Executive Summary

• Vulnerable communities in affected areas in Bicol, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon regions face a dire food security situation. Food and water remain the top priority needs for the affected population. These needs are especially critical for people in evacuation centres (ECs), communities heavily impacted, areas isolated due to damaged roads/bridges, water sources, and communication systems.
• In the immediate term, the prospect for food security is highly concerning. In areas hit by six successive typhoons within 25 days, the affected population did not have sufficient food stocks as the expected harvest, which takes place in October and November, was greatly disrupted. They are expected to remain dependent on food assistance from the government and non-government sectors. Communities require cash to buy food and start their livelihood recovery.
• It may take some time for the main livelihood of the affected population to recover. The main sources of income (farming, fishing, transport services, tourism-related services, etc.) were heavily disrupted by the successive typhoons. The first five typhoons disrupted the most important stages of rice and corn cropping in the country (harvest season in October-November and planting season starting in November). STY Pepito further aggravated the cultivation efforts for perennial crops and prospects for tourism.
• Aside from the food security challenges, the affected populations are facing other immediate needs such as the repairment of their damaged shelters and restoration of electricity and communication systems.
• The Government started distributing family food packs (FFPs), but this may not be sufficient to immediately address the critical needs of people. At the time of the assessment (18-20 November), the national and local governments started distributing FFPs and augmenting the prepositioned supply of FFPs in many barangay and municipal governments’ offices ahead of the incoming typhoons. While the Government prepositioned FFPs as a preparedness measure, the actual distribution of FFPs as part of the response was delayed in many areas, especially the hard-to-reach communities. In these locations, affected populations had to wait for a few days until roads were cleared and re-opened, for additional FFPs to be delivered.
• WFP has worked with the national and local governments to address some of the critical communications needs of the affected population. Supported by WFP, national and local branches of the Department of Information and Communications Technology provided telecommunications support by deploying connectivity equipment through the Government Emergency Communications System - Mobile Operations Vehicles for Emergencies (GECS-MOVE) sets and satellite resources. However, challenges persist due to limited bandwidth and insufficient power supply.
• WFP has supported the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in reaching 1.6 million people with lifesaving food assistance in impacted regions, by mobilizing 200 trucks to deliver 317,800 FFPs and essential non-food items from DSWD and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) warehouses (as of 2 December 2024). WFP also supported the installation of mobile storage units (MSUs) in Albay, Batanes, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes to provide secure storage for relief goods.
• The critical gap is access to cash in the worst affected areas. The affected populations do not have enough cash at hand because they were not able to harvest their crops, and it may take some time for their sources of income to recover. While the Government has been providing much-needed FFPs, these are not enough to address the significant needs of the affected population. As such, access to cash is a priority for the affected population. Addressing this promptly is crucial to prevent further deterioration of food security in the assessed areas.