The Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) was one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Odette (international
name: Rai) with over 34,000 households and more than 14,500 houses severely affected or destroyed.
Thirty percent (305%) of the population in PDI are living below poverty line, according to the Philippine
Statistics Authority first semester report on the Official Poverty Statistics of the Philippines 2021 index,
The province hosts nickel ore mining companies whose operations are said to be regulated and subject
to periodic environmental checks. It is also one of the most climate vulnerable area as it lies along the
pacific rim. Climate scenarios, and the interaction with non-climate risks could further exacerbate
inequities and leave development targets lagging and unfulfilled.
In Cy 2022, A Single Drop for Safe Water (ASDSW) and UNICEF, with support from the New Zealand
Government, provided lifesaving WASH services to 48,849 people in the municipalities of Basilisa and
Cagdianao, the two (2) municipalities worst hit by the super typhoon Odette.
About 4,386 households (15%) in PDI have no access to sanitary toilets and are either practicing open
defecation or sharing with other families. Thirteen percent (13%) or 3,946 households are accessing
water from generally unsafe Level I sources while 25,534 households are accessing water from Level II
and III systems.
The existing poverty situation in PDI will continue to degrade as climate changes, TY Odette as clear
example. Without harnessing the capacity of LGUs to modify social behavior towards WASH, along with
increasing public and private investments in the sector, the situation will worsen. Combining WASH
programming with better understanding of potential climate change impact could equip local
governments and communities on setting up urgent mitigation measures to move beyond survival and
towards the ability to thrive.
In the last quarter of 2024, UNICEF and Hocheng Philippines Corporation donated 1,000 units of toilet
bowls to the province as part of the continuing effort of improving the sanitation condition of PDI. This
donation by HCG was coupled by subsidy on other construction materials such as cement and nails and
GI roofing sheets to complete a partly concrete toilet facility for the households. The province of Dinagat
island, with its seven (7) municipalities is embarking on an ambitious target of making the whole
province a certified Zero Open Defecation Barangay by the end of 2025. This effort is also aimed to
protect the vulnerable water sources and improving environmental sanitation as a whole. With tourism
as one of the major source of income, second to mining, this move will further boost the marketability
of the island province as the next eco-tourism destination in the region.
inspector receives the 1000 pcs toilet bowls from
HCG staff.
materials are transported by boat to island
barangays.
