The church's recovery and rehabilitation programme has become one of its largest and far-reaching natural disaster responses, amounting to about US$50 million.

All the targets for the three-year programme in nine dioceses covering 51 towns and 166 villages in the central Philippines have been reached.

The church's response has brought comparisons with the government-sponsored rehabilitation programmes.

These programmes have been beset with corruption and charges of substandard housing construction.

Of 205,128 housing units that were promised by the government, only 67,754 units, or 33 percent, have been completed.

And only 34.3 percent of those were occupied, a check of records revealed.

Meanwhile, Caritas Philippines reported that it repaired 593 housing units and constructed 768 transitional units, 1,923 progressive core-shelter units, and 1,167 permanent shelter units while providing a host of other services to storm-survivors.

The progressive core shelters have a lifespan of 10 years while "permanent" houses can last a minimum of 20 years, according to Caritas.

While the number of government-built housing units may be significantly more, residents have described them as poorly built and inadequate for family needs.

Jing Rey Henderson, the church group's coordinator, said church officials constantly tell people that the programme belongs to them and is "not one of the Catholic Church's".

She said people need to have a sense of ownership and entitlement and to bounce back and become more "empowered, resilient, and sustainable".

Henderson said Caritas works within the framework of community-managed disaster risk reduction and the principles and strategies of community organising.

Source

• ucanews.com
• americamagazine.org
• Image: crs.org

It aims to develop organic farming to improve land fertility, build food sufficiency and improve people's lives.

At a conference earlier this month representatives highlighted the need to develop sustainable agricultural methods.

The representatives came from from 13 countries and included donor organisations, local government officials, students and activists.

Father Yuvens Rugi, who is a director of Caritas Ruteng, says participants discussed developing sustainable agriculture through organic farming.

"Participants agreed that using natural fertiliser can address productivity and environmental problems facing many farming communities."

Decades of chemical fertiliser use has damaged the environment and land fertility in many countries.

This has led to reduced yields, hurting farming communities.

The Ruteng Diocese has trained regional farmers in villages in the production of organic fertiliser.

Father Marthen Chen, who is the director of Ruteng Diocese's Pastoral Centre, says government bodies, as well as other institutions, should promote sustainable farming options to make it popular in the region.

This will increase the quality of life of the farmers.

Kamelus Deno, who is the head of Manggarai district in Ruteng Diocese, says sustainable farming is one of the ways to improving a farmer's quality of life.

He says 63 percent of the total workforce of 137,440 in his district work in the agriculture sector. They have been trapped in poverty for years.

Since 12 groups of about 400 people in an area of 50 hectares started organic farming last year, Chen says the results have been very promising.

Production reached 320,000kg, mainly fruits and vegetables.

Source

• Far Eastern Agriculture
• Vatican News
• Image: Vatican News