SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco together with San Francisco-based non-profit group Pilipino Senior Resource Center (PSRC), UP Visayas and Holy Name University of Bohol, held webinars on February 3 and 4 to encourage the Filipino diaspora in the Pacific Northwest to support the “Build Back Better” framework in the wake of Super Typhoon Odette’s devastation in the Philippines last December.
“Given the problem of cyclical natural disasters in the Philippines, there is a need to prioritize building sturdier and more disaster-resilient shelter and infrastructure in our communities,” Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer said in his remarks.
Ferrer encouraged the Filipino diaspora to support their families back in the Philippines to build better and stronger structures that could withstand disasters.
He noted the contributions of 4 million Filipino Americans in the US who sent over $11 billion in cash remittances to the Philippines of the more than $33 billion total cash remittances from overseas Filipinos all over the world despite the pandemic in 2020.
The webinars organized by PSRC President Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez III in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration and US Agency for International Development, gathered over 250 participants consisting of local residents from Iloilo and Bohol, local government officials, including disaster risk reduction and management officers, architects’ associations, members of the academe, non-profit organizations, and Filipino American organizations from Washington state, Oregon, Utah and Northern California, among others.
Local government executives presented the extent of typhoon Odette’s destruction and underscored the need for communities to cooperate with the local government, international institutions, and civic organizations to implement “build back better” plans.
Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap noted that over 200,000 houses were destroyed, and 85,000 others partially damaged in the province in the aftermath of the super typhoon. The typhoon ravaged through communities and settlements that were immediately submerged in water.
“With century-old communities destroyed, the question now is how to re-engineer and build back these communities,” Yap said, adding that there is an urgent need to rebuild resiliency centers in danger zones. He noted that evacuation centers were not spared from the massive destruction wrought by typhoon Odette.
Iloilo Mayor Jerry Trenas presented the city’s data warning systems and disaster management measures, such as pre-disaster recovery planning, provision of livelihood projects, localization of risk reduction measures, among others.
IOM consultants presented model structures and houses that could withstand strong typhoons and accommodate the immediate needs of families while rural bank LifeBank presented micro-finance programs that can help families avail themselves of loans to rebuild sturdier houses.
Typhoon Odette struck the Philippines last December 16, 2021, killing 409 people and leaving $669 million (approximately PHP34 billion) worth of damaged homes, agriculture, and infrastructure.
The United Nations calls for $107.2 million (PHP5.5 billion) aid to the Philippines to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of typhoon-hit communities for the next six months under the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities-based plan.
The United Nations calls for $107.2 million (PHP5.5 billion) aid to the Philippines to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of typhoon-hit communities for the next six months under the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities-based plan.
Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer delivers his remarks in the “Global Forum on Iloilo Disaster Resiliency: The Role of Diaspora in Building Back Safer Communities with UP Visayas” on February 3 and “Global Filipino Forum on Bohol’s Disaster Risks and How can the Boholano Diaspora Help them Build Back Safer: Lessons from Super Typhoon Odette” on February 4.
Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap in “Global Filipino Forum on Bohol’s Disaster Risks and How Can the Boholano Diaspora Help them Build Back Safer: Lessons from Super Typhoon Odette” webinar on February 4
