As Super Typhoon Haima churns toward the northern Philippines, Heifer International is helping thousands of farmers in the region prepare for the storm.
Roda Valenzuela, Heifer’s country director in the Philippines, says the typhoon, known locally as Lawin, poses a serious risk to farm families:
“We are very concerned about the typhoon because it has the potential to cause serious damage to agriculture and communities. Much of the farming in the northern part of Luzon is done in valleys, where people raise rice, peanuts, beans, corn, cattle, goats and hogs. The terrain is highly prone to landslides and flash flooding that could pose serious danger to families and farms.”
“Heifer works with 2,000 farm families in Kalinga and another 400 small-scale farmers in neighboring Isabella – two provinces forecasters say could get hit hard by the typhoon. Most of the families we’re working with in these areas are raising dairy cattle, goats and pigs. The farmers are well organized due to Heifer’s focus on building strong communities. As the storm approaches, the communities have been busy bringing livestock to safe places so that they will be well protected. The farmers are very good at following evacuation plans and arranging emergency supplies.”
Contact:
Heifer staff in the Philippines and U.S. are available for media interviews:
Philippines
Roda Valenzuela at roda.valenzuela@heifer.org,+63-917-625-5817 or +63-998-845-6837
Mabe Basco, administration manager, mabe.basco@heifer.org, +63-999-998-8763.
U.S.
Dilip Bhandari, director of program and livestock technology, Dilip.Bhandari@heifer.org, +1 501-907-2675
ABOUT HEIFER INTERNATIONAL?
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For more than 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in nearly 30 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. Heifer’s goal is to help 4 million families achieve living incomes by 2020, which will allow them to feed their families daily; educate all their children; and have proper housing, water, hygiene and other essential resources. For information, visit Heifer.org, read our blog, follow us on Facebook, on Twitter or call +1 888.5HUNGER (+1 888.548.6437).
