World Vision Continues Efforts in Philippines Flood Relief
Sixteen days after flooding destroyed homes, buried villages in mud and claimed over a thousand lives, conditions have improved little in the Infanta municipality of the Philippines' Quezon province. While continuous rains have hampered the clean-up work, the local government is working to clear the streets and unclog drains, hauling tons of mud and debris away.
To mobilize people into helping the local government speed up the cleaning process and get people on their feet again, World Vision--the Christian relief and development organization--has proposed a food-for-work program to be run in partnership with local government agencies and village councils.
Mayor Grace Filipina America, who recently met World Vision Asia-Pacific Regional Vice-President Lynn Arnold, welcomed World Vision's support and expressed gratitude for the organization’s continued relief efforts.
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“A long queue can still be seen at the municipal gymnasium, where relief organizations are distributing assistance,” World Vision reported. “Food supplies remain a problem in the municipality.”
The floods have also had a huge impact on businesses in the area. According to World Vision, “People on the streets are complaining about the stench of rotting rice, but non-food vendors have suffered as well.”
One resident said, “Our neighbor lost all his hardware supplies, which were delivered a few days before the flood struck.”
According to World Vision, more than 15,000 relief packs have been distributed by the agency. The Rapid Response Team, working double time, hopes to complete its distributions by Dec. 22.
World Vision Philippines currently has its relief operations in Quezon’s three municipalities: Infanta, Real and General Nakar.
