28 Jan 2013

PHILIPPINES / POST-BOPHA JOBS RECOVERY

When Typhoon Bopha blew through the southern Philippines last month, its winds swept away the livelihoods of thousands of families who farmed the thick coconut groves around their homes. It will take nearly a decade before the trees can be harvested again, so the International Labour Organization is helping the storm's victims with emergency employment. ILO

Posted at: January 28, 2013 4:37 pm

Duration: 02:25

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: PHILIPPINES / POST-BOPHA JOBS RECOVERY
TRT: 2.25
SOURCE: ILO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: TAGALOG / NATS

DATELINE: 14-18 JANUARY 2013 BAGANGA, PHILIPPINES

SHOTLIST:

14-18 JANUARY 2013 BAGANGA, PHILIPPINES

1.	Wide shot, destroyed coconut field
2.	Wide shot and pan, destroyed trees to destroyed homes at ocean shore
3.	Wide shot, tent city
4.	Med shot, children in tent city
5.	Wide shot, destroyed town
6.	Wide shot, destroyed coconut fields
7.	Med shot, Maritess Diansay showing damage to her house
8.	Close up, Maritess Diansay
9.	Wide shot, destroyed field
10.	 SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Maritess Diansay, Local Resident: 
"We had a coconut plantation before and this was our main source of income. Because my husband loses his job and I have no income we have to borrow money for food."
11.	Wide shot, the town,
12.	Med shot, road lined with dead coconut trees
13.	Wide shot, trees  
14.	Pan, mountainside of destroyed and dead coconut trees
15.	SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Maritess Diansay, Local Resident:
"Life will be harder for us, especially nowadays as we do not have our coconut trees anymore. It would be a big help for us if our coconut plantation will be cleared and restored in due time."
16. Wide shot, ILO and other UN agencies' banner
17. Med shot, workers in UN-supplied t-shirts signing up for work
18. Med shot, workers gathering
19. Med shot, t-shirted workers working on field beside a road
20. Close up, workers in field.
21 SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Maritess Diansay, Local Resident:
"The ILO asked what had happened to us and how they can help us."
22 .Wide shot, workers clearing debris 
23. Med shot, workers clearing debris
24. Med shot, workers clearing debris
25. Med shot, workers putting on safety gloves
26. Close up, worker putting on face mask
27. Med shot, worker getting blood pressure tested
28. Wide shot, destroyed house
29. Pan, destroyed village
30. Wide shot, people walking in front of destroyed coconut field
31. Wide shot. coconut field

STORYLINE:

When Typhoon Bopha blew through the southern Philippines last month, its winds swept away the livelihoods of thousands of families who farmed the thick coconut groves around their homes. It will take nearly a decade before the trees can be harvested again, so the International Labour Organization (ILO) is helping the storm's victims with emergency employment.

Maritess Diansay, 39, lost just about everything, but not the hope that her three children will someday finish school and get decent jobs.

Diansay lives in the town of Baganga, a coastal municipality of some 50,000 where coconut-growing is the economic mainstay. At first, many neighbours sought refuge at her home, but they all had to flee as the wind ripped off the roof and tore down walls.

SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Maritess Diansay, Local Resident: 
"We had a coconut plantation before and this was our main source of income. Because my husband loses his job and I have no income we have to borrow money for food."

In all, coconut growers lost an estimated US$ 150 million, while about 50 million boxes of bananas, worth US$ 4 each, were lost to the tropical cyclone. For many farmers, that meant a total loss of income.

In total, more than a million workers were affected.

SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Maritess Diansay, Local Resident:
"Life will be harder for us, especially nowadays as we do not have our coconut trees anymore. It would be a big help for us if our coconut plantation will be cleared and restored in due time."

The ILO immediately mobilized its own resources, and received support from partners to implement emergency employment creation and livelihood development programmes, including cash-for-work and road rehabilitation projects, as well as support to indigenous communities.

The Australian government's foreign aid agency, AusAID, and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund are funding the programmes implemented by the ILO together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and government authorities.

The idea is to get the work done with maximum assistance to the local people to rehabilitate their own communities and, as much as practical, with materials at hand. For instance, much of the wood from tree trunk debris is being put back to work in the reconstruction.

But more help is needed. Almost two months after Bopha unleashed its fury on the southern Philippines, recovery efforts have been hampered as torrential rains and flooding continue to hit Mindanao Island.

SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Maritess Diansay, Local Resident:
"The ILO asked what had happened to us and how they can help us."

The assistance includes training workers in new skills, teaching them safety procedures and providing some medical assistance as well.