Business continuity after a disaster
While everyone was anxious about the landfall of the super-typhoon Lando, it was a sigh of relief when it was down-graded to just a tropical storm status. Nevertheless, nobody anticipated the amount of its rainfall and winds that affected mostly the northeastern part of the country particularly the provinces of Aurora, Isabela and Tuguegarao. Places, like those in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, while not directly in the path of the storm also suffered due to mudslides, rising flood water from nearby mountains and destruction to personal properties. The latter is worse, because authorities predict that water in these places would not recede until after about 3-4 weeks.
We seemed to be “disaster-ready” as local government acted with dispatch without the necessary prodding from the national government. Rescue teams were activated and evacuation centers were immediately identified. DILG, the National Disaster Coordinating Council, DOST and other relevant organizations have acted promptly even before if the typhoon was still out of the PAR. Statistics showed that while injuries and death toll were not as many as those of Ondoy and Yolanda,the number of families displaced is quite alarming.
In agriculture, the DA reported that losses from both crops and agricultural areas could reach a staggering amount of 6.5 billion. The fisheries subsector was reported to have sustained damages valued at 20.96 million while those in the livestock subsector damages were valued at 3.9 billion
Despite readiness to cope with the calamity especially those shown on TV coverage, the disaster is more than the evacuation and relocation of typhoon victims. We have not seen beyond what is reported in the news. SMEs and livelihood projects by many have been greatly affected. Those interviewed on TV laments the fact that everything, including their “business assets” are gone. While those employed and members of our Social Security System or GSIS, some small credit cooperatives and some private micro finance providers like the ASA Foundation have ready support in terms of emergency or calamity loans, the SMEs have not heard anything about financial support to help them in their rehabilitation efforts.
Of the three big foundations connected with popular radio-TV network, only one seemed to have been react quickly with their relief goods distribution. But you don’t hear yet help from the rest, not even from big national civic groups. It appears they are still in that stage of making their Fuds Campaign.
The question is while food if necessary for survival, no one is looking into how these people can rebuild their lives on a long-term basis. Nonmembers of any established microfinance group mentioned above do not have access to credit or even at this point – grants in order to continue their livelihood projects. Tricycle drivers, Sari-sari store owners, home made delicacies, handicraft making, backyard crops, food processing, fishermen and the like need direct Credit assistance .
SMEs need Credit in these times of their lives. The destruction may not be as huge as those brought by Ondoy and Yolanda but what we need is a more sustainable assistance project that can bring hope to thousands of SMEs in the countryside. We are not talking about huge amount of individual loans, we only refer to microfinancing for SMEs to start again say their livelihood projects.