Phil Red Cross, IFRC continue to give hope in Cebu with 71 solar-powered shelters worth P30M
CEBU, PHILIPPINES -The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) turned over 71 full shelters with solar-powered panels amounting to P30 million for families that lost their homes due to Typhoon Odette (Rai) on 26 March 2024 in Barangay Poblacion, Alegria, Cebu.
“As I’ve said, PRC stands for hope and we are always hopeful that what we are doing is paving the path for these families towards healing and recovery. Red Cross is not in the business of giving dole outs – we are in the business of giving hope. What’s also special about the additional shelters is that these are all solar-powered,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Richard “Dick” Gordon.
The Full Shelter Assistance (FSA) project focused not only in the Queen City of the South but also in Bohol and Surigao del Norte—the provinces severely affected by Typhoon Odette in 2021. Last May 2023, the PRC already turned over 70 full shelters in Talibon, Bohol.
The project was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC) under the leadership of the IFRC Head of Delegation Sanjeev Kafley and IFRC Program Coordinator Gopal Mukherjee, and the Municipality of Alegria.
Odette was the strongest typhoon that struck the Philippines in 2021 where more than half of Cebu’s population of five million were affected by the disaster according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) stated that in the province’s capital, Cebu City, the total damages brought by Typhoon Odette to infrastructure, utilities, and agriculture in Cebu City reached P1.7 billion.
In Cebu alone, the PRC and its partners already built 8,741 houses; repaired 1,263 houses; provided livelihood assistance to 8,854 families; cash grants to 12,517 families; and food items to 21,789 households. These provisions are part of the P1 billion worth of developmental projects given by the PRC to vulnerable people in the province because of Typhoons Odette and Ursula, Naga City Landslide, and COVID-19 pandemic.
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