When Typhoon Uwan struck Catanduanes last November 2025, coastal communities in Gigmoto were placed on high alert as weather conditions continued to worsen. Living by the seaside, Daisy, 46, knew early on that her family needed to prepare.
“The forecast kept changing at that time, but I knew that because we live near the seaside, we needed to prepare for the coming storm,” Daisy recalled.
Before evacuating, Daisy took steps to protect their home. She secured the roof with rope and placed large stones and heavy sacks filled with sand on top to prevent it from being blown away. She then moved some of their belongings to her nephew’s house and stayed with her sibling until the typhoon passed.
Because of these preparations, their house sustained minimal structural damage only, and the roof remained intact. However, their two-storey house was still filled with mud, and stones and pebbles from the sea were pushed onto their rooftop when the storm surge reached their home.
Several families experienced flooding, damage to homes, and limited access to food and safe water after the typhoon. In response, Good Neighbors Philippines conducted an emergency response, providing nonfood items, shelter kits, food packs, and clean drinking water to around 200 affected families, including Daisy’s.
Daisy is a solo parent and a barangay health worker, raising her children on her own. While managing her own family’s recovery, she also remained active in community response efforts.
In the weeks following the typhoon, Daisy continued to volunteer with Good Neighbors Philippines. She shared that she chose to help because she noticed a shortage of volunteers and wanted to support others in her community.
Even though our family was affected, I still wanted to volunteer because I saw that there were not enough people helping. I believe in Good Neighbors’ mission in helping the community, and I wanted to be part of that.
Reflecting on both receiving assistance and being able to serve others, Daisy added:
“I am very thankful to Good Neighbors and its partners; the Megaworld Foundation, The Mustard Seed Foundation, and other donors for the relief my family received. More than that, I am grateful for the opportunity to help my community as a volunteer during a difficult time.”
Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991, working in over 50 countries to make the world a place without hunger and where people live in harmony. Engaging with over 200 communities globally, we empower people and transform communities through social and economic development initiatives. Good Neighbors has General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 1996.
For further information, please contact Good Neighbors Global Partnership Center.
To make your donation process easier,
We’ll guide you to the Good Neighbors donation site for your region.
