https://doh.gov.

ph/Top-Health-Stories/Super-Typhoon-Yolanda

1. On November 1, 2013, a low pressure area was spotted over the Caroline Islands in Kiribati. It moved
westward and intensified into a tropical depression on November 3. It became a tropical storm and earned
the international name “Haiyan” on November 4 and eventually escalated into a typhoon category on
November 5. With an expanding and deepening obscuring of clouds and clear eye visible on satellite, the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded Haiyan to a super typhoon which had maximum sustained
winds of 150 km/h and gustiness of up to 185 km/h on November 6, 2013. It became the 24th typhoon to
enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was locally named “Yolanda.”

On November 8, Yolanda hit the Philippines with winds of 195 mph, and has been described as the
strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in recorded history. It made six landfalls: 1) Guiuan, Eastern
Samar at 4:40 am of November 8; 2) Tolosa, Leyte at 7 am; 3) Daang Bantayan, Cebu at 10 am; 4)
Bantayan Island, Cebu at 10:40 am; 5) Concepcion, Iloilo at 12 noon; and 6) Busuanga, Palawan around 8
pm. Yolanda was accompanied by monstrous winds that uprooted trees and tore roofs off buildings, while
storm surges as high as 10-20 feet smashed into coastal communities.

At around 7 am that day, the whole world lost contact with the affected areas because power and
communication lines were cut off, and even the satellites could not locate Leyte and Samar from the map. It
was only at around 8 pm of the following day that the world began to see in media the grim images of
destruction and death caused by Yolanda. Media from around the globe generated a deluge of news,
feature and commentaries on the rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts of government, the private
sector, and international humanitarian assistance. Many reports were not without criticisms and even
controversies ranging from the slow start of government operations since the first responders in local
government units (LGUs) were victims themselves, to politicking the disaster by presidential wannabes since
the 2016 national election is just a few storms away.

Health issues surfaced loudly in the first two weeks of the typhoon's aftermath because the immediate basic
needs of the survivors were food, water, temporary shelter and medicines. The DOH is among the
government frontliners in disaster and health emergency management. 

On November 11, President Benigno S. Aquino III declared a “State of National Calamity” to hasten
government efforts as well as utilize appropriate funds to provide basic services. The DOH immediately sent
several cargoes of medicines, supplies and equipment to Tacloban that was almost entirely flattened by the
storm surge. The medical and health needs of other affected areas were taken care of by their respective
regional health offices and augmented by the central office, other regional offices not affected by the
typhoon, and DOH hospitals. Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona met with World Health Organization (WHO)
officials and other international  medical missions to identify immediate needs, consolidate relief efforts and
accelerate the delivery of the needed supplies. Several medical teams, both domestic and international,
were deployed to provide emergency and basic medical and surgical services to affected areas.

Tetanus, water-borne diseases, respiratory illnesses, childhood diseases and vector-borne diseases like
leptospirosis, dengue and even rabies were the public health threats closely being watched by the DOH to
avert outbreaks and epidemics. The DOH also convened a meeting with forensic experts to establish a quick
system of management of dead bodies. Ona allayed growing fears of the public and reiterated that dead
bodies would not cause outbreaks but certain precautions should be observed by body handlers to prevent
the spread of any disease. He also urged local authorities for the proper retrieval and identification of dead
bodies as well as providing decent burial.

On November 14, Ona made a directive implenting a price freeze on 200 essential medicines to ensure their
availability to typhoon affected families.  On November 18, President Aquino issued a memorandum
directing the DOH to temporarily assume direct supervision and control over health and sanitation
operations of LGUs if deemed necessary, based on an assessment of the needs and in consultation with the
LGUs. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) teams made the rounds to ascertain the potability of drinking
water, supervise the solid waste management and excreta disposal in communities as well as in evacuation
sites.
 As of November 25, the DOH Health Emergency Alert Reporting System noted  a total of 75 DOH teams, 60
foreign teams and 23 local health teams have been deployed in Typhoon Yolanda-affected areas. A total of
2,146,341 families or 9,923,378 persons were affected in 11,880 barangays, in 44 provinces in 9 regions.

At this point, the DOH and other government agencies were gradually shifting efforts toward rehabilitation
and rebuilding. Hopefully, this tragedy will result to efficient disaster management, effective climate-
influencing reforms, and socially responsible handling of media coverages as well as non-partisan political
actions in the context of disasters and their aftermath.

COA: ‘Yolanda’ aid wasted,

unused
Audit report notes food spoiled or missing, funds unlisted or unused

By: Gil C. Cabacungan - Reporter / @gcabacunganINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 09:00 AM September 12, 2014

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/637302/coa-yolanda-aid-wasted-
unused#ixzz6zihRaJ58
2. A Commission on Audit (COA) report on the government’s “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) relief
efforts found thousands of food packs, canned goods, bottled water, body bags and rice   spoiled or missing
or unused; millions of pesos worth of goods and funds unaccounted for, and close to a billion pesos in funds
still unused months after the supertyphoon pummeled Eastern Visayas.

“Our audit documented many examples wherein quick action was not possible due to longstanding policies
that require extensive, time-consuming processes, delaying the delivery of vital supplies and other
assistance,” said the report last week.

“On the other hand, we also found examples where processes under procurement and distribution of relief
goods left the government to possible abuse,” it said.

It cited seven weaknesses in the performance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Health (DOH), Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Food Authority and Office of the Civil Defense. These are
low use of funds, procedural lapses or deficiencies in tracking receipts and use of funds, serious flaws in the
procurement and contracting process, flaws in documenting flow of donated cash and goods, absence of a
unified inventory system, shortcomings in logistics management and delay in the delivery or nondelivery of
goods.

“Decision makers find themselves trapped in a struggle between implementing controls and accountability
mechanisms and the demand for rapid response and recovery assistance,” the COA said.
 In the case of the DSWD, the COA said the agency failed to deliver on time to Tacloban City P69 million
worth of bottled water due to lack of transport (the DSWD has moved to cancel 56 percent of the purchase
order).

The COA said the DSWD also overstated the amount of family food packs it prepared in its Metro Manila
center by P33.3 million. Supplies worth P58 million were spoiled or wasted due to improper storage, the
COA said.

The other findings of the report: At least 1,000 sacks of rice and 128,400 cans of sardines were missing and
P58.8 million worth of rice could not be verified with purchase records; disposal of damaged or dented
canned goods were not documented, and P2.783 million worth of food packs and 100,000 assorted canned
goods, noodles and sacks of rice were ruined.

For the DPWH, the COA said the agency failed to use the P4.4-million cash donation from Sambo
Engineering Corp. of South Korea while P5.395 million worth of donated goods were not recorded.

In the case of the DOH, the COA said the agency did not remit to the National Treasury P13.2 million in
unused donations; it did not have agreements covering 93 percent of the

P60.5 million total donations it received, which have made liquidation difficult, and 27,808 pieces of body
bags were not distributed on time (24,300 cadaver bags were still at the DOH warehouse as of January this
year).

In assessing the DILG, the COA noted that the agency failed in preparing for the disaster as the affected
LGUs’ readiness was given a poor rate of 23 percent, and more than half of the P76 million disaster
management funds were not used.

Thousands of DSWD food packs

for Yolanda relief lost to spoilage –
COA
By ROUCHELLE R. DINGLASAN, GMA News Online
Published September 7, 2014 11:57pm
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/378162/thousands-of-dswd-food-packs-for-
yolanda-relief-lost-to-spoilage-coa/story/

3. Thousands of food packs worth millions of pesos that could have helped Typhoon Yolanda's victims were
instead lost to spoilage, the Commission on Audit special report on Yolanda relief operations concluded.

According to the report, which was posted on the COA website, some 7,527 family food packs worth P2.7
million; 95,472 assorted canned goods; 81 packs of noodles; and, 21 sacks of rice went to waste due to
improper handling in Yolanda devastated areas, particularly in Central and Eastern Visayas.

The COA report blamed the losses on the lack of coordination between government agencies, which caused
delays in the distribution of goods.
 "Procured supplies intended for relief operations have not been fully delivered by the suppliers due to
logistical gaps, such as lack of storage facility while awaiting repacking and eventual transport to affected
areas and lack of delivery trucks," the report read.

Warehousing the donations and relief goods at the National Relief Operations Center also created a
"logistical nightmare" for the DSWD, the state auditors added.

Further, the disposal of damaged goods and dented canned goods, which were excluded from food packs,
were also not accounted for.

"Relief distribution operations did not provide daily and periodic reporting on the results/status of its
operations as well as accounting of funds received and its utilization given the huge funding, defeating the
purpose of pinpointing responsibility and promoting accountability and transparency," the COA reported.

Aside from rotten relief goods, the COA report also revealed that some P700 million in donations from local
sources and $15 million (about P699 million) remained unspent as of 31 December 2013.

Furthermore, the state auditors pointed to the government's poor disaster response system as the reason
for the difficulties in the relief operations in affected areas.

Instances of spoilage

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secreatry Corazon "Dinky" Soliman admitted to
GMA News Online Sunday evening that “there were instances of spoilage of goods."

Soliman maintained that the spoilage was due to warehousing and transportation problems.

An earlier report said that truckloads of expired and spoiled relief goods were dumped and buried in an open
dumpsite in Palo town, Leyte.

However, Soliman had denied this, explaining that what was dumped was a sack of assorted biscuits, 10
cups of instant noodles, and a half sack of rice.

Typhoon Yolanda barreled across the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, killing 6,300 people, leaving
thousands homeless, and millions displaced.

COA: Yolanda fund, donations did not

reach victims
SEP 8, 2014 8:42 PM PHT
REYNALDO SANTOS JR.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/coa-quick-response-fund-donations-yolanda-victims
 The OCD had P692.77 million for quick response in 2013,
while the NDRRMC received P48.82 million in donations,
but these were used for operations or kept in banks
4. MANILA, Philippines – Hundreds of millions of pesos in funds intended for the relief and rehabilitation of
disaster victims  did not reach them in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 because
government offices used them up for operations or kept them in banks.

This was the finding of the state auditors in a report on how the quick response funds (QRF) of the Office of

Civil Defense (OCD) and the donations received by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Council (NDRRMC) were utilized.

In its assessment report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said OCD had a total of P692.77 million in

available QRF for 2013, while the NDRRMC – which is administered by the OCD – had received a total of

P48.82 million in donations for the typhoon victims.

However, not a single centavo of these amounts has so far reached the typhoon victims, according to COA.

The QRF should serve as a “stand-by to be used for relief and rehabilitation programs in order that the

situation and living conditions of people living in communities or areas stricken by calamities, epidemics,

crises, and catastrophes occurring during the year may be normalized as quickly as possible.”

Based on the COA report, at least 17% of the total QRF for 2013, or P121.18 million, was spent on Yolanda-

related operations.

COA identified the items on which the P121.18 million was spent:
NATURE AMOUNT
Cash advances for operational requirements of the NDRRMC Operations Center P 1,600,000
Cash advances for operational requirements of ROVIII Operations Center 200,000
Office supplies 56,445.00
Fund transfer to AFP for petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) reserve for disaster
118,645,912
operations, subject to liquidation
Various groceries and medicines intended for daily subsistence of duty personnel at
680,193
Command Center and RDRRMC VIII Operations Center
TOTAL P 121,182,550

The biggest disbursement was for “petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL),” which amounted to 98% of the total

amount spent by OCD for its Yolanda-related operations.

OCD said the amount was transferred to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reportedly as “reserve

for disaster operations” and is subject to liquidation.

 There were various groceries and medical supplies purchased, but they were allotted for OCD-NDRRMC

personnel. Also, these items remained unused as of March 5, 2014, after NDRRMC’s activities in Yolanda-

hit areas had ended. Many of the supplies were nearing expiry dates, according to COA.

“[T]he funds were spent for the requirements of the Operations Centers and POL, while nothing was

reported for the basic subsistence needs of calamity victims notwithstanding the guidelines and other

issuances on the matter,” said the report.

COA mentioned a study by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) which shows that OCD was

able to fully utilize its QRF prior to 2012. But since 2012, restrictions on the use of funds affected how the

fund was utilized.

“Before 2012, QRF can be used for pre-disaster activities, but starting 2012, QRF was designated as

standby fund, thus, it can only be used at the onset of disasters or for response activities,” COA said.

What Typhoon Yolanda foreign aid

looks like without US, EU, and UN

OCT 9, 2016 8:15 PM PHT
JODESZ GAVILAN

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/united-nations-european-union-united-states-foreign-aid-philippines-typhoon-

yolanda

Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)

The support of other countries during natural disasters in the Philippines was notably seen in the
aftermath of one of the strongest and most destructive typhoons to hit the country.
Super Typhoon Yolanda claimed 6,201 lives as it tore across the Visayas in November 2013. 
For the families in hard-hit communities, there was also more suffering in the days, weeks, and
months to come.
Donations from foreign governments and non-governmental organizations, however, poured in
for the 1,472,251 affected families and helped ease their burden. 
According to the United Nations Office for Coordination (UNOCHA), the total aid given for
Yolanda survivors reached $865,151,866 (P41.8 billion). 
The top government donor is the United Kingdom with $57,558,810 (P2.8 billion). Other
countries and organizations affiliated with the EU also offered donations.
COUNTRY DONATION

United Kingdom $122,743,593

European Commission $40,470,717

Sweden $18,511,521

Germany $17,208,111

Netherlands $13,690,879

Ireland $8,971,234

Denmark $7,998,474

Finland $6,423,284

Italy $5,859,192

Luxembourg $2,992,435

Austria $2,622,020

France $2,041,760

Belgium $2,038,705

Estonia $647,633

Czech Republic $575,289

Hungary $207,177

Slovenia $81,522

Malta $53,619
 COUNTRY DONATION

Greece $40,761

Portugal $33,967

Cyprus $25,221

TOTAL $130,493,521

 
Donations from EU member-states and the EU Commission amounted to $130,493,521 (P6.3
billion) – 11% of the total foreign aid received by the Philippines in the aftermath of Super
Typhoon Yolanda.

Binay on buried rice in Leyte:

'Bordering on criminal neglect'

DEC 5, 2015 11:21 PM PHT
MARA CEPEDA

https://www.rappler.com/nation/binay-buried-rice-leyte-criminal-neglect

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman says she has ordered a

'thorough investigation' after 284 sacks of rice intended for
Yolanda relief got spoiled and were buried in a Leyte town

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay scored Social Welfare Secretary Corazon
Soliman after she confirmed reports that 284 sacks of rice intended for victims of Super
Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) were found to have been buried in Leyte. 
“Such act borders on criminal neglect. Thousands of Filipinos suffer from hunger every day,
especially those affected by calamities, and yet we have a government that allowed food to rot,”
said Binay in a statement on Saturday, December 5.
Yolanda ravaged parts of the Visayas region in 2013, killing thousands and inflicting massive
destruction on infrastructure and communities. (IN NUMBERS: Two years after Typhoon
Yolanda)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had been criticized for its lapses
in the distribution of relief goods to Yolanda-stricken areas. (READ: Soliman admits lapses in
Yolanda relief, won't resign)
On Wednesday, the DSWD office in Eastern Visayas admitted to Interaksyon that 284 sacks of
rice supposedly for Yolanda relief operations rotted while in storage in a warehouse in Dagami
town, Leyte.  
An informant tipped the local police to a site in Barangay Macaalang, where the sacks of spoiled
rice were buried.  
According to Interaksyon, Senior Inspector Anthony Florencio, local chief of police, initially
denied the report. Later, after inspecting the site himself, he confirmed that the sacks were
marked with logos from the National Food Authority and the DSWD.
ADVERTISEMENT

In a statement on Thursday, Soliman acknowledged the gap in her department’s capacity to

manage relief goods and stressed that several improvements are "already being done.”
“I have ordered a thorough investigation of the incident to find out who are liable and to file
appropriate administrative charges against them, in accordance with civil service rules,” said
Soliman, responding to the call of several lawmakers to probe the incident. 
“Disaster survivors have the right to receive safe relief goods. It is our duty to protect survivors
of disasters from further harm that is why we decided to dispose of these goods immediately. 
We wanted to make sure that these goods that were unfit for human consumption would not be
given to the survivors,” she added.
'Not the only time'
Binay remains disappointed at the DSWD, however, saying “this was not the only time food for
calamity victims had gone to waste.”
The Vice President cited a 2013 Commission on Audit (COA) report that revealed food packs
worth P2.8 million intended for 7,527 families affected by Yolanda were lost to spoilage “due to
improper handling.” 
In a 2014 report, COA said the DSWD was left with P141 million worth of undistributed and
expired or about-to-expire relief goods.

House to probe slow disbursement of

Yolanda aid
Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star 

) - September 12, 2014 - 12:00am

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/09/12/1368140/house-probe-slow-disbursement-yolanda-aid

MANILA, Philippines - What happened to the foreign cash donations and relief goods
intended for the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda?

The House of Representatives is set to conduct an inquiry into reports that the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has failed to disburse foreign
cash donations for Yolanda victims and that tons of relief goods were left to rot.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the probe to be conducted by the House
committee on social services is aimed at reviewing the process of distributing relief
goods undertaken by the national government in the aftermath of Yolanda.

Ridon cited the recent Commission on Audit (COA) report, which bared that millions
worth of relief goods were wasted and not distributed to typhoon victims.

The COA report disclosed that the DSWD failed to distribute around 128,000 tins of
sardines and P69.2 million worth of bottled water.

The COA also noted that P58 million worth of supplies were wasted due to
irresponsible storage. This includes 7,527 family food packs valued at P2.7
million.
In the same report, the COA also said that cash donations from local and
foreign aid remain concentrated in the account of DSWD.

According to the audit team, out of the P740,177,751.52 it received, only

P3.88 million was disbursed, leaving a huge balance of almost P737 million
undisbursed.

“Any reasonable person will be enraged by the fact that our countrymen in
Eastern Visayas are going hungry while millions worth of relief goods just rot
in DSWD’s storehouses. While many typhoon victims have yet to recover from
the disaster, now we find out that DSWD is withholding even the release of
cash donations both from domestic and international sources,” Ridon said.

The lawmaker also called on DSWD to account for the 135,540 items in
assorted supplies, including 1,000 sacks of rice, that are unaccounted for,
according to COA.

“The distribution of relief goods is dismal and now we have missing donations.
How can these donors trust us when another calamity – God forbid – comes?”
Ridon said.

He also stressed that if lawmakers do not make a full accounting of the relief
and rehabilitation efforts of the national government, “unscrupulous officials
might just think that they can get away with their possibly criminal acts,
including the possible malversation of funds intended for Typhoon Yolanda
victims.”

“It is time to assess the national government’s overall response to the

disaster. Full accounting of all funds allotted for relief and rehabilitation must
be made. Those who committed gross inefficiency and criminal neglect,
especially the Aquino administration and its line agencies, must be held
accountable,” he added.