Villar Cites Lessons from ‘Yolanda’ A Year After

Tacloban City — Senator Cynthia A. Villar underscored the ‘lessons’ Filipinos learned from the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that pummelled the Easter Visayas region in November last year.

“There were realizations we obtained from our experiences after typhoon Yolanda,” said Villar during the “Uma-ahon Initiative: One year after Yolanda” event with the theme “Building Back Better Farming and Fishing Communities” in Region 8.

The celebration was sponsored by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 8 to commemorate the first anniversary of the super tyhoon which claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala delivered a message in the Opening Program held at Eastern Visayas State University.

Alcala and Villar also led the distribution of certificates and simple tokens to local and international non government organizations and public offices which helped in the government’s relief and rehabilitation efforts.

In her Keynote Address, Villar noted that coconut farmers resorted to intercropping after 33 million coconut trees were damaged by the tragedy of this magnitude.

Coconut was the most affected crop, which robbed over a million farmers of their livelihood and income.

“But while waiting for the harvest period of coconut trees, they planted other crops,” said Villar as she related it will take six years before a coconut tree becomes productive.

In continuing to rise above the challenges, the coconut farmers and farmers engaged in the production of other crops opted to engage in other means of livelihood such as livestock or poultry-raising.

She said post-disaster recovery comes in stages or phases- immediate, short-term, medium-term and long-term.

“But a year after, the focus is more on the medium to long-term and what I cited about the intercropping of coconut farmers is just one of them. And this also includes livelihood diversification, disaster risk reduction, environmental resilience and tapping alternative agricultural procedures and processes,” she said.

“That is among the so-called “silver linings behind the dark clouds” brought about by the devastation,” further stated the Senate Agriculture and Food committee chairperson.

Villar said the agriculture sector is the worst battered when the strong winds and storm surges as high as a two-storey building ravaged the poor farming and fishing communities.

“There are various estimates that were reported, but it easily reached more than P31 billion (agri damages in the Visayas alone)… The losses are really staggering. For an agricultural country as ours, and for a region that is highly dependent on agriculture, the losses are really staggering,” stressed Villar.

The senator said there is no question farmers and fishermen need to be prioritized since majority of the disaster-hit communities heavily rely on agriculture. It was really important for them to get back to their farms and to the sea.

“The sooner that happen, the sooner their lives and that of their families will have a semblance of normalcy. Thus we distributed motorized fishing boats and farm implements like vegetable seeds, coconut seedlings and organic fertilizer on top of food packs and roofing materials they urgently needed that time,” said Villar.

She thanked the DA for affording her the chance to partner with them in their rehabilitation efforts to areas affected by Yolanda and other typhoons.

“We make a good partnership,” said Villar, adding that the agriculture department and its attached agencies provided agriculture-related assistance like farm implements and inputs to farmers and motor boats to fisherfolks.

Last August 31, they had gone to Region 8 in Guiuan, Quinapondan, Gen. Mc Arthur, Llorente, Hernani, Mercedes, Balangiga, Giporlos, Lawaan in Eastern Samar; and Marabut and Basey in Western Samar.

But barely a month after Yolanda, and last December 2013, they already went around Leyte and provided support and help to affected communities like Dulag, Julita, Mayorga at Tanauan. Last January, they were at Leyte, Leyte; Calubian, Tabango, Villaba and Eastern Samar in Hernani, Llorente, Gen. Mc Arthur, Quinapondan and Guiuan. They also went to some areas in Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo to give assistance.

In his capacity as CEO of Vista Land, her husband, former Senate President Manny Villar, also visted some areas in Region 8 like Ilo-ilo (Ajuy, Lemery, Passi, Concepcion, Sara, Estancia, Carles and Balasan).

“We saw first-hand the destruction and death brought about by Yolanda. The scenario was really bleak. Many were then asking where will they start and how will they begin to rebuild their lives,” said the three-term congresswoman of Las Piñas.

“Over the next few months, we came back and provided more assistance when and where needed. Because the help required was really long-term and should be sustainable. It was not merely dole-outs. They were also given opportunities to work. The children, we helped repair classrooms and schools as well, so that like their parents, they can resume their normal lives and go back to their studies,” she related.

She lauded the local and provincial governments of Region 8 and their counterparts in the agriculture department, particularly Regional Field Office 8, for their dedication in rebuilding farming communities in the region, through their ‘Uma-ahon Initiative.” She also acknowledged the enormous support and assistance given by the international community and other countries.

While there are still a lot of things to do, Villar said things will be easier with the cooperation and collaborative efforts of all sector.

“Amid the losses of our loved ones and properties, we have to continue with our lives. We likewise need to focus on the lessons learned from the ever-strongest typhoon that struck the country.

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