On the morning of 8 November, category 5 Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) made a direct hit on the Philippines, a densely populated country of 92 million people, devastating areas in 36 provinces. Haiyan is possibly the most powerful storm ever recorded. The typhoon first made landfall at Guiuan, Eastern Samar province, with wind speeds of 235 km/h and gusts of 275 km/h. Rain fell at rates of up to 30 mm per hour and massive storm surges up to six metres high hit Leyte and Samar islands. Many cities and towns experienced widespread destruction, with as much as 90 per cent of housing destroyed in some areas. Roads are blocked, and airports and seaports impaired; heavy ships have been thrown inland. Water supply and power are cut; much of the food stocks and other goods are destroyed; many health facilities are not functioning and medical supplies are quickly being exhausted. Â Â
Background PAY was formed as an initiative of the international permaculture community, in response to Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which made landfall in the Philippines on 8 November 2013. Invited by our Filipino partners, PAY members began to converge on Puerto Princesa, Palawan (the least typhoon-affected island in the Philippines) to plan for a holistic longterm response to rebuild devastated communities and lives.
Permaculture is a holistic framework and design science for providing natural and sustainable solutions to all aspects of human needs, and the needs of the planet. Â
Who We Are We are an open network of action-based individuals and organisations, working collaboratively under permaculture ethics and principles, to assist in sustainable relief and development for the Philippines.
What is Permaculture Aid? Â
Sustainable and long-term solutions to crises require an integrated and holistic model that supports affected communities to rebuild their homes and lives, with a focus on self-sufficiency and resilience, putting the future back in their own hands. The basic human needs of food, shelter, water, healthcare, education, and community are addressed from a framework that equally values the health of the environment in which we live. Using community consultation processes, we will focus on communities which are open to a new paradigm, and work with them to address their needs in a context-appropriate manner.
What We Do  Training From our base camp in Maia Earth Village we will provide practical training in permaculture aid and development.
Projects Working with specialist consultants from diverse fields, we will design and implement projects in affected regions of the Philippines.
Collaboration We are open to partnership with, and support of, projects from the government and NGO sector, in order to facilitate a more holistic response to needs.
Action Plan Â
We are aiming for a minimum 2-year commitment in the Philippines, to support the sustainability of our projects.
Convergence Key partners and members are gathering in Puerto Princesa for a strategy meeting, 27-29 November 2013.
Observation Team Following the convergence, our Observation Team will depart for the affected regions, to connect with local partners, locate potential project sites, and identify needs gaps. The team is led by Steve Cran, a seasoned permaculture aid worker with experience in East Timor, Aceh, Uganda and Central Australia.
Operations Centre Our next objective is to establish an Operations Centre, which will serve to collate and distribute resources (intelligence, funds, volunteers, relief materials, equipment) and facilitate our integration with existing aid and development initiatives.
Base Camp Maia The ecovillage will house volunteers and provide training, before deployment to the field. It may also serve as respite for field workers, should the need arise.
Regional Base Camps We aim to establish regional base camps in the three regions of Cebu, Samar, and Panay. These base camps will serve as hubs for the provision of aid and relief, community training and facilitation, and field projects. In the long term, regional base camps will be assimilated into the local communities as centres for health, education, and other community needs.
Volunteers PAY is seeking dedicated volunteers from the permaculture community, and related field. Essential: a commitment to permaculture ethics, a willingness to learn, and minimum availability of ideally 3 months
How You Can Help Â
Desirable: Prior training and experience would be very useful
Financial Support Funds are desperately needed, as we are operating on a voluntary basis, and all members are self-funded. We operate on the principles of transparency and accountability, and work to ensure that all available funds produce the maximum benefit in the field, where they are most needed. Please direct all enquiries to permaculture.aid.yolanda@gmail.com in the first instance, until we develop mechanisms to source and receive funding.
Potential Project Partners As we operate on a collaborative basis, we are open to any contacts and connections within existing aid and development organisations active in the Philippines.
Here is a snapshot of current members and project partners: MAIA Earth Village | Phillipines www.maiaearthvillage.com Green ReLeaf Initiative | Phillipines www.greenreleaf.org Green Warrior Permaculture | Australia www.greenwarrior-permaculture.org Earthbound Permaculture | Australia www.earthboundpermaculture.org Eats Shoots and Roots | Malaysia www.earthshootsandroots.org The Paradigm Shift Project | Canada www.theparaidgmshiftproject.org Global Ecovillage Network for Oceania and Asia (GENOA) www.genoa.ecovillage.org Earthships Biotecture | USA Biodynamic and natural farmers of the Philippines
The Network
Our network is expanding rapidly, and open to all who share our vision, ethics, principles, and commitment to the welfare of the people and land of the Philippines, and the world.
“If not us, then who? If not now, when?”
CONNECT WITH US
E-Mail permaculture.aid.yolanda@gmail.com Facebook Permaculture Aid Yolanda Mobile Steffen + (+63) 9152666357 Sarah (+63) 9276273545 Website www.pcaidyolanda.org
26 November 2013
Yolanda aftermath images from Google Images Search
Naderev Yeb Sano, Philippines Lead Negotiator, UN Climate Change Conference