Through support from Canva Foundation, ChildFund provided flexible cash assistance and psychosocial support to earthquake-affected families in Malapatan, Sarangani, helping parents, caregivers, and children meet urgent needs and begin their journey toward recovery.
By Check Zabala
Children join a psychosocial support session while parents and caregivers receive cash assistance in Malapatan, Sarangani. Photo by Check Zabala
Long after the ground stopped shaking, the impact of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Mindanao continued to be felt by families in Malapatan, Sarangani.
Homes were damaged, livelihoods were disrupted, and many families remained in evacuation sites weeks after the disaster. While they were grateful to be safe, uncertainty lingered. Temporary shelters could only provide a roof over their heads for so long, and many families were already worrying about how they would rebuild their lives once they were required to leave.
A displaced resident searches for a mobile signal outside an evacuation tent in Malapatan, Sarangani. Photo by Check Zabala.
Seven weeks after the earthquake, support from Canva Foundation, with the support and collaboration of the Local Government of Malapatan, helped ChildFund provide timely assistance to families still struggling to recover in Malapatan, Sarangani.
Through the response, 300 families received multi-purpose cash assistance, giving them the flexibility to prioritize their most urgent needs. At the same time, 500 children received art supplies and participated in psychosocial support activities, creating opportunities for healing, self-expression, and play amid difficult circumstances.
The assistance came at a critical time.
Community participants line up to receive multi-purpose cash assistance supported by Canva Foundation. Photo by Check Zabala.
For some families, the cash support helped put food on the table. For others, it covered transportation, household expenses, or materials needed to begin rebuilding damaged homes. The flexibility of the assistance allowed families to decide for themselves what was most important as they navigated recovery.
Maysara Ayunan waits to receive cash assistance that will help support her family and grandson’s medical needs. Photo by Check Zabala.
One of them was 46-year-old Maysara Ayunan, who has been caring for her six-year-old grandson, Alvin, since he was born.
After the earthquake, Maysara’s family moved into an evacuation site, where several displaced families shared limited space and resources. They had already spent nearly two months there and knew they would soon need to leave as the allowed period for staying in the site was coming to an end.
Adding to her worries was Alvin’s health condition. Diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, he requires regular maintenance medication. Maysara’s husband takes on labor jobs whenever work is available, but the income is often not enough to cover both the family’s daily needs and Alvin’s treatment.
“We can only stay here for three months. We need to leave soon, but we still don’t know how we will rebuild. My biggest concern is making sure my grandson has the medicine he needs,” Maysara shared.
The cash assistance provided through ChildFund’s emergency response helped ease some of that burden.
For Maysara, the support meant she no longer had to worry about where to find money for Alvin’s medicine. It also gave her family a chance to begin preparing for what comes next. She plans to use part of the assistance for Alvin’s maintenance medication and set aside the rest to help build a simple home for the family once they leave the evacuation site.
Alvin joins a psychosocial support session and receives art supplies while his grandmother collects cash assistance. Photo by Kim Garcia.
While Maysara collected the assistance, Alvin joined dozens of other children participating in ChildFund’s psychosocial support activities. Equipped with art materials, the children spent time drawing, coloring, and engaging in activities designed to help them process their experiences and regain a sense of normalcy.
For children who have lived through the fear and disruption of a disaster, these moments matter. They provide safe spaces where children can interact with others, express their emotions, and simply enjoy being children again.
Together, the cash assistance and child-focused activities addressed both immediate and longer-term recovery needs. Families were able to make decisions based on what mattered most to them, while children received support that nurtured their well-being during a challenging time.
Alvin and his grandmother, Maysara, after receiving support through ChildFund and Canva Foundation’s emergency response. Photo by Check Zabala.
As recovery continues in Malapatan, the support from Canva Foundation is helping families move forward with greater confidence and dignity. For caregivers like Maysara, it means being able to care for the people who depend on them while taking the first steps toward rebuilding their future.
“I am thankful because now I have money to buy medicine for my grandchild. I can also use some of it to help us start building our new home. It gives us hope,” she said.
For families recovering from the earthquake, hope is found not only in rebuilding homes, but also in knowing that they are not facing the journey alone. Through timely and flexible support, families like Maysara’s are finding the resources they need to recover, rebuild, and look ahead to better days.
