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As part of its rehabilitation program for Super Typhoon Yolanda survivors, the Catholic Church through the Archdiocese of Palo Relief and Rehabilitation Unit (Caritas Palo) handed over water system and rice post-harvest facilities amounting to P1.3 million in Barangay Dacay, Dulag town in Leyte Province.
According to Caritas Palo Director Fr. Al Cris Badana, these projects aimed to support and sustain the needs of the community after being hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
Badana explained the level II water system consisted of 17 tap stands strategically located around the community.
He added that they also provided rice post-harvest facilities such as rice mill, solar dryer and seed bank, which would benefit the clustered farmers of Barangay Dacay and the nearby Barangay Magsaysay.
Drinking faucets and hand washing facilities were also handed over to the elementary school in the same barangay.
“With these interventions, the residents will have access to clean and safe water, while rice farmers will be able to earn more,” the priest said.
He added that to ensure sustainability and avoid the dole-out mentality, the community also had its counterpart by providing the land for the rice post-harvest facilities as well as sweat equity during the construction.
Barangay Dacay is one of the worst-hit barangays by the super typhoon in Dulag, Leyte. Even before ‘Yolanda’ hit, the people already had difficult access to clean and safe water, travelling some two to five kilometers just to fetch water.
“This is the first time that our barangay will have easy access to clean and safe water since I was born and we are very thankful to Caritas Palo. This time it would be easy for us to fetch water since faucets are just near our houses”, 67-year old Dulag Barangay Captain Rosalinda Alicando said.
Caritas Palo previously provided the farmers in Dacay with rice threshers, sprayers, hand tractor, and various seedlings.
Aside from Dacay, the organization earlier provided rice post-harvest facilities to Barangay Santol and Level II water system to Barangay Tabangohay both in Alangalang town also in the same province.
Caritas Palo in partnership with National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines and Caritas Internationalis have been helping communities affected by ‘Yolanda’ through the provision of livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, ecosystem rehabilitation, capacity building, and disaster risk reduction.
In Leyte alone, it has been helping 20 barangays in 9 municipalities within the Archdiocese of Palo.
