World Vision Philippines Executive Director Elnora Avarientos, today (Tuesday, 5 December) announced a change in the category status of Typhoon Durian emergency response to a Category 2, Level 1 disaster. Following key assessments this will mean a scale up by the agency in its relief response, following the increasing devastation and loss of life caused by Typhoon Durian as it ripped through the provinces in central Philippines last week.

"Due to the significant and devastating impact of Typhoon Durian to more than 1.5 million Filipinos, World Vision Philippines will be providing initial assistance to 56,000 people. Four relief teams with 8-10 members were formed, two already deployed and the rest will be sent out in the next couple of days to address the needs of the affected families in Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur and Marinduque," Avarientos said.

Two relief teams were previously sent to Albay and Camarines Sur to conduct assessments. Another team is scheduled to leave for Catanduanes on Thursday aboard a C-130 aircraft, which also carries an initial 300 sacks of rice, sardines and beans for aid distribution. The remaining team will leave for Marinduque within the week due to the inaccessibility of the province. World Vision staff were also sent to Albay to establish Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) as soon as possible in affected communities.These areas provide children with a safe place where they can play and re-establish a normal routine.

The National Office is maintaining its current 30-day $1million relief assistance appeal to the World Vision Partnership. This proposal had already been submitted to its offices worldwide, which details the need to provide for the critical needs of 10,036 families or 56,000 people in the four hardest-hit provinces in the Bicol region.

However World Vision is also preparing a response to the affected families' long-term needs, with an initial 90-day $6 million rehabilitation proposal. The proposed programme will focus on the construction and repair of school buildings, provision of housing assistance, agricultural livelihood and capacity building of the communities.

Following her visit to the region World Vision Philippines Communications Manager, Ms Dominique Tabora says, "Land and water travel was really difficult and all communication and power facilities are down in all the areas we visited. The destruction all over Albay province is really tremendous. The death toll is highest in Legaspi but the damage on infrastructure, households and agriculture are tremendous in other provinces. In Tabaco city alone, 90% of the schools were devastated so classes are indefinitely suspended. The church in Tabaco is crowded with children desperately seeking shelter.

Dominique continues, "We have seen houses without roofs, devastated school buildings and roads buried by mud and debris along our travels from the town of Sto. Domingo to Tabaco City. The damage to agriculture is terrible. People we have met do not have money to buy food as almost all their crops and fishing boats were destroyed. The banking, electric and communication facilities are down. Fuel is running out so people cannot move around, operate motor vehicles and generators. Water is also scarce in Legaspi."

Currently $200,000 has been given to World Vision by USAID and this combined with a financial commitment by four World Vision support offices including World Vision US, Singapore, Canada and Australia and monies released from World Vision's EPRF (Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund) provides a total of $395,000 in relief funds given so far. World Vision Philippines reiterates its plea to its global offices to approach their government agencies and donors for further support and as an National Office they continue to submit proposals to local donors and government agencies.

According to recent World Vision assessments, food and drinking water are among the most immediate and essential needs of the victims.

"In Catanduanes and Albay, there is scarcity of food and drinking water. Stores are closed and most of the basic commodities were spoiled by the flood," says HEA Director Jose Bersales Jr.

Using available funds, World Vision Philippines has already purchased essential food items such as rice, mungo beans, iodized salt, dried fish, sardines, biscuits, cooking oil and water, and other essential items such as laundry and bath soaps for its initial distribution to the four provinces within the week.

USAID has provided funding assistance for the purchase of non-food items such as blankets, kitchen wares, mats, mosquito nets, flash lights and batteries, and tents/plastic sheetings. However, World Vision Philippines continues to look for more funds to be able to provide to all its target beneficiaries. These food and non-food items are among the basic necessities identified by the rapid assessment teams with close coordination with the local government, village officials and national/local disaster councils.

Aside from the National Office's efforts to gather support from the Partnership, it is also beefing up its campaign to gain local support and engage ordinary Filipinos in reaching out to the victims of the unfortunate circumstances in the Bicol region.

• As of 5 December 2006, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported that the affected individuals have already reached more than 1.5 million. The death toll has now reached 526 persons and 740 people were reported missing. Damage to properties is estimated at $7.3 million. • Relief and recovery efforts of the government and various non-government organisations continues. Local and foreign aid have been coming in. • Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo personally visited several damaged communities in the region today and ordered for a more intensified efforts to recover the bodies buried in the mud. The president on Sunday declared a state of national calamity. • Based on the World Vision assessment reports, power outage continues in majority of the provinces in the Bicol region. Communication system has been restored except in Catanduanes but remains to be weak.

Photos and footage will be available from tomorrow, however for more information please contact:

Ms Dominique M. Tabora, WV Philippines Communications Manager: Telefax: (+63-2) 3763274 Mobile No. 09178735458 Email: dominique_tabora@wvi.org

To arrange a media interview please first call:

Filomena Portales, Advocacy and Communications Director Mobile: (+63) 9175342165 Email address: minnie_portales@wvi.org

Diwa A. Gacosta, Comms Officer (based in Manila) Office Number(s) and extension: (+63-2) 374-7618 to 28 loc 151 Mobile: (+63)- 9209029167 E-mail address (work): diwa_gacosta@wvi.org E-mail address (extra in case the server breaks down): jarahmail@yahoo.com

Returned from assessments in the field: Jose (Boy) Bersales, Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs director WV Philippines Mobile +(63)-9167876420 +(63)-92-15601949

Ms Dominique M. Tabora WV Philippines Communications Manager Telefax: (+63-2) 3763274 Mobile No. 09178735458 Email: dominique_tabora@wvi.org

Funding agencies interested in pledging money/ seeking proposals please contact:

Ms. Florelin Tiu Mobile No. (+63) 9178134247 Email:bebeth_tiu@wvi.org Ms. Xenia Legaspi Mobile No. (+63) 9177949835 Email: xenia_legazpi@wvi.org

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