72-year old farmer hopes to recover from lost livelihoods after Typhoon Odette

SURIGAO DEL NORTE — A few days before Typhoon Odette (internationally named Rai) made landfall in the Philippines, Luzviminda’s youngest son and his family moved in to stay with her home in Barangay Day-asan, Surigao City. “My son with his wife and child just returned to Siargao from Manila with the hope to raise their family here,” she shared.

At 72 years old, Luzviminda and her family make a living through coconut farming. This was brought to an abrupt end when Typhoon Odette visited the island. They are now solely relying on the help given by different agencies and the Surigao City local government.

Overall damages of Typhoon Odette on agriculture have been reported to cost around 17.7 billion pesos in total according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC). Experts have stated that it might take approximately five years for coconut farmers like Luzviminda to fully recover from the disaster. In that span of time, Luzviminda hopes they will receive continuous support as they restore their livelihood and recover from their losses.

“We’re grateful to Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian agencies,”

“We’re grateful to Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian agencies,” Luzviminda said as she thanked the team for the cash aid they received. This will minimize their family’s expenses in purchasing basic needs like food and water.

Luzviminda’s family is one of the 539 households in Barangay Day-Asan, Surigao City who received 5,150 pesos from the Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) of our Typhoon Odette Emergency Response funded by the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).