Recent flooding in Manila, Philippines, has severely impacted at least six Solomon Islands government-sponsored undergraduate students, leaving them grappling with the aftermath.
On the night of July 24, intense rainfall from Typhoon Gaemi inundated the Philippine capital and surrounding areas, leading to the closure of schools and offices, flight cancellations, and the declaration of a state of calamity in a region with a population of 13 million.
Although Typhoon Gaemi did not make landfall in the Philippines, it has intensified the seasonal monsoon rains, resulting in landslides and flooding over the past few days.
The Philippines National Disaster Agency reported that the storm has claimed at least 12 lives and displaced over 600,000 people. In some areas, floodwaters have reached neck-high levels.
“It’s been a harrowing ordeal, witnessing the destruction and trying to find a way out through the chaos,” Wilfred Akwai, a final-year student told In-depth Solomons.
“This situation has tested my strength in ways I never imagined, and it’s been a struggle to finally find shelter amidst the turmoil,” Akwai added.
In-depth Solomons has sighted a disaster report from Solomon Islands students studying in Quezon City, which confirmed that the students were severely affected.
“A severe flood struck the Philippines during the night of 24th July 2024, catching many residents, including us, off guard,” the report, produced by the students, reads.
“As undergraduate students from the Solomon Islands studying in the Philippines, we have been significantly impacted by this disaster,” it added.
“The floodwaters inundated our rented accommodations, which were primarily low-lying houses, completely submerging them and leaving us with only the clothes on our backs and a few personal items we managed to save during the chaotic night.”
Flooding damages homes and properties
As a result of the flooding, the rented homes of the students were severely damaged and are currently undergoing extensive renovations.
Some students are now forced to seek temporary shelter in hotels while awaiting the completion of repairs.
The report added all electronic devices, including mobile phones, laptops, rice cookers, fans, and heaters, were destroyed by the floodwaters. These devices are essential for the students’ daily activities and academic work.
Photo: Wilfred Akwai
Crucial documents, including thesis drafts and graduation materials, were lost or severely damaged.
Reprinting and compiling these materials will require significant financial resources, adding to the burden the students already face, the report stated.
Many clothes, shoes, and bedding were either washed away or rendered unusable by the flood.
Request for Assistance from Government
In light of the devastation, the students are requesting assistance from their sponsor, Solomon Islands government, in the following areas:
- Financial Support for Academic Recovery: Urgent funds are needed to reprint and recompile thesis and graduation documents. The cost of this task is substantial, as the students had already invested thousands of dollars in these materials.
- Assistance with Accommodation: Temporary housing costs, particularly for those staying in hotels, are proving to be an additional financial strain. Any support in this area would greatly ease the students’ burden.
- Replacement of Essential Electronics: Financial aid or donations of electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones are crucial to enable the students to continue their studies without further disruption.
- Basic Necessities: Clothing, shoes, and bedding are urgently needed to replace what was lost in the flood.
“This flood has placed an immense strain on us both financially and emotionally.
“As international students, our resources are limited, and we are reaching out in the hope that we can receive the necessary support to recover and continue our studies,” the students stated in their disaster report.
SIG: Situation back to normal, help is on the way
In response to an inquiry from In-depth Solomons, the government through the Ministry of Education’s Schorlarship office or Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority (SITESA), assured that the situation is under control and assistance is on the way.
John Iromea, Director of SITESA, informed In-depth Solomons last night that he was told that of the six students affected, four have already returned to their rented apartments, while the other two are expected to return once their accommodations are confirmed to be safe.
Houses are being renovated before students can return to their rented accommodations. Photo: Wilfred Akwai
One of the two affected students shared, “We are spending around SBD$500 per night on hotel rent, which is significantly more expensive than our usual private residences, and we’re quickly running out of money.
“We’ll remain in the hotel until our accommodations are cleared of the flood debris.
“My landlord just informed me that I need to stay at the hotel for a few more days, while they work on clearing my room,” he added.
Financial Support for affected students
To help the affected students return to normalcy, Iromea revealed that the allowances for Solomon Islands students have already been processed.
“The payment of allowances has been raised and will be deposited into students’ overseas accounts in a few weeks,” he stated.
Regarding emergency assistance, Iromea explained:
“We can provide emergency support to our students affected by any natural hazard causing destruction and disturbances.
“Financially, we assist students as part of the emergency aid to help them cope with the immediate challenges posed by the flooding.
“The extra financial assistance will depend on assessment and recommendations.”
Safety and well-being of students
In terms of the safety and well-being of the students in Manila, Iromea confirmed that the government did have safety measures for its students in the Philippines.
“At the moment, we are closely monitoring the bad weather condition in Manila by getting information from the student leaders.
“While we advised our SIG sponsored students through the student leader to take precautionary measures, we are also mindful of the fact that the impact of natural hazard can be disastrous, therefore students’ life matters,” Iromea said.
He added the government also have some specific evacuation plans or support systems in place for its sponsored students.
“First, our responsible scholarship officers will continue to assess the situation and provide recommendations to the MEHRD Senior Management Team (SMT) of the likely impacts that the recent flooding might have some impact on our students.
“Second, we will provide some form of assistance to support those students who have been affected by the flooding.
“Thirdly, as part of our evacuation plan, we are asking all the students to move to safer locations from the flooding site.
“Fourthly, we are asking our students to supply us with up-to-date information about the typhoon, flooding, etc. so that we can arrange for another evacuation plan ahead,” says the Director of SITESA.
He also confirmed that the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) and the National Scholarship Division (NSD) have some long-term strategies to deal with the safety and well-being of our students studying abroad.
“Some of these strategies include: relocation of accommodation for SIG students in safer places, conducting orientation and induction sessions to inform students about natural hazard preparedness, create student emergency funds, and conducting family reunion session through phone call, and other media platforms,” Iromea said.