HI helps earthquake victims in the Philippines regain their independence

Memoración and Vena were forced to spend their nights in precarious conditions. HI provided them with proper sleeping facilities, mobility devices, and rehabilitation care.

On 30 September 2025, Cebu, an island in the central Philippines, was struck by a powerful earthquake. More than 750,000 people were affected and 79 lost their lives.¹ Thanks to HI's emergency response, around 3,000 vulnerable households and people with disabilities received safe and dignified shelter, as well as rehabilitation care.

Memoración rebuilds her confidence after the disaster

It was 10 p.m. when the ground suddenly began to shake in northern Cebu. Memoración, 72, was jolted awake in her bed. She has struggled with walking for a long time, but with her wooden walking stick she had learned to remain fully independent. Yet that night, she was unable to get outside on her own.

"I didn't know what to do," Memoración says."I ended up on the floor, praying and shaking with fear."

Her niece came to her aid after the first tremors, helping her aunt get outside in search of an open space. Together, they spent the night sitting in the street, soaked by the persistent rain.

When the sun rose, aftershocks were still ongoing. Returning to their respective homes was too risky for Memoración, her niece, and the other family members, so they built a large temporary shelter where they all stayed together for some time.

"The shelter wasn't ideal, especially for a senior person like me," Memoración says."I couldn't sleep properly because it was crowded and cold. And there was fear - fear for my house, my animals, and fear of what would happen next. How long would we have to live like this? It was the first time I felt so helpless. I could do nothing but cry."

Thanks to generous donors, Memoración was able to eat and drink. HI provided her with her own tent, sheets, a mosquito net, and a solar-powered lamp. She also received a brand-new walking stick and guidance from a physiotherapist to help maintain her mobility.

"I was reminded to keep walking and taught simple exercises to maintain my mobility," she adds."I never thought I'd be using a metal stick in my lifetime. It's much sturdier and more comfortable than my wooden one, which I used to have to replace frequently."

Vena is finally able to move on her own

Vena and her family also received support from HI. The 30-year-old woman has been unable to walk since birth and has difficulty speaking. Like Memoración, she was asleep during the earthquake, but her father, Romeo, quickly carried her to safety on his back.

Thanks to HI's support, Vena's family was finally able to sleep without suffering from the cold or insect bites after several difficult nights. With a walking frame, a folding commode chair, and follow-up care from an HI physiotherapist, father and daughter can now lead a more dignified life in the long term. Romeo no longer has to carry his daughter. Vena can now move around independently, bringing relief to her father.

"I saw the two-storey house across from us collapse," tells Romeo."It was trulytraumatic. Even now, that moment keeps replaying in my mind. Sometimes, I even dream about it."

HI's emergency aid was delivered as part of an intervention by ACCESS, a coalition of 14 NGOs that supports vulnerable people in the Philippines following disasters. Thanks to their diverse areas of expertise, the organisations are able to provide a complementary response to a wide range of needs, including shelter, health, nutrition, and protection. This intervention is funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid.

Sources
1. Emdat