Children affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng share their experiences

Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) made landfall in the Philippines on 29 October 2022, affecting millions of children and families across the country. 

The rights and wellbeing of children are under threat with each typhoon that hits their communities. Children are the least responsible for extreme weather events, but they are the most affected. Their health is at risk. Their education is disrupted. In emergency situations, children face higher risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. 

Amihan, 6, was sleeping when floodwater entered their home in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao. She was awakened by her father. She got scared and hugged her mother upon seeing the floodwater level rising. She's sad because all her learning materials and clothes got wet, and because her study table got washed away by the flood.

Amihan's wish is for her parents to buy her new school supplies and replace the table that she lost because of the storm.

Haifa, 10, is a third grader in Iganagampong Elementary School. She got scared as the floodwater level rose inside their home at Barangay Maitumaig, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao. Their family rushed to a neighbor’s house to seek shelter for two days. The floodwater was knee-deep, damaging their belongings especially Haifa's learning materials. 

Haifa and her family had to wait until the floodwater subsided before they went back home to clean up the mud inside their house. She hopes that the government would help families rebuild their homes, especially those that were totally damaged by the storm.

The eldest among four siblings, Amer, 13, helped bring his grandmother to safety as the floodwater reached waist-deep inside their home in Barangay Duguengen, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao. Their family was already asleep when the floodwater entered their house, damaging their belongings. Amer was able to save his school supplies; it was the first thing he thought of when he was awakened by his parents. Their family stayed in a relative’s house for five days before they returned to their home to clean up the dirt and mud left by the flood. 

Amer wishes that all the affected families in Shariff Saydona Mustapha be given assistance, especially in rebuilding their homes and buying day-to-day necessities.

The youngest of six siblings, Hamod, 18, lives with his aunt and cousin. In 2016, his family was a victim of a bomb blast in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, one of the conflict areas in Maguindanao. Hamod and his mother survived, but his father and sibling didn't. Another sibling died due to a vehicular accident later.

Armed conflicts are already common in the area, but the flooding caused by the storm was one the worst things that Hamod experienced. The floodwater was waist-deep.

"All our things got destroyed and I had to stay home since no one was there to guard it. I hope that the government would help those who are in need and badly affected by the flood, not only in giving food packs, but especially in rebuilding their houses," he said. 

If he has enough resources to pursue a degree, Hamod wants to go to college and study criminology to help people in his community.

Sittie, 7, got frightened when she saw the floodwater enter their home. She was already sleeping at that time and was awakened by her mother so that they could go to a safer place. 

Sittie was saddened when she saw her learning materials and clothes getting wet and destroyed by the flood. She wishes that her school supplies will be replaced so she could already go back to school.