The Philippines ranks among the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with more than 20 tropical cyclones entering its area of responsibility each year. Many of these storms make landfall, battering coastal provinces with strong winds, heavy rains and storm surges that destroy homes, livelihoods and critical infrastructure. For families living along the shorelines, each typhoon brings renewed uncertainty and hardship.
In Catanduanes, an island province frequently struck by powerful storms from the Pacific, the effects remain deeply personal.
Dominga, a mother of six, knows this reality well. After a recent storm swept through their community, her family struggled to recover. Her husband works as a day laborer, relying on irregular jobs to provide for their children. When storms halt economic activity, income disappears.
“The storm really affected us,” Dominga said. “My husband is a day laborer. We try really hard to provide for our six children, but with him not being able to have regular work, we are really struggling. I cry with worry for my children.”
Her story reflects the quiet burden carried by many mothers in disaster-affected communities—women who must stretch limited resources to ensure their children have food, health care and basic necessities.
In June 2025, a humanitarian initiative funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Philippines delivered cash assistance to women and girls across 11 municipalities in Catanduanes. The support came through the Cash for Health, Cash for Dignity and Cash for Adolescents programs.
Beneficiaries included pregnant women, women of reproductive age and adolescent girls identified through specific vulnerability criteria. The Rural Health Unit, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and the Philippine National Police–Women and Children Protection Desk endorsed all recipients to ensure assistance reached those most in need.
The cash grants allowed families to address urgent concerns such as maternal checkups, hygiene supplies and menstrual health needs—critical services that often become inaccessible or deprioritized after disasters.
“To the donors, to UNFPA, to ADRA, thank you so much for the cash assistance that you gave,” Dominga said. “I am just one of the many that you have helped in our time of need.”
Local Government Units played a key role in the initiative, including the Mayor’s Offices, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices, Rural Health Units, Human Resources for Health teams, Violence Against Women and Children Desk Officers, Barangay Health Workers, the Philippine National Police and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices. ARDCI, the designated financial partner, ensured the secure and efficient distribution of funds.
UNFPA, the United Nations agency for sexual and reproductive health, works to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. In emergencies, UNFPA helps maintain lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for women and girls who face heightened risks during disasters.
ADRA Philippines, the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, implements community-based development and emergency response programs nationwide. In times of disaster, ADRA provides immediate relief such as food, water, shelter materials and cash assistance, while also supporting long-term recovery efforts that strengthen resilience and restore dignity.
Empowering women through direct cash support enables them to make informed decisions for their families, promotes safer pregnancies and helps stabilize households. Beyond financial relief, such assistance restores confidence and hope—essential foundations for rebuilding lives.
As climate-related disasters continue to intensify, partnerships remain vital. Individuals, churches and organizations can support ADRA’s work by praying for affected communities, volunteering in local initiatives or contributing financially to emergency response and resilience programs. Through collaboration, more families like Dominga’s can move from crisis toward recovery.
In a nation where storms are a yearly reality, timely assistance does more than meet physical needs. It reminds vulnerable communities that they are not alone—and that even after the fiercest winds, hope can rise again.
The original article was published in the ADRA Philippines website.
