Hope restored: Rodelyn’s resilient recovery
24 September 2025When consecutive typhoons hit Occidental Mindoro, Rodelyn’s family endured hunger and uncertainty. But through timely aid and strengthened disaster resilience efforts, they found hope and began rebuilding their lives with renewed strength.
A mother’s strength
Rodelyn, a 30-year-old mother from Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, spends her days navigating the joys and challenges of raising six children.
Her eldest, a 16-year-old daughter, is already in Grade 10, while her 14-year-old son follows closely behind in Grade 8. Every morning, the two siblings walk to the village proper, where the Junior High School is located. The younger children—ages 12, 10, 7 and 4—attend elementary school in a nearby sitio.
Her husband, despite living with a hearing impairment, works tirelessly on their small farm, planting bananas and cassava. Because of his condition, he is unable to take on extra work in the lowland areas to supplement their income. As a result, the family depends entirely on their own harvest for sustenance—a situation that became even more difficult when a series of tropical storms struck the province in July, severely damaging their crops.
“We were in the middle of cooking lunch when, all of a sudden, a rush of water came roaring down, sounding like rocks crashing from the mountain,” Rodelyn recalls. “The river quickly rose as well, that’s why our house was flooded. It felt as if the floodwaters from the mountain and the river had merged.”
Before dusk, Rodelyn and her family decided to evacuate to a nearby church, bringing only a few personal belongings and important documents. For two days, they were unable to cross the river. “Even the trees were swept away by the strong current, so we couldn’t gather any food.”
The only cassava we managed to harvest before the water rose, we rationed carefully so our children would have at least a little something to eat.
Rodelyn, 30
Rebuilding life and livelihood after disaster
For Rodelyn, the experience was a terrifying reminder of how quickly life can change when disaster strikes. But hope arrived through the ACCESS Project, as Plan International Pilipinas responded to the immediate and basic needs of families affected by tropical storms Crising (Wipha), Dante (Francisco), and Emong (Co-may) through multipurpose cash assistance worth P7,900 and distribution of water and hygiene kits.
This support made a world of difference. Rodelyn used the money to buy food, slippers, medicine, and school supplies for her children. She and her husband also set aside some funds to plant bananas and sweet potatoes to replace what was lost to the storm.
“Your help will last us for months.” Rodelyn says, her voice filled with gratitude. “I feel overwhelming joy and have regained hope that we can rise again. We can now return to farming with peace of mind, knowing our children have food to eat.”
With tears of relief and hope, Rodelyn looks forward to rebuilding their lives. The assistance from ACCESS has given her family the security and confidence to start anew after the devastation.
About the ACCESS Initiative
ACCESS (Assisting the Most Vulnerable Communities and Schools Affected by Complex Emergencies in Accessing Quality and Timely Humanitarian and Disaster Preparedness Services) is a multi-year, multi-sectoral humanitarian initiative supporting the most affected and underserved communities in the Philippines affected by conflict and natural hazards continue to risk lives and livelihoods. The ACCESS Project is supported by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid.
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