One of the 60 Beneficiaries Who Lost Their Home and Livelihood Due to #TyphoonRolly Received 5,200 pesos As Part of Our Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance

#StoriesfromtheField: “We were still doing okay financially even though the pandemic slowed our business down, but when Typhoon Rolly happened, I feel like we went back to zero,” said 58-year old Maria Tipo whose community in Barangay Guinsaanan of Baras, Catanduanes was greatly affected by #TyphoonRolly (Goni) last November 2020.

Maria and her husband used to live along the shore of Barangay Guinsaanan. Together, they managed to get by through their sari-sari store which was then frequented by tourist who were visiting Binurong Point, a popular tourist in the area. After losing both their home and their livelihood, they are now temporarily residing in a makeshift home they built from scratch in a small space beside her grandmother’s lot. With no source of income, they rely on relief packages for food and other basic needs.

“There are times when I have trouble sleeping at night because I worry, if the handouts stop what will happen to us?,” said Maria. She now has to work for the both of them since her husband had become partially paralyzed after suffering from stroke in 2019.

On January 27, Maria was one of the 60 beneficiaries from Barangay Guinsaanan who received 5,200 pesos as part of our multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA). This is one of the key programs under our 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗮𝘆, which is co-implemented by CARE Philippines. The project is made possible through the funding of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

The goal of the MPCA is to enable typhoon-affected families like Maria’s to meet immediate food and basic humanitarian needs. Maria hopes for stability for her family in the coming days. Unfortunately, only a few days after the distribution, Maria’s husband passed away due to health reasons. Before his passing, Maria shared that her hopes for their family in the coming days was to build another house. “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀.”

(Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)