From One Calamity to the Next
We ended our earthquake-related relief operations in Cebu in late October but by early November, we had to jump back into relief operations mode. On November 4, Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi) made landfall in central Philippines, hitting parts of the islands of Cebu and Negros hard. The office was closed on November 4 as our home city of Bacolod lay in the predicted path of the storm. November 5 (Cinco de Noviembre) is a non-working holiday in Bacolod and the office was supposed to be closed. However, the NVC family was up during the wee hours preparing to for relief operations. Before dawn, a disaster relief team headed out to serve areas in Negros Occidental that were in dire need of supplies. Plans to head to Cebu on the 6th were set in place. Our disaster relief teams continued to bring aid to various sites in Negros and Cebu over the next several days.
Relief Goods Distribution
As we’ve been doing for several years, our relief goods are distributed in a unique way. We set out the goods as if in a supermarket. Then, a representative from each family goes “shopping at the store” but unlike a store, there’s no cashier at the end of the line. Representatives get to pick out what their families need and can even choose the brands they like. Even in such desperate circumstances, families still deserve to have the dignity of choice.
Our way of distributing relief goods also helps us save precious time since we don’t have to spend time re-packing. In addition to accepting donations in kind, we also buy relief goods. As much as possible, we buy them from establishments close to the community so that we can support local businesses. We also cut down on our carbon footprint because goods are delivered from nearby locations.
Nourishing the Body and Spirit
In stressful situations, a person’s nutritional needs increase. Because of this, we make sure to bring Mingo Meals for children when we go on our relief missions. However, we also need to recognize the emotional and mental health needs of the children. This is why we make sure to bring soft huggable stuffed toys on these missions. Studies show that hugging these toys can help children deal with stressful situations.
The Next Phase
After about a week of providing relief goods to families affected by Typhoon Tino, we observed two things. The first was increased assistance from the government and the private sector. In addition to that, families who had been staying in evacuation centers have begun to return to their homes. Because of these observations, we decided to transition to the next phases of our Typhoon Tino response: Rebuilding and Restoring. While relief goods will be provided in areas that still need them, we have begun providing families with the tools and materials to rebuild or repair their homes. Many homes were damaged or destroyed and with limited resources, we had to prioritize the ones most in need. An NVC team conducted ocular inspections of areas badly hit by the storm to determine which families to start with.
After Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, NVC provided families with a range of livelihood tools (boats, kitchen equipment, pedicabs, etc.) which allowed them to get back to work. After Typhoon Odette in 2021, we gave families tools and materials to repair their homes. With the assistance of our partners, we built small simple homes for those whose homes were completely gone or were beyond repair. These homes were small and simple, but they gave the families a safe place in which to rebuild their lives. We hope to help some Typhoon Tino survivors in the same way.
Rebuilding Homes
On November 14, we turned over building materials so that 23 families in Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB), Pontevedra in Negros Occidental will be able to repair or rebuild their homes. Home repair kits were given to 100 families in Brgy. Taloc, Bago City, also in Negros Occidental. 203 families in the barangay had lost their homes but our funds could only cover 100 so the recipients were chosen through a raffle. We chose to give light building materials instead of materials such as hollow blocks. Many of the families are living in areas that are not safe, and we hope that they can move to safer areas. The materials we have been turning over may easily be pulled out and transferred to new sites if families get relocated.
The team turned over more home repair kits since then and as of December 2, 209 families have received building materials so they can repair their homes.
Restoring Livelihood
On the morning of November 18, the NVC Typhoon Tino Response Team delivered building materials to the Bacong Farmers Association in Bacong, Negros Oriental. These materials will be used to repair the associations shed where they store their equipment and produce. A generous contribution from USA-based Cents for Innocents helped make this possible. Thank you for this gift of love!
Over the next few weeks, we distributed more tools of the trade such as welding tools, a motorcycle, cooking equipment and even a carabao and goats. With these, people can get back to earning a living.
Support for Typhoon Tino Survivors
Thank you to everyone who has helped us on our Typhoon Tino journey so far. If you wish to continue supporting our Typhoon Tino response, we would be very grateful.
Though we did not ask for any donations to kick off our Typhoon Tino response, two generous hearts sent in donations on the day of the storm. And once word got out that we were bringing aid to communities in need, more people reached out to us. Though floods may have wiped out many communities, we hope to start the healing process with an outpouring of love.
We thank those who have been supporting our typhoon relief operations. If you would like to support the next phases of our Typhoon Tino response, you may donate through our donation page: www.nvcfoundation-ph.org/donate/
There is an option on the donation page to donate through NVC USA. If you choose to do so, your donation will be acknowledged by a letter from NVC USA.
Donating Directly to NVC Foundation Philippines’ Accounts
Alternatively, you can transfer funds to one of our bank accounts:
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Account Name: Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation Inc. Current Account Number (Peso): 1320011147
Metrobank Account Name: Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation Inc. Current Account Number (Peso): 546-7-54600739-8 OR Current Account Number (Dollar): 546-2-54600893-7
Unionbank Account Name: Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation Inc. Current Account Number (Peso): 002790004359
Proper Accounting
To those who donate directly to NVC Foundation’s bank accounts, please send us a screenshot of your transaction slip and send it to info@nvcfoundation-ph.org so we can track your donation and acknowledge it properly. We issue donation invoices for these donations. Please let us know what name to write on your donation invoice. We will also need a city address (ex: Ana Reyes, NYC) for our records. Rest assured your data will be kept confidential. Thank you!
Tropical Depression Verbena
On November 24, Tropical Depression Verbena made landfall in Surigao del Sur and subsequently caused heavy rain and flooding in many parts of the Visayas. Places like Cebu and Negros that were still reeling from the effects of Typhoon Tino were hit hard.
NVC’s Typhoon Tino’s disaster response was still ongoing when Verbena hit. Because of that, we merged our relief operations for Typhoon Tino and Tropical Depression Verbena.
On November 25, the disaster response team visited two evacuation centers in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. The families staying at there were part of the preemptive evacuation that took place the day before. We distributed Mingo to the children at the centers.
A Flurry of Gifts of Love
The NVC Disaster Response Team ramped up the gift giving as the year drew to a close. The team members became Santas and Santa’s helpers, distributing gifts of love like home repair kits, livelihood packages and toys. On the final day of 2025, the NVC family celebrated with 546 farmers and their families from Mailum, Bago City, Negros Occidental. There were lots of grocery items and toys to choose from. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!
