Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy.
Central, Q.C. Telefax:
4264118 Tel.: 4264119 / 4267615
Ref: Princess Asuncion-Esponilla Mobile phone: 0908 1967450 http://urbanpoorassociates.blogspot.com/
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(Distribution of Plywood Floorings at San Jose District, Tacloban City)
20 March 2014. Urban Poor Associates (UPA)
together with Christian Aid provided 1000 families in 738 tents from Barangay
88, 89 and 90, San Jose District, Tacloban City of plywood floorings.
(Yolanda survivors in queue
for their plywood floorings)
Each
family will be given four pieces of marine plywood of ¾ inch thick and with a
length of 4x8 feet to use for their floorings while their relocation is still
unidentified. The fishermen who received the boats played a big part in
distributing the plywood in a spirit of Bayanihan.
(Fishermen who were given boats by the Holy Spirit Sisters
Assisted in the distribution of plywood.)
UPA,
an NGO that advocates housing rights, had been helping organize communities in
Barangay 88, 89 and 90 San Jose to help and respond with their needs. Since January,
several big meetings were held in the area together with the residents to find out
what is the life of people after Yolanda. Many of them suffered in tents
because of continuous rains, children were catching asthma and old people were
complaining of colds.
Alicia
Murphy, UPA Field Director said, “We first introduced the plywood flooring for
about three families. We saw that the children can eat, play and sleep on the
plywood and kept them dry. We believe that this is the solution now that we
could give to the people while they wait for final relocation.”
(Yolanda survivor showing off her new flooring.)
Murphy
added, “The family can also bring their plywood in their permanent shelter once
it is done. This is a solution for now, the people don’t want permanently
to stay near the ocean nor they do want to stay in a temporary house forever.”
Belinda
Guinoohan, resident of Barangay 90 and beneficiary of plywood flooring said, “I
am very excited with our new floorings. My husband will fix it for us. We will
now be able to sleep soundly at night.”
Guinoohan
added, “Our tent is a hope for most of us because it helps us dream again of
safe and permanent housing. Once you are inside our tent you will see on how
all the improvements have come from overseas it looks all the world come
together to help us. We are thankful for UPA because aside from material
assistance they helped us bring care to one another and asked us to be united
to claim what the government should do for all the victims of Yolanda.”
UPA
and its partners Christian Aid and Holy Spirit Sisters will help in the
recovery and reconstruction. Aside from temporary aid of plywood floorings, the
group have distributed 40 boats to fishermen last February and provided
nutritious snacks as a feeding program for about thousand children. In all this
endeavors, survivors were always consulted and asked their participation from boat
making to cooking of meals, in this way the community camaraderie is harnessed.
In
parting, Murphy said, “Our work here is basically to ensure that all Yolanda
survivors arrived at a more prosperous and safe life.”
(UPA Staff (L-R: Ivy Pagute, Jessa Margallo, Alicia Murphy and Denis Murphy) with Tacloban fishermen)
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