Family Navigates Loss, Fear, and Recovery in Sarangani 

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The last time she experienced an earthquake of this scale was in the early years of her marriage. Today, Domana Sagli is 83 years old and the eldest in a household shared by four families, including many of her grandchildren. Since the earthquake struck Sarangani, she has not been able to sleep. With limited mobility, she is confined to her home, overcome by dizziness and fear each time the ground begins to shake. 

In photo: Domana Sagli, 83 years-old, sits in front of the house she has lived in for 30 years (Photo by Ana Nico Clement for Action Against Hunger)

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Sarangani and nearby areas on the 8th of June 2026 in Mindanao caused widespread destruction, damaging homes, triggering landslides, and cutting off entire communities. Continuous aftershocks and heavy rains have further compounded risks, particularly for remote and already vulnerable populations.  

Her son, Nalio, was tending to his farm when the earth, so familiar to him, began to tremble. Putting aside his own fear, he rushed down the mountain to reach his family. Together, they watched as the hill in front of their home crumbled in a landslide that has permanently altered the landscape. Even now, aftershocks and rains continue to trigger soil erosion, making the land increasingly unstable. For families like the Saglis, years of increasing flooding and environmental degradation had already made their surroundings more fragile, amplifying the impact of the disaster. 

 

In photo: View from the Sagli family’s settlement where the landslide has taken away parts of their farming land. (Photo by Ana Nico Clement for Action Against Hunger)

The family has lived on this land for 30 years but over time, the risks have grown. Each year, the water level rises higher, sometimes reaching their home. 

 “Last year, the water level reached our knees. Our comfort room was washed away,” Nalio recalls. “This time, most of the damage was to our trees.” 

When he returned to check on his crops, the losses were clear. 

 “The crops are damaged. I lost about 200 banana trees. We don’t know how we will keep working. Our livelihood is what will suffer the most.” 

With crops destroyed and income disrupted, accessing sufficient food has become increasingly difficult. 

In photo: Inside the kitchen of the Sagli family home. (Photo by Ana Nico Clement for Action Against Hunger)

 

“We have not received any food so far, so we buy at the store and ask to pay later on,” the family shares.

 

In photo: Domana (right) and Nalio (left) Sagli, mother and son, around a table in their home in Purok Malaygang, Barangay Sapu Masla, Malapatan, Sarangani. (Photo by Ana Nico Clement for Action Against Hunger)

Their situation is further complicated by the isolation of Purok Malaygang, home to the Blaan indigenous community. Normally accessible by crossing a bridge, the area has been cut off since the earthquake destroyed this vital connection. For several days, the passage was not possible, and the few nearby markets remained closed. It has been difficult for families to move and for humanitarian assistance to reach them. 

With funding from the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid through the ACCESS consortium’s rapid response mechanism, Action Against Hunger and the Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP) are reaching communities to deliver food kits to the Sagli family and other affected households. Designed to provide immediate life-saving assistance during crises, ACCESS enables rapid support to communities facing sudden shocks, while laying out the groundwork for continued recovery assistance. 

In photo: Action Against Hunger’s ACCESS Emergency Response team member presents the food kit to the family. (Photo by Ana Nico Clement for Action Against Hunger)

The delivery of food brings a moment of relief and hope to a family doing its best to cope with compounding shocks. But recovery will take time. For the Sagli family, it is not only about rebuilding what was lost but learning to live with the uncertainty of a landscape that continues to shift beneath them. 

Nalio describes the psychological toll: 

“Yesterday, there was a big aftershock when I went back. I almost jumped from the trauma. I am still terrified every time I feel it again.” 

Children are also struggling to cope. 

“When they experience aftershocks, they don’t know where to go and run away.” 

These reactions highlight the urgent need for mental health and psychosocial support, particularly for children and older people who are among the most affected. Action Against Hunger is prepared to respond to these needs and support affected communities in their recovery. 

Their experience reflects that of many families across affected areas, where loss, fear, and uncertainty continue in the days following the quake. Beyond immediate food shortages, communities face compounded challenges, including loss of livelihoods, unsafe living conditions, limited access to markets and safe drinking water, and increasing psychosocial distress. 

As aftershocks persist and access remains fragile, sustained support will be critical. Action Against Hunger remains on the ground in Sarangani, working alongside communities to ensure that recovery reaches even the most isolated, supporting those like the Sagli family, not only to meet immediate needs, but to regain a sense of security. 

In photo: Sagli family opening the contents of their food kits. The landslide can be observed in the background (Photo by Ana Nico Clement for Action Against Hunger).

 

About the response: 

ACCESS is a European Union Humanitarian Aid-funded project serving the most affected and underserved communities in the Philippines, where chronic armed conflict, natural hazards, recurrent displacement, and intensifying climate-related risks continue to threaten lives and livelihoods. It is implemented by a consortium of 14 local and international organizations: ACCORD, Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), Humanity & Inclusion Philippines, Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN), Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development Advocates, Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP), Oxfam Pilipinas, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN), Plan International Pilipinas, Save the Children Philippines, United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD), and United Youth of the Philippines – Women (UnYPhil-Women).  

Written by: Ana Nico Clement
Edited by: Joyce Sandajan

Teaching for the Community, inspired by the Community: A Teacher’s Commitment in a Flood-Prone Community

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TALITAY, DATU MONTAWAL — At 28, Hasna Alilaya volunteers as a teacher in the same remote barangay where she grew up. She lives a simple life with her husband, Norodin, and their young child, finding comfort and security in their modest home within a small, close-knit community. Flooding caused by Typhoon Nando (internationally named Ragasa) disrupted their daily routines, making it even more difficult for the family that is already struggling to make ends meet, to access supplies and seek support from nearby communities.

When Typhoon Nando affected the province of Bukidnon, many low-lying areas were impacted, including Maguindanao del Sur. Heavy rainfall caused the Pulangi River, which is Bukidnon’s major river system and a primary tributary of the Rio Grande de Mindanao, to overflow, resulting in downstream flooding in Maguindanao del Sur. In the Municipality of Datu Montawal, which consists of 11 barangays, Barangay Talitay was among the most affected. Floodwaters rose above head level, submerging Hasna’s home and destroying household belongings, as well as key materials she used for teaching.

Flooding has become a recurring challenge in Hasna’s community. In some months, flooding can occur up to four times. Over the years, these incidents have intensified, resulting in greater damage to homes and livelihoods and increasing the strain on daily life.

In photos: Flooding experienced by Hasna’s community in Sitio Pibpulangian in Datu Montawal. (Photo courtesy of Integrated Mindanaoans Association for Natives (IMAN)

While Hasna’s community is already used to frequent floods, Typhoon Nando brought an entirely different scale of destruction. Unlike previous floods that were usually confined to certain pockets of the sitio and receded within days, Nando inundated the entire area. Floodwaters remained for almost two weeks, submerging homes, pathways, and sources of livelihood for an extended period. The prolonged flooding left families with little time to recover between rising waters and deepened the damage to already fragile living conditions.

The intensity of the flooding was worsened by the collapse of several riverbanks, which caused the water to spread wider and surge deeper into the community. Houses made of light materials were among the hardest hit, with some structures partially damaged and others completely swept away. For residents, the flood brought by Nando was unlike anything they had previously experienced, leaving visible destruction and long-term consequences for safety and shelter.

The impact was felt by every household in the area. All 635 families, representing 100 percent of the sitio’s population, were affected by Typhoon Nando. While a small number of families with relatives outside the barangay were able to temporarily relocate, most had no alternative shelter and were forced to stay in their homes despite the risks posed by rising waters and unstable structures.

In photo: Flooding experienced by Hasna’s community in Sitio Pibpulangian in Datu Montawal. (Photo courtesy of Integrated Mindanaoans Association for Natives (IMAN)

This took a major toll on Hasna’s household. Hasna’s husband, Norodin, earns a living as a fisherfolk, with daily income typically ranging from 100 to 150 pesos (around 1.5 to 2 euros), and only rarely reaching 300 to 500 pesos (4 to 7 euros). Norodin’s income is highly dependent on weather conditions, making the family particularly vulnerable during flooding. According to him, fishing becomes nearly impossible when water levels rise, further limiting their ability to meet daily needs.

In photo: Flooding experienced by Hasna’s community in Sitio Pibpulangian in Datu Montawal. (Photo courtesy of Integrated Mindanaoans Association for Natives (IMAN)

Aside from this, Hasna’s community is among the most remote areas in the municipality. Sitio Pibpulangian in Barangay Talitay is not an island, but it is encircled by the Pulangi River, leaving boat travel as the only reliable way in and out of the area. Reaching the sitio requires an almost hour-long pump boat ride, with transportation costs ranging from 200 to 300 pesos (a little more than 2–4 euros) one way and 500 to 600 pesos (around 7–8.5 euros) for a round trip. This amount is nearly equivalent to what Hasna’s husband earns in a day.

Because of the family’s limited income, Hasna rarely travels outside the barangay. Instead, she often relies on neighbors or acquaintances who are already going to the market to purchase essential items on her behalf, allowing her to manage daily expenses despite their isolation.

“It is difficult to see the damage to belongings and livelihoods in our community. This situation makes daily life more challenging for many families,” Hasna recalled.

Valuing education amid crisis

Nearly two years ago, Hasna made the decision to become a volunteer teacher, not out of ambition, but out of necessity. In their remote community, she was the only one who was able to finish high school. She could not bear to see children miss out on learning simply because the nearest school was too far and too difficult to reach. What began as a small effort to help soon became a responsibility she chose to carry every day.

Each morning, Hasna teaches around 60 learners from Grades 1 to 5. She handles multiple grade levels at once, moving between lessons and age groups in a single day. Classes are held in a small makeshift annex school, where space is limited, and resources are scarce. Some children sit on borrowed chairs, while others hold classes inside the mosque when the classroom can no longer accommodate everyone. Despite the heat, the crowding, and the lack of materials, the children continue to come. For many of them, Hasna is their only access to education.

In photo: Hasna is a volunteer teacher at the Lower Bagoinged Elementary School Extension and has been serving for more than two years. Aside from her teaching duties, she also sells goods in various stores to help support her family’s daily needs.
Photo by: Datoal Mangadad- Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN) Inc.

The alternative is a journey that few young learners can manage. Reaching the nearest main school requires an hour-long pump boat ride and nearly two hours on foot. During the rainy season and periods of flooding, the journey becomes unsafe or impossible. This reality is why Hasna continues to teach in the sitio. What matters is keeping education within reach for children who would otherwise be left behind.

In photo: Lower Bagoenged Elementary School- Annex.
This is the annex school where Hasna Alilaya teaches as a volunteer teacher.
Photo by: Hadjara Umpong- Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN) Inc.

Unfortunately, teaching in Sitio Pibpulangian comes with constant challenges. Some learners miss classes because they do not have basic school supplies. Others arrive at school hungry, unable to focus on lessons. During harvest season, many children are absent for days at a time as they help their families in the fields.

Security concerns have also shaped daily life. The community lies at the far edge of Barangay Talitay, close to Sitio Tukananes in Barangay Dalgan, where terrorist-related bombings and airstrikes occurred from December 2023 to January 2024. Hasna remembers nights filled with fear, families evacuating in haste, and the uncertainty of not knowing when it would be safe again. Even then, she chose to stay. She chose to teach.

Supporting teachers and learners through ACCESS

In the aftermath of the flooding, support through the ACCESS project, funded by the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, helped bridge the gaps Hasna had long been navigating as a volunteer teacher. Through the joint efforts of the Integrated Mindanaoans Association for Natives (IMAN) and Action Against Hunger, all affected households in the community received assistance, including education-focused support for teachers and learners.

Phot courtesy of Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN)

The Learners’ Kits have also made a visible difference. “With the complete sets of school supplies, the children are more eager to come to class. They are proud to bring their own notebooks and pencils to school. The kits have also helped our parents, who often struggle with daily expenses, and made it easier for the children to stay in class instead of staying home or helping out in the fields,” Hasna shared. In a place where education is fragile and easily disrupted, these simple tools have helped sustain Hasna’s efforts and keep learning alive in the community.

“With the complete sets of school supplies, the children are more eager to come to class. They are proud to bring their own notebooks and pencils to school.”

In photo: These are the teachers Kit and Back to School distributed to the Teachers, Volunteer Teacher and Learners.
Photo by: Hadjara Umpong- Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN) Inc.

According to Hasna, receiving a Teacher’s Kit was a meaningful support to her work as a teacher, as it helped strengthen her teaching activities at the annex school. While she also receives learning materials from her mother school, Lower Bagoenged Elementary School, the additional supplies complemented existing resources and allowed her to better respond to the needs of her learners. She expressed her appreciation for the added support, noting how it enhanced her ability to conduct daily lessons.

“I am grateful for the ACCESS project. The support has helped address some of the challenges we previously faced due to the lack of basic teaching materials. With the Teacher’s Kit, we are better equipped to carry out our teaching responsibilities,” Hasna recalled.

In photo: Students with their Learner’s Kit from ACCESS (Photo courtesy of Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN)

The assistance extended beyond Hasna herself. With access to adequate learning materials, children became more motivated to attend classes, even after repeated disruptions caused by flooding. For a community where education is often the first casualty of crisis, the support helped restore routine, reinforce learning, and sustain hope for both teachers and learners alike.

ACCESS is a European Union Humanitarian Aid-funded project serving the most affected and underserved communities in the Philippines, where chronic armed conflict, natural hazards, recurrent displacement, and intensifying climate-related risks continue to threaten lives and livelihoods. It is implemented by a consortium of 14 local and international organizations: ACCORD, Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), Humanity & Inclusion Philippines, Integrated Mindanaons Association for Natives (IMAN), Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development Advocates, Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP), Oxfam Pilipinas, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN), Plan International Pilipinas, Save the Children Philippines, United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD), and United Youth of the Philippines – Women (UnYPhil-Women).  

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Storms, Scarcity, Strength: A Family’s Story from an IP Community in Pampanga

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In the Aeta community of Sitio Banaba, survival has always meant carrying heavy loads up steep slopes, gathering food from the mountains, and stretching every peso to buy rice at triple its price in town. But everything worsened after the series of storms in July 2025, when Pampanga declared a state of calamity due to widespread flooding and blocked roads.

“When the rains didn’t stop, everything flooded,” shares 70-year-old Ebyang Canduli. “The roads turned into mud. Trees fell. A small landslide had blocked the road going to the town proper. There were rocks and debris, and the dirt road became very muddy. We couldn’t go to the town at all.”

The successive impacts of Tropical Cyclones Bising, Crising, Dante, and Emong, combined with the intensified southwest monsoon, affected hundreds of barangays and submerged low-lying lying communities. For remote sitios like Banaba—already isolated by uphill terrain and unpaved roads—the blockages meant no food, no access to the market, and no income for days.

The Canduli family lives in one household composed of Ebyang; her long-time partner Ide (50); her mother Sylvia (80); her youngest daughter Batic (22), and Batic’s partner and one year-old child. Ebyang’s son Bernabe (27) lives nearby with his wife and their two small children.

In photo: Ebyang and her family stand outside their home in Sitio Banaba, Barangay Sapang Uwak in Porac, Pampanga. (Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)

During Typhoon Emong, Ebyang and her family sought refuge in the silong, the small two- to three-foot open space beneath their raised house on stilts. The winds were so strong that they feared the entire structure would be blown away, and that cramped area felt like the safest place they could stay. They remained there overnight until the storm finally weakened. When they emerged, they found their home, made mostly of wood, bamboo, and other light materials, partially damaged, with their entire kitchen almost gone.

In photo: Bernard sits on the ladder leading up to his parents’ house. Behind him is the small crawl space where his mother, sister, niece and nephew hid during the typhoon. (Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)

For Ebyang, the damage left by Emong was not just another repair to face but a reminder of how exposed their family remains each time a disaster strikes. The storm brought back memories of previous hardships, shaping the story of how they came to live where they are now.

Ebyang’s family was originally from Sitio Batis in Sapang Uwak but were relocated years ago when the land was sold and later developed. “Life became harder in Sitio Banaba,” Ebyang recalls. “There was no cement, no road. My father would carry banana hearts just to feed us. Sometimes, we didn’t eat for days,” said Bernabe.

In photo: Ebyang and her family stand inside their home in Sitio Banaba, Barangay Sapang Uwak in Porac, Pampanga. (Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)

The family has survived many crises—from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, which forced them to evacuate to Nueva Ecija for three years, to regular typhoons that destroy their crops and worsen hunger. But July 2025 felt different—the storms completely cut them off from everyone.

Work that begins before sunrise

Even before the storms, food scarcity was a part of daily life for Ebyang and her family.

“Rice here is very expensive—300 pesos for just a few scoops,” she explains. Health workers rarely reach their sitio, and children’s check-ups are irregular, making access to basic care a constant challenge.

The family’s main source of income comes from selling what they grow, such as avocados, when they are ready to harvest. Sometimes, Bernabe and his father take on labor jobs planting or doing other work on the land of non-IP families in the community. From this, they would earn around 300 pesos a day, which is less than five euros, if work is available. This, however, was not regular employment, and they would only go when someone called on them to work.

Their closest thing to steady work is harvesting puso ng saging or banana hearts. “Our regular work is collecting banana hearts, but it is very difficult because the trees are far up in the mountains, near Mount Pinatubo,” Ebyang explains. The trek can take up to five hours through overgrown trails, where snakes are a constant threat. “Sometimes it takes us the whole day to fill a sack, and we skip meals just to have enough time to gather them.”

“After the storms, the trail going there was too slippery, but we still went—because the children needed to eat,” Ebyang adds. Even after a full day of walking, searching, and carrying heavy sacks, the family earns only 200 to 400 pesos (three to six euros), that is if they are able to sell them. Buyers sometimes do not even come, as motorcycles struggle to navigate the rocky, steep, and muddy terrain of barangay Sapang Uwak, specifically, since Sitio Banaba is further up the barangay.

Many days, the family survives on taro, sweet potatoes, or bananas. Breakfast is often skipped, and meat or fish is a rare luxury. When they run out of food entirely, they borrow rice from neighbors. When others run out, they lend whatever little they have in return, an unspoken system of mutual survival that keeps the community going.

Their second-hand motorcycle, which Bernabe saved for three years to buy, is their lifeline. Repairs are frequent and costly, but it allows them to reach town whenever they manage to earn even a little money from selling harvested crops. During good months, their avocado trees can bring in up to 5,000 pesos, or around 73 euros, but this only happens once a year. Most days, earnings barely cover food.

In photo: Bernard, Ebyang’s son, with his motorcycle which he spent three years saving up for. Despite the maintenance costs that they have invested in it, they put high value on this motorcycle as it serves as their main transportation to go to and from the barangay. (Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger.

“We want to save for our house,” Bernabe says. “Our bamboo and wood posts rot every few years because of the storms. I dream of having even half of it cemented so we don’t have to rebuild again and again.”

With food on the table, they can focus more on their future

When ACCESS, through Action Against Hunger, reached Sitio Banaba as part of the emergency response funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), it was the much-needed assistance the community received after the July calamities, according to Ebyang and her son, Bernabe.

In photo: Ebyang and her family stand outside their home in Sitio Banaba, Barangay Sapang Uwak in Porac, Pampanga. (Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)

“That’s why we are thankful,” says Ebyang. “They reached us even if our sitio is very far. It means a lot to be remembered.”

On the morning of the payout, Ebyang, Bernabe, and Silvia arrived early at the financial service provider. After receiving the cash assistance, they went straight to the nearby market to buy food supplies. With the support, the family was able to purchase vegetables, meat, eggs, sugar, coffee, and half a sack of rice.

Ebyang did not spend the entire amount in one trip. She expects the food to last nearly three weeks and plans to return to the market when it runs out. At every store, she carefully kept the receipts. One vendor even remarked that it was the first time they had seen Ebyang and her family buy so many food supplies.

In photo: Ebyang buys rice in the nearby market after receiving the cash assistance form ACCESS. (Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)

“This is the first time in so long that we’ve been able to buy this much food,” Bernabe says. “Now, whatever we earn, we can save for house repairs or for the children’s needs.”

With food no longer their daily worry, the family can plan for the future—whether it is fixing their home, saving for school expenses, or preparing for the next storm season.

For the Candulis and their neighbors, the ACCESS assistance meant having the essentials they needed to get through a difficult period after months of isolation and limited resources.

ABOUT THE RESPONSE

The ACCESS Emergency Response provided urgent support to communities affected by the successive impacts of Tropical Cyclones Crising, Dante, Emong, and the intensified southwest monsoon in July 2025. Across Bataan, Pampanga, and Occidental Mindoro, the response delivered water, sanitation, and hygiene support; multi-purpose cash assistance; and protection services. It prioritized the most vulnerable families, especially Indigenous Peoples in remote and underserved areas.

ACCESS—Assisting the Most Vulnerable Communities and Schools Affected by Complex Emergencies in Accessing Quality and Timely Humanitarian and Disaster Preparedness Services—is a multi-year and multi-organization humanitarian initiative implemented by ACCORD, Action Against Hunger, CARE Philippines, Humanity & Inclusion Philippines, Oxfam Pilipinas, People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network, Plan International Pilipinas, and Save the Children Philippines.