunteers and staff members. The Philippine Red Cross Society has been trained in the utilization of the Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) tool, as well as integrating the FRMC process into its comprehensive community-based disaster risk reduction programme. The Philippine Red Cross has successfully conducted urban community studies, completing the FRMC assessment in different areas.

Additionally, communities have begun implementing interventions such as community-based disaster risk reduction and management trainings, first aid trainings, environmental management awareness seminars, tree planting activities and community-based health and first aid trainings.

From January to June 2023, the accomplishments have extended to six communities in Pasig and Pateros. These communities have successfully formulated a community-based early warning system plan, with facilitation from the Philippine Red Cross’ Disaster Management Service. The achievement marks a significant step towards enhancing the preparedness and resilience of these communities in the face of flood-related hazards. A Memorandum of Agreement between local government units and chapters was signed to ensure that flood resilience activities will be adapted by the local government units for strengthening resilience programming and replication.

Under the Greening Disaster Risk Reduction Project, three communities participated in a peer-to-peer learning visit during which the best practices and challenges of a model community were presented. The learnings were integrated into the implementation plan for three communities in Bohol Chapter. These include maintenance of nurseries, formulation of a monitoring tool, and a coordination mechanism.

In the area of health, the Philippine Red Cross has renewed its partnership with the Philippine Medical Association and has engaged in activities with Philippine Nurses Association and the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society Foundation Inc., to ensure they can be mobilized as part of Philippine Red Cross health volunteers during large-scale disasters or epidemics.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) supported the Philippine Red Cross, in coordination and collaboration with other health partners (WHO, UNICEF and other local and international agencies), to promote the works of the National Society in public health emergencies. In addition, IFRC supported the Philippine Red Cross in the mobilization of health volunteers during vaccination campaigns organized by the Department of Health and other community-based health programmes particularly during COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization programmes.

Philippine Red Cross has enabled health volunteers to become vaccination champions and influencers to support the government on increasing vaccination compliance and trust in high risks communities.

Other important activities that took place include, health information drives, vaccination services through the operationalization of vaccination centers, deployment of vaccination buses and mobilization of vaccination teams for COVID-19 and routine immunization. The number of doses administered by the Philippine Red Cross, and the number of vaccinated individuals will be determined and reflected in the next reporting period. Philippine Red Cross conducted 158 community ‘health caravans’ providing communities with medical services such as medical consultations, provision of medicines, basic health screening, and health promotion activities. From January to June 2023, the health caravans reached 37,701 individuals in 160 communities.

A total of 14,032 people, including children, received psychosocial support under the Emergency Appeal (MDROH045 Typhoon Rai) from the Philippine Red Cross, supported by IFRC.

The National Society provided 3,249,732 litres of safe and potable water to communities affected by disasters such as floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and fires. The deployment of water tankers, water bladders and setting up of water collection points was supported by IFRC, American Red Cross, and other local partners of the National Society. Enhancement of the National Society’s chapter capacity on asset inventory, deployment simulation, repair and maintenance of water treatment units were carried out for 10 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) hubs in Luzon to ensure a fast and effective WASH response. The replenishment of water distribution accessories and deployment kits was also conducted.

Philippine Red Cross successfully installed, constructed and rehabilitated 27 sanitation facilities in schools, public spaces and hospitals in Batangas, Davao, Pampanga, Quezon City, Manila, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, Pangasinan, and Surigao Del Norte. These facilities include hand washing and latrines that are supported by IFRC, Netherlands Red Cross, and private organizations such as the Automotive Association of the Philippines. The National Society also ensured that shelter projects in Cebu and Bohol for Typhoon Odette recovery have appropriate WASH facilities.
Philippine Red Cross has an ongoing initiative on construction of material recovery facilities in Cagayan De Oro,
Zamboanga City, Manila, and Navotas supported by Netherlands Red Cross and Spanish Red Cross.

With the support of Canadian Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross and German Red Cross, the Philippine Red Cross conducted a series of capacity building activities. These included training of trainers on Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation, as well as Children Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation, under which 65 facilitators were successfully trained nationwide. The community-based WASH programmes of Philippine Red Cross were able to reach 229 communities during the first half of 2023.