Post-Typhoon Odette Community Rehabilitation Initiatives

(Photos By Fray Jorr Rabacal, OAR / Story By Georgene Quilaton-Tambiga)

“The beneficiaries will always have a source of income because of the ARCORES support to their livelihood which is seaweed culture. Even if they harvest the seaweeds, they can still immediately replace the spent materials and continue the culture process.” Fray Jorr Rabacal, OAR, briefly described the impact of the Post-Typhoon Odette Community Rehabilitation Initiatives of ARCORES International at the Town of Taytay, Palawan, Philippines.

Seaweed culture

A total of 14 families, across three barangays in the said town became beneficiaries and participants in the ARCORES initiatives on livelihood and housing repair that sought to help rehabilitate disaster-stricken communities.

The fisherfolk families of Barangay Silang were the prime recipients of seaweed culture materials that included ropes, nylon strings, plywood and straw strings. One beneficiary received assistance for the fishing boat engine which is also used for seaweed culture. It can be noted that the families use recycled plastic bottles for growing seaweeds.

Housing Repair

Meanwhile, five families, whose homes were destroyed by the lashing winds of Typhoon Odette (International Name: Rai) that hit the Philippine islands last December 17, 2021, received materials for housing repair. These families are in Barangays Casian and Maytegued at the same town.

Fray Rabacal added that even though beneficiaries were at first adamant of participating in the ARCORES initiatives, they eventually learned that by helping in the delivery of materials and in the repair of their fellow beneficiaries’ home, they were working towards communal rehabilitation that created a cycle of benefits for their coastal community.

Volunteers

Ten volunteers from the Parish of St. Isidore, Barangay Casian and the Chaplaincies of  Maytegued and Silang assisted Fray Rabacal in crossing the island-barangays to deliver the ARCORES initiatives. They helped in the purchasing and gather of materials and in educating the beneficiaries in working towards building sustainable yet disaster-resilient homes. The volunteers also assisted in setting up the seaweek culture off the coast of the Town of Taytay.