3 January 2021, Cagayan de Oro. Employees of the Novo Valenzuela Branch, by contacting FEED, were able to administer through FEED Ambassador Ms. Ace Itchon, 40 families, 35 children, and total of 70 heads of said Aeta community. Each one Pack of Grocery items per family contained:

2.5 kg of rice
6 packs of instant noodles
7 sachets of instant coffee
5 canned goods – sardines, corned beef and meat loaf
3 sachet of powdered milk
1 bottle of bagoong
1 Kg of non iodized salt
1 Kg of brown sugar
1 pack biscuit
35 sets of toys

A hot meal with pancit (noodle dish) was also served for 70 community heads, who were happy knowing they were not forgotten.

Novo Employees had donated 3 separate transactions totalling over P20,000, which went a long way to uplifting the community’s hope that they would recover. A Novo employee who helped coordinate the relief mentioned: “I’m very much grateful to hear from you about this! Very excited as well to finally have the donation be given to the stated beneficiary. It’s a great timing that it will be given to them in relation to that cause (“Give love on Hearts Day”). We’re looking forward to more of your updates regarding this! Thank you so much and God Bless! Stay safe, always!” Local vegetable seeds are being sourced as of the time of this writing, to enable the community to restore their farms and achieve self sustenance.

On behalf of the Aeta community of Sto. Niño Cagayan, they expressed their thanks and “sincerest gratitude to all the employees of Novo Valenzuela branch and FEED for their generosity and kindness. We also would like to mention Sir Ante Baylon for helping us coordinate with their chieftain, Norma Silpicio. And Special thanks the one-man army in Cagayan Ej Obispo and his family for helping us with this project and for repacking the good for donation.”

The socio-economic vulnerability of local communities plays a big factor in disaster affected areas such as Cagayan, predominantly affecting the poor and leaving their homes and livelihoods unsafe, insecure or simply wiped out. These upland and marginalized communities have less access to risk data as well as limited coping mechanisms, which is why the Aeta community of Sto. Niño Cagayan was selected as the beneficiary for the donation drive generated by Novo Employees.

Risk Index for Natural Disasters Philippines 2020
Published by Martha Jean Sanchez, Dec 21, 2020

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/921036/philippines-risk-index-for-natural-disasters/

According to the World Risk Report 2018, the Philippines ranked third in terms of disaster risk index. Due to its geographical context, the highest risks posed to the country are those of earthquakes reported with ten risk index points and tropical cyclones of 9.5 risk index points.

Disaster hazards

Besides earthquakes, volcanic eruptions within the “Ring of Fire” coupled with coastal hazards such as typhoons, flooding, and rising sea levels pose a constant threat to the population with over 100 million inhabitants as of 2015. The damages caused by the drought resulting from El Nino were the highest in 2016 compared to damages by other natural disasters, and were valued at 12.8 trillion Philippine pesos.

Fatalities

The fatalities caused by natural disasters in the Philippines, however, has been on the decline since having peaked in 2013 due to typhoon Haiyan. The death toll in 2016 was much lower with 90 deaths due to natural disasters recorded. The government’s risk reduction expenditure in that year was also much lower compared to 2013 but an upward trend did emerge in the years that followed.

Thank you NOVO EMPLOYEES, May the Forest be with you Always!

Photo Journal

NATURE IS SPEAKING (Narrated by Julia Roberts)

What can I do to stop climate change?

“As the world warms, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, sea levels are rising, prolonged droughts are putting pressure on food crops, and many animal and plant species are being driven to extinction. It’s hard to imagine what we as individuals can do to resolve a problem of this scale and severity.

The good news: We are not alone. People, communities, cities, businesses, schools, faith groups and other organizations are taking action. We’re fighting like our lives depend on it — because they do.

In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.” – David Suzuki

Check out some of the ways you can take more climate change action.

For example, Climate Action groups are the local solution to a global crisis. Right now people just like you are coming together to develop practical, local solutions and make their towns and cities more climate-friendly. Are you ready to join them? Find out what’s happening near you.

More here: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-change/what-can-I-do-to-stop-climate-change

Contact FEED

In 2015, the Philippine government submitted to the United Nations the country’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The country committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030. The carbon dioxide reductions will come from the sectors of energy, transport, waste, forestry and industry.

Join us! Help us reverse the Earth’s “hothouse climate” tipping point.Tree-Planting with FEED

Contact us at FEED for more details, to join our regular activities or to design your own tree-nurturing event: info@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.