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Hilwai: Mobile
Rehabilitation Services for Remote Islands
 Hilwai is an Ilonggo word (one of the dialects in
the Visayas region), which means "freedom to move
around and not being tied to one place". The idea
originated from the island of Mondiano, in of the independent
orthopedic workshops that HI set up, and which provides
care for children from other islands. Start of Community
Approach to Handicap in Development (CAHD) in a rural community.
Funded by the World Bank, through the Development Marketplace,
the Hilwaï boat was inaugurated in Manila in 2004.It
is a mobile rehabilitation unit providing orthopedic and
rehabilitation services in small and remote islands in the
central part of the country.
Hilwai represents two things: 1) people with disabilities
(PWDs) moving around freely, having overcome social or environmental
barriers and, 2) the delivery of services to reach these
people in remote islands where they live.
Access to basic infrastructure, health facilities, social
services and other development opportunities is especially
difficult for people who live in remote island communities.
The ease and cost of delivering basic social services to
these remote areas can be extremely expensive, which even
the local government units find hard to provide.
These situations increase the vulnerability of PWDs to
diseases, which hamper their full economic, social and cultural
participation in their communities. Most orthopedic and
rehabilitation centers are located in urban centers which
are too far and too expensive for poor families with disabled
members to go to for medical check-up and rehabilitation.
Transportation, food and lodging costs when they go to the
town proper and the discomfort of their disabled family
member when traveling in public inter-island passenger boats
prevent these families to avail of orthopedic and rehabilitation
services. Sometimes, too, they are not even aware that such
services exist.
 Hilwai delivers the services of city-based rehabilitation
centers to persons with disabilities in 2.5 month-campaigns
in island communities in the Visayas region. It has eight
people on board, including a prosthetic technician, a physiotherapist
and social workers.
Aside from orthopedic and rehabilitation services, Hilwaï
provides, and will provide, emergency assistance for areas
hit by natural disasters. The boat was brought to Aceh,
Indonesia and provided assistance to victims of the Asian
tsunami in 2004.
A customized boat for delivering rehabilitation services
The boat has been specifically designed for its purpose
- to provide rehabilitation and orthopedic services for
PWDs in places that are difficult to reach. The 15-meter
steel boat was built to withstand severe or harsh environment
and has the following features:
- Accommodation for 10 persons with toilet and baths and
a kitchen
- An office
- An orthopedic workshop (22 sq.m.) with necessary machines
and tools to fabricate artificial limbs, braces, special
chairs
- A big engine room to accommodate the mechanic, generator,
electric and plumbing
- A huge stock room to store the equipment needed during
operations
- Two smaller boats (one rubber and a small speed boat)
to access even remoter places
- Latest navigational system (GPS, tracker, radar) and
security equipment (life raft, life jacket, extinguisher)
to ensure safe operations.
Hilwai's Work
Orthopedic services
 The orthopedic services provided during the boat's visit
to an area are provided by our professional staff (physiotherapist
and prosthetic technicians) and cover a wide range of
mobility and assistive devices such as artificial limbs,
braces, orthoses, wheelchairs, and crutches.
Our staff provides home-based service, i.e., they do
most of the necessary work and assistance at the homes
of the disabled persons and within the community. The
boat is equipped with the necessary machines and equipment
in order to fabricate the device and the clinical work
is done where they live.
Community-Based Rehabilitation
 The heart of our work!
We believe that rehabilitation services should not only
be the concern of the professionals, but that it is a
process involving the whole community. Trainings are provided
not just to the disabled persons, but also to their families,
community members, and local social and health workers
on how to extend daily support to make a disabled person's
life more meaningful and productive. The goal really is
to include and enable disabled persons to participate
in the social and economic activities in their communities,
with the community members themselves encouraging and
supporting disabled persons' involvement in such activities.
Community-based rehabilitation activities include promoting
a positive attitude towards disabled people and ensuring
that they do not feel detached from the rest of the community;
early detection of and intervention for disability to
lessen the effect of impairment; provision of rehabilitation
services such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, psychological
counseling, orthotics and prosthetics; education and training
for disabled persons; and supporting local activities
that can involve disabled persons, such as sports and
leisure activities, income-generating projects and the
like.
Prevention and awareness
 Education is a key factor in preventing disability. Our
team conducts interactive information and awareness activities
during each campaign. Our activities on this component
focus on road safety, health and hygiene, work-related
accidents, and dynamite fishing, among others.
Rehabilitation services can only do so much for persons
with disabilities, and the main challenge really is how
to break the perception that disabled people cannot participate
in community activities, be productive and even live life
to the fullest as "normal" people do.
Our team works on this challenge through our information
and awareness activities with the community members and,
more importantly, empowering persons with disabilities
to show and maximize their full potential and excel in
the activities that they participate in. The community's
awareness of the rights and capacities of, acceptance
and inclusion of persons with disabilities will effect
a far greater change more than anything else.
Data gathering
 Hilwai also serves as a "research station"
to enhance data on disability conditions and other topics
(health, level of development, other difficulties, among
others). In each of our campaigns, we gather as much data
as we can on the situation of persons with disabilities
living in remote areas to continuously improve our understanding
of their problems and ensure that proper follow-up and
assessment activities will be done. We partner with the
local health and social services office so that they can
also use the information to improve their work. Data gathered
will also be used to enhance our information, education
and advocacy activities.
Emergency assistance
 While
it is not one of our current activities, we try to always
be prepared in case our support will be needed during
emergency operations. Barely a month after the boat's
inauguration at the Manila Yacht Club in 2004, Hilwai
made her maiden journey to no less than Banda Aceh in
Sumatra, Indonesia to assist Handicap International-Indonesia
team in giving relief and assistance to the victims of
the areas hit by the tsunami.
Making a Difference
 Hilwai has made a difference in the lives of the people
it has already served in its initial campaigns. There is
no better return for the hard work of our staff than seeing
the joy reflected on the faces of the people with disabilities
(PWDs) for they can now finally move around freely. Their
families are equally happy, too, which doubles the project's
impacts.
People with disabilities that Hilwai has served are now
less dependent on their caregivers, can help out in the
household chores, go out and see the glorious sun, mingle
with people, and go to places they have never been to after
being confined inside their homes for years. Moreover, with
their self-confidence restored, their desire has now been
fueled to be more productive members of their families and
communities.
Among our orthopedic technicians now is also a PWD himself,
already skilled and intent on helping others like him "live
standing up" again.
- Various types of mobility devices were provided to PWDs
and they are now enjoying "the freedom to move
around".
- Community volunteers and barangay health workers were
trained on Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR), Disability
Identification, Primary Intervention and Rehabilitation
Services, which resulted to the identification of more
cases of disabilities and early intervention and/or referral
to appropriate institutions. Monitoring of cases and follow-up
services were provided by the trainees and family members
of PWDs were given orientation on CBR.
- Community awareness activities on disability situations,
Magna Carta of PWDs, Impairment, Disability and Handicap,
causes of disability and other related issues and concerns.
Local government units and other sectoral organisations
are gradually including disability concerns in their agenda
and plans
- Assistance in the medical mission Handicap International-Indonesia
in the tsunami-hit areas in Banda Aceh in 2004
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Wheelchairs
for Mindanao
 We are implementing the Wheelchairs for Mindanao
project through a funding from the Leahy War Victims Fund
managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The project aims to integrate disabled persons in their
communities by improving their mobility and access to development
opportunities.
The armed conflict between government troops and rebel
groups in Mindanao has already claimed and displaced hundreds
of thousands of lives. Civilians have been forced to flee
their homes and their livelihood several times over when
the fighting became intense. To them, life is an everyday
struggle for survival, what with the fighting, constant
anxiety, uncertainty, and limited income-generating opportunities.
People with disabilities (PWDs) are among the most vulnerable
in a war situation. Lacking mobility and access to rehabilitation
services, PWDs are also often left out in development efforts
in their communities resulting to their being "detached"
or "isolated" from the rest of the community.
The Wheelchairs for Mindanao project will provide wheelchairs
and other related services to PWDs in Mindanao according
to their specific needs, so that they may live decent lives
and become part of the society as active and productive
citizens.
Wheelchair Production Center
 We
have set up a wheelchair production center in Tagoloan,
Misamis Oriental. Constructed in 2004 and inuaugurated in
February 2005, the center is now fully operational with
the necessary tools and equipment for efficient production.
Quality materials for wheelchair production are sourced
locally to ensure patient's affordability and easy access
to spare parts. The wheelchair technicians have been trained
on skills enhancement in wheelchair design and production.
The center, which produces at least 60 wheelchairs in a month, is now developing its own brand of wheelchairs called Freedom Technology.
Wheelchair Distribution and Maintenance Units
We have partnered with five local organisations which provide
services to PWDs in Mindanao for wheelchair distribution,
which becomes a component of their existing services. Called
Distribution Units, they provide the services necessary
when a person receives a wheelchair or other mobility device.
The distribution units are strategically located in the
cities of Cotabato (HI Phils.-Cotabato Field Office),
Davao (Davao Jubilee Rehabilitation Foundation, Inc.),
Cagayan de Oro (Philippine Service of Mercy Foundation,
Inc.), Zamboanga (Loving Witness of Hope Foundation,
Inc.) and in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur (Loving
Presence Foundation, Inc.)..
Components and Services
Rehabilitation Services
Social workers, physical therapists, and wheelchair
technicians in a distribution unit work very closely
with the client to make sure that the wheelchair design
will be most appropriate for maximum function and necessary
cushion for pressure-sore prevention. Trainings on the
proper use and maintenance of the wheelchair or other
mobility device, as well as on the use of the cushion
and other techniques for pressure sore prevention are
provided to the client. Each of our distribution units
also provides physical rehabilitation therapy and counseling
to the wheelchair recipients.
Social Integration
Social Awareness
Part of our work to facilitate social integration
is to raise or enhance social awareness so that people
may change their view about and behaviour towards
PWDs. Among our activities here include
- Capacity-building and organisational support to
at least 10 PWD associations
- Training of community volunteers on patient follow-up
and home-based care
- Support to local PWD associations on organizing
social events
- Media linkaging and networking
- Production of appropriate information, education
and communication materials for specific target
audiences
Social Integration
Children with disabilities also have the right to
education. Unfortunately, some schools are not PWD-friendly.
We will give assistance in improving access to school
for children wheelchair users, facilitate their enrollment
in the schools, and also assist the adaptation of
school buildings for wheelchair users.
Socio-economic Support
With our goal of restoring PWDs' self-confidence
and increasing their self-sufficiency, we will help
facilitate their access to income-generating activities
though trainings to enhance their entrepreneurial
capacities.
Networking and Referral
A network of development organisations/associations
for disabled persons will be strengthened to increase
awareness and support for disabled persons. Networking
activities shall cover other non-government organisations,
government agencies, PWD organisations, other civic
groups, hospitals and other institutions for sharing
of resources to improve and provide more services to
a large number of PWDs, especially in remote and conflict-affected
areas.
Database profile of Persons with Disabilities
A database on disabled persons in each of our covered
areas will be established to better focus and improve
the services that will be developed for them.
Making a Difference
- 170 wheelchairs have been produced, distributed through the
five distribution units and Hilwai Boat Mobile Rehabilitation
Service
- Basketball and racing wheelchairs produced and used
by the Team Philippines during the 3rd ASEAN Para Games,
a biennial multi-sports competition that showcases the
skills and abilities of disabled athletes in ASEAN countries
(the competition was held in Manila on 12-16 December
2005)
- The first recipient of a prototype tricycle wheelchair
in support of livelihood activities has already been identified
and assessed. The product design is underway and will
be made available soon to the user.
- Social awareness campaign through radio programs is
being conducted in different radio stations in Regions
9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao
- Information materials about the project have been distributed
to seven municipalities (five in Agusan del Sur and two
in Surigao del Sur)
- Wheelchairs Event Activities conducted in the distribution
units, which included a forum on the Magna
Carta for PWDs, inclusion and accesibility, parade
of wheelchair users, and sports activities for the PWDs
- Trainings of wheelchair technicians from the production
center and staff (physical therapists, social workers,
and technicians) of the five distribution units on Disability
Identification, Early Identification, Early Intervention,
Wheelchair Technology, and Cushion Design and Production
to Prevent Pressure Sores were conducted
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Support to
War Victims and Disabled People in Central Mindanao
 To say that the war between the military and rebel groups
in Mindanao, i.e., the Moro International Liberation Front
and the Abu Sayyaf in recent years, has affected quite a
large number of people is an understatement. To date, more
than 150,000 lives were lost and about 400,000 civilians
displaced as a result of the conflict. Unwittingly caught
in cross fires, civilians run for their and their families'
lives, often leaving their homes and livelihood without
knowing where and when they will start their lives over
again.
The situation is more difficult for disabled people (already-existing
disability or as victim of the war). There are no service
providers in the area that cater to the specific needs of
persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The funding assistance of several donors enabled us at
Handicap International to address the needs of PWDs and
victims of the war in Mindanao.
Orthopedic and Prosthetic Workshop
and Rehabilitation Center in Cotabato City
 The overwhelming need of internally-displaced persons with
disabilities (PWDs) for services prompted us to set up a
Community-based rehabilitation program in the rural poor
communities of Cotabato and Maguindanao, evacuation centers
and in the villages of rebel returnees. The project trained
PWDs and their families on disability identification, intervention,
prevention and referral. This resulted to a demand for direct
services for the needs of PWDs identified in the communities.
In January 2004, the Embassy of Japan in Manila, through
their Grants Assistance for Grassroots Projects, provided
funds to set up physical rehabilitation facilities to support
war victims and disabled persons in the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao and surrounding areas in Central Mindanao.
Provinces covered under this program include Maguindanao,
Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat
and Cotabato City.
The Orthopedic and Prosthetic Workshop and Rehabilitation
Center was inaugurated in Cotabato City in June 2004. The
center now provides prosthesis fabrication, rehabilitation
services for prostheses and orthoses beneficiaries, as well
as for other PWDs with different types of disabilities such
as cerebral palsy, polio and paraplegia. Rehabilitation
services include: diagnosis, assessment, early intervention,
child development program, physical therapy, and technical
assistance through referrals.
Direct Services
 The Rehabilitation Center, fully equipped with
necessary tools and equipment, produces mobility devices
(e.g., artificial legs, braces, crutches, canes, etc.)
which make the PWD beneficiaries independently mobile
and productive.
It also provides appropriate rehabilitation therapy and
functional trainings for PWDs, such as: gait training
for amputees, range of motion exercises for cerebral palsy
victims, physical therapy for stroke patients, counseling
and behavior modification sessions.
Other Medical Interventions and Referrals
The center has also successfully carried out referrals
for medical assistance and treatment for those with eye
problems, in coordination with other service organisations.
Other disabling conditions were also included in the referrals
such as hydrocephalus cases, cleft/harelip operations
and meningoecele.
Training on Disability Identification, Intervention
and Prevention
We organized a series of trainings on Disability Identification,
Intervention and Prevention for community volunteers and
barangays health workers from various parts of Central
Mindanao at the Rehabilitation Center. The trainings also
included representatives of local government agencies
in the region and members of the Mindanao Emergency Response
Network (MERN), a network of humanitarian organisations
providing relief and rehabilitation services to internally
displaced persons (IDPs) in Mindanao and of which we are
an active member.
Training on Community-Based
Rehabilitation Services
We have organized a series of trainings, with support from
a number of international funding agencies, on Community-Based
Rehabilitation (CBR) services that have made an impact on
improving the living conditions of a considerable number
of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Central Mindanao.
June 2003 - May 2004
Through a funding support from the International Refugee
Japan Fund, we trained sixty-two (62) humanitarian field
workers on proper detection and interventions for different
kinds of disabilities, and on different kinds of support
and counseling services to PWDs. Participants were all
members of the Mindanao Emergency Response Network (MERN),
which was established by Save the Children Foundation
to assist internally displaced persons in the region.
As a member of MERN, we were able to reach and provide
necessary interventions to a large number of war-stricken
PWDs in the Pagalungan and Datu Montawal municipalities
in Maguindanao and Pikit in North Cotabato.
Training participants also conducted field visits and
exposures in different evacuation centers where they applied
their acquired skills and knowledge on rehabilitation
services.
PWD cases were referred and assisted according to their
specific needs.
October 2003
Humanitarian fieldworkers and local health workers were
given hands-on training on Mediating and Counseling for
War Victims and Disabled Persons, which were held in the
evacuation centers to validate the PWD referrals that
resulted from the earlier trainings sponsored by International
Refugee Japan Fund and Save the Children Foundation.
Ninety-six participants were trained from different organisations
in Cotabato City, Pikit in North Cotabato, and the municipalities
of Pagalungan, Datu Montawal, Matanong and Kabuntalan
in Maguindanao.
November 2004 to March 2005
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided
funding support for training community volunteers, barangays
health workers and other humanitarian and development
actors on CBR and on inclusion of PWDs in development
and humanitarian services. Within this period, a total
of 96 participants were oriented and trained on:
- Global and national situation of PWDs
- Magna Carta for PWDs, i.e., Accessibility Law and
Proclamation No. 240
- Disability issues and concerns
- Kinds of Disabilities
- Local beliefs and attitudes on disability
- Needs of the disabled
- Impairments - disabilities and handicap
- Identification of various disabilities
- Counseling for war victims, disabled persons and their
family members
- Primary rehabilitation therapy and daily self-reliance
of PWDs
- Daily care, health and hygiene of PWDs and,
- Information on how to refer to appropriate agencies
Several non-government organisations and private agencies
were likewise mobilized to provide assistance to the cases
referred by the training participants.
April 2005 to December 2005
Through the continued support of JICA, at least 100 more
community volunteers and barangay health workers and even
PWDs from other parts of Central Mindanao were trained
in disability identification, intervention and prevention.
Making a Difference
To date, our program on supporting war victims and disabled
person in Mindanao have resulted to:
 ___ PWDs with mobility and assistive devices
- ___ PWDs provided with physical rehabilitation and therapy
services
- ___ PWDs assisted and provided with medical and surgical
interventions
- ___ humanitarian field workers trained on disability
identification, intervention and prevention
- expanded network of non-government organisations, government
agencies and other humanitarian associations all working
together to improve the quality of life of PWDs
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Emergency
Assistance
Part of our work is to provide emergency relief and conduct
special operations to help populations in crisis (especially
during conflict and natural disasters).
Assistance to the Victims of Super Typhoon Durian in the Neighboring Municipalities of Mayon Volcano in Bicol
 On 30 November 2006, super typhoon Durian hit the Bicol region bringing strong winds with an average speed of 195 to 220 kph and triggering massive floods in the area. The province of Albay was severely devastated as tons of boulders and sand came rushing down the slopes of Mt. Mayon, ravaging the communities surrounding it by surprise. The typhoon caused severe damage to homes, buildings, communication facilities and agriculture, and resulted in the loss of more than 600 lives, thousands of injured persons, and displaced over 30,000 families most of whom were relocated to evacuation centers, makeshift houses in the communities and transit shelters in the relocation sites.
In response to this situation, Handicap International initiated an emergency assistance project that aimed to limit the effects of the disaster on the most vulnerable groups – children, elderly and PWDs. In partnership with the local NGO Simon of Cyrene Children’s Rehabilitation and Development Foundation (SCCRDF), HI implemented the project over eight months from December 2006 to July 2007 covering the municipalities of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Sto. Domingo and Legazpi City. The project had four components: food, medical, psychosocial and rehabilitation assistance.
The project was made possible through funding support given by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UN World Health Organization, Le Club – French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Paris-Manila Technology Corporation (PAMATEC) and Together Ensemble Foundation.
Addressing hunger
Food assistance was intended for persons in the typhoon-affected areas whose access to food was generally difficult. Nine food relief operations were organized in which a total of 1,425 families or 6,993 individuals received food packages containing rice, canned goods, iodized salt, sugar, cooking oil, mongo, dried fish, cooking pots, kitchen tools, laundry detergent and bath soap. Of the total number of individuals served, 764 persons or almost 11 percent were disabled.
Addressing health problems
 Medical missions were conducted to serve the needs of those injured during the disaster and those at the evacuation centers. More than 2,000 individuals benefited from various services offered by the HI team which included medical consultation and treatment, provision of medicines and vitamins, referral service for advanced medical treatment and health education on the prevention of common diseases such as diarrhea, cough and colds, and dengue. During the medical missions, some 10,000 ampules of anti-tetanus toxoid vaccines were also distributed to the beneficiaries.
Addressing trauma
The effects of tragic events like a disaster are not only physical and socio-economic but psychological as well. Losing a family member, homes and property, and the impact of displacement on a person are devastating and traumatic. Realizing this problem, HI organized psychosocial activities in the evacuation centers, temporary shelters and in the communities to provide a venue for the expression and processing of the traumatic experience of the survivors. A total of 503 persons participated in the stress debriefing sessions, of which number more than 400 were children.
 Addressing disability
More than 500 PWDs were identified over the duration of the project and given medical assistance, mobility devices and rehabilitation therapy. Some of them had lost their mobility devices during the disaster while others were losing hope of acquiring one after losing their family members and meager resources. Of this number, a total of 79 persons received 87 various mobility devices which included customized wheelchairs, crutches, orthoses and prosthetic devices. Some 400 PWDs not in need of mobility devices were given therapy sessions either at the community centers or in the privacy of their homes.
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Past Emergency Assistance Projects:
- Support to the Most Vulnerable Victims of the Mudslide in Southern Leyte (April to November 2006)
- Assistance to the Landslide Victims in Quezon Province (December 2004 – June 2005),
- Assistance to Internally Displaced People in Pikit, North Cotabato (2003 onwards)
- Support to Returnees from Malaysia in Tawi-Tawi (August to December 2003)
- Assistance to the Victims of Typhoon Nanang in Negros Occidental (November 2001 to July 2002)
Support to the Most Vulnerable Victims of the Mud/Landslide
in Southern Leyte
 Reminiscent
of the horror of the Ormoc tragedy in the 1990s, the Southern
Leyte mud/landslide in February 2006 is definitely one of
those that will haunt the minds of the Filipinos in the
coming years. The magnitude of the loss of and damage to
life and properties shocked the whole country.
While the emergency relief and evacuation operations were
quick and outpouring, survivors have barely recovered from
the impacts of the disaster. Many of them are suffering
from physical and mental trauma and grief. Many more need
health and medical assistance. And there are a good number
of them who were left temporarily or permanently disabled.
The Swiss Development Cooperation has partnered with HI
Philippines for an eight-month project to support these
most vulnerable victims of the Southern Leyte disaster.
The project will provide follow-up emergency medical assistance
for the mudslide victims, especially for those who were
injured. This follow-up support will also ensure that the
risk of medical complications are minimized and occurrence
of diseases such as pulmonary infections and other contagious
diseases, prone to strike among people living in evacuation
centers, will be controlled.
 Moreover,
living with the trauma of such an event can be extremely
difficult especially for the children. The project will
also deploy psychosocial workers to address and/or minimize
the psychological effects to the victims brought about by
the experience of witnessing the disaster.
HI will also provide rehabilitation assistance for persons
who were left temporarily or permanently disabled by the
disaster. Many of the survivors sustained fractures and
even amputations. HI, through its Hilwai mobile rehabilitation
boat, will assist in providing home/community-based rehabilitation
services and by providing assistive mobility devices for
disabled persons (crutches, wheelchairs, and prosthetics).
The Swiss Development Cooperation-HI project will also
assist other emergency, humanitarian and reconstruction
organisations by giving them training orientations on disability
awareness, identification, basic assistance and inclusion
of persons with disability/ies (PWDs) in their programs/services
and to ensure that PWDs are not excluded from assistance.
Emergency Relief for the Most Vulnerable Victims of
the Typhoon in Quezon Province
 The three consecutive typhoons that hit the Philippines
in December 2004 resulted to many destroyed properties and
lost lives, especially in the municipalities of Real, Infanta
and General Nakar in the Quezon province. Illegal logging
activities are touted to be the major reasons for the devastation
brought by severe flooding, mud and landslides. More than
two thousand people died, damages to houses and other properties
reached millions of pesos, business and livelihood sources
were virtually wiped out. Even emergency and relief operations
were difficult to carry out because of impassable roads
going to the affected areas. The tragedy had both physical
and psychosocial impacts to the victims. Health risks resulting
from decaying bodies, lack of potable water and other health
related issues confronted the survivors of the said towns.
Emergency relief assistance was provided by various service
and humanitarian organisations (including Handicap International)
which temporarily addressed the immediate needs of the typhoon
victims.
We saw the need to continue the service for proper management
and prevention of handicapping situations resulting from
the tragedy. We sought the support of the Embassy of Japan
in the Philippines to respond to the immediate and continuous
medical/health and psychosocial needs of the affected communities.
From February to August 2005, we implemented the "Emergency
Relief for the Most Vulnerable Victims of the Typhoon in
Quezon Province" program in 17 barangays in the
municipalities of Real, Infanta, and Genera. Nakar. Our
team (composed of one medical doctor, one midwife, and three
psychosocial workers) carried out mobile medical consultations,
surgeries for orthopedic cases, and psychosocial interventions.
The emergency project also included treatment and health
education to families and individuals. The psychosocial
workers engaged in stress-debriefing activities for children
in schools and adults in the communities. Persons with disabilities,
specifically those with orthopedic cases and were in need
of immediate medical, surgical, and assistive devices were
also attended to and/or referred for appropriate intervention.
Data on persons with disabilities affected by the disaster
(pre and post disaster) were also gathered to plan future
interventions and as a contribution to policy formulation
both at the local and international levels.
Emergency Assistance to Victims of the Asian Tsunami
 Barely
a month after the Hilwai boat's inauguration at the Manila
Yacht Club in 2004, its maiden journey was to no less than
Banda Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia to assist Handicap International-Indonesia
team in giving relief and assistance to the victims of the
areas hit by the tsunami.
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Advocacy and Networking
 Handicap International conducts awareness-raising activities to mainstream disabled persons in various development opportunities and to prevent discrimination of PWDs. It also supports local partners so they can provide better service for disabled persons to help them play their roles as citizens and partners with different actors to ensure the sustainability and appropriateness of projects and activities.
Solid Waste Management Project
In partnership with Action Against Hunger, HI is working to i mprove the environmental living conditions of some of the most vulnerable urban households in Cotabato City through an innovative and coordinated implementation of the solid waste management system and the promotion of healthy environment.
The project targets 10,582 households as direct beneficiaries, living along the two major rivers and close to big market establishments. More households will be indirectly benefiting from the improved solid waste management system. The key elements of the proposed “integrated” strategy are: promotion of waste reduction practices and of responsible behaviours in health hazards related to waste disposal at the household level; “Barangay” empowerment for solid waste “public – private governance” and enhancement of public service excellence in the whole city solid waste management.
It is being funded by the European Commission.
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The Diabetes Project
 This project aims to build local capacities through an integrated approach for the prevention, control and management of complications and disabilities linked to diabetes. Implementation of the Diabetes Project is spearheaded by HI, in partnership with the Davao City Health Office (CHO), Davao Jubilee Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (DJFRD), Davao Medical Center (DMC) and the Davao Sugar Multipurpose Cooperative (DASUMULCORE)
The project is a three-year initiative that is being piloted in 10 barangays in Davao City, which include the following:
 1. Pampanga
2. Lapu-Lapu
3. 23-C Miniforest
4. 5-A Bankerohan
5. Matina Aplalya
6. Ma-a
7. Talomo Proper
8. Toril
9. Mintal
10. Calinan
There are eight key activities of the project:
Baseline study (epidemiology, nutrition anthropology, and socio-economic assessment)
IEC campaign targeted towards school children, high risk groups and persons with diabetes
Clinical practice guidelines and referral system development
Trainings of health care providers (including BHWs and BNSs)
Formation of diabetes clubs
Rehabilitation of amputated persons with diabetes
Self-management program for people with diabetes (through a diary)
Advocacy to the local government for a diabetes program
Click here for diabetes education materials.
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