Philippines flooding emergency: SOS Children appeals for sponsors

Tropical Storm Washi hit northern Mindanao, which is unaccustomed to cyclones, flooding coastal cities on Friday night while people were asleep. The major ports of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were among the areas worst affected. Although the Philippines is hit by typhoons or tropical storms every year, Mindanao in the south is usually spared the worst of the damage.

According to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), 652 people were killed in eight provinces in the southern Mindanao region, and more than 800 are missing. "Our office was swamped with hundreds of requests to help find their missing parents, children and relatives," Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the PNRC, said. "We're helping coordinate the search with local government, army, police and even other aid agencies."

Floods washed away entire houses with families inside in dozens of coastal villages in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and tens of thousands of people have fled to higher ground. Mindanao's important agricultural sector has already been badly affected, as it is thought millions of tonnes of crops have been damaged. Northern Mindanao produces rice, the Philippines’ staple food, and is also home to pineapple and banana plantations.

Children are always the most vulnerable during emergencies and it is thought 50,000 children have been caught up in the flash flooding. Stagnant water can cause disease and in the longer-term children are at risk of hunger and malnutrition. 

The Philippines are struck by about 20 major storms every year but most of them take a more northerly track, hitting Luzon island. Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae battered the country within days of each other in September, leaving more than 100 people dead.

SOS Children's Villages Philippines

SOS Children has eight Children's Villages in the Philippines, including SOS Children's Village Davao, which is located on the island of Mindanao. Built in 1981 in the south of the island, the Village has 14 family houses, five SOS Youth Homes, and a Family Strengthening Programme which provides support and assistance to families living in the surrounding slum settlements. So far, there has been no reported damage to the Village and all our children and staff are safe. However, we are on standby should any children need temporary or long-term accomodation.

We began our work in the country in 1964 and currently care for more than 700 children at our eight purpose-built SOS Children's Villages. We also support a further 262 youths at our seven SOS Youth Homes, a place for young adults to prepare for independence.

We also runs schools, vocational training centres and Family Strengthening Programmes in the Philippines. Family Strengthening Programmes aim to stop child abandonment and to keep families together, by providing child care, counselling, vocational training and medical support. In total, through all of our programmes (including the Villages and the Family Strengthening Programmes) we are reaching more than 6,700 Filipinos.

How you can help

Every day we help children whose lives have been damaged by natural disasters, conflict, poverty, or disease. You can help us continue our work in the Philippines by sponsoring a child or making a one-off donation which will help us to focus on the long-term welfare of children who have no one to care for them. Thank you.