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1-08-2009    
The ICRC in the Philippines

News published over the last 12 months
2-10-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC helps improve hygiene and sanitation in flood-affected prisons
Manila (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology are working to improve water supplies and sanitation in four prisons affected by the recent flooding in the Philippines.
(News)
30-9-2009  News release
Philippines: responding to the needs of flood victims
Manila (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is supporting the relief efforts of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) in response to the flooding in the South-East Asian nation caused when tropical storm Ondoy struck the country on 26 September.
(News)
12-7-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC confirms that Eugenio Vagni is free
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – Eugenio Vagni, the last of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff members abducted in the southern Philippines on 15 January, is free. Fellow abductees Mary Jean Lacaba and Andreas Notter regained their freedom on 2 April and 18 April respectively.
(News)
23-6-2009  News release
ICRC survey shows disturbing impact of hostilities on civilians
Geneva (ICRC) – War and armed violence take an alarming toll on civilians in conflict-affected countries across the globe, according to new findings published by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday. The survey reveals that displacement, separation from family members and a lack of access to basic necessities are among people's most common experiences and biggest fears.
(News)
18-4-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC confirms kidnapped staff member is free
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – Andreas Notter, one of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff members abducted in the southern Philippines on 15 January, is now free. He spent 93 days in captivity.
(News)
2-4-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC confirms release of one kidnapped staff member
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – Mary Jean Lacaba, one of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff who were abducted in the southern Philippines on 15 January, has been released.
(News)
30-3-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC again appeals to kidnappers
Geneva / Manila (ICRC) – The ICRC has again appealed to the Abu Sayyaf group to spare the lives of the three ICRC workers, Mary Jean Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter, it has been holding since 15 January.
(News)
27-3-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC president calls for hostages to remain unharmed
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is appealing to the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is holding Mary Jean Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter in the southern Philippines, to ensure that the three remain unharmed and to let them go immediately.
(News)
18-3-2009  News release
ICRC and Philippine Red Cross appeal to abductors' sense of humanity
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has taken note of direct threats made by those responsible for the abduction of ICRC staff members Mary Jean Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter on 15 January 2009 and is extremely worried about the three persons' safety.
(News)
28-1-2009  News release
Philippines: face-to-face visit with three abducted ICRC workers
Manila (ICRC) – The Vice-Governor of Sulu, Lady Ann Sahidulla, who is also chairperson of the local Red Cross chapter in Sulu, has been able to visit the three kidnapped workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who are being held by unidentified captors in the southern Philippines.
(News)
22-1-2009  News release
Philippines: ICRC appeals for release of staff one week after their abduction
Manila (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is calling for the rapid and unconditional release of its three kidnapped staff members in the southern Philippines.
(News)
20-1-2009  News release
Philippines: safety of abducted staff remains top priority
Manila (ICRC) -- Efforts are continuing to secure the safe and unconditional return of three abducted staff members from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the organization said on Tuesday.
(News)
17-1-2009  News release
Philippines: abducted staff make contact as ICRC operations continue in Mindanao
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) –The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) remains extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of its three abducted staff members in the southern Philippines.
(News)
15-1-2009  News release
Philippines: three ICRC staff abducted in Sulu Province
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – Three staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were abducted by several armed men today in the town of Jolo in Sulu Province, which is situated in the Sulu Archipelago of the south-western Philippines.
(News)
13-11-2008  Operational update
Philippines: conditions worsen for displaced people in Maguindanao
Latest report on ICRC activities in the field
(News)
28-10-2008  Operational update
Philippines: fresh displacement in Central Mindanao
Latest report on ICRC activities in the field
(News)
14-10-2008  Operational update
Philippines: inhabitants of Central Mindanao keep being displaced by the fighting
Latest report on ICRC activities in the field
(News)
©ICRC/VII/J. Nachtwey/ph-e-00264
Libutan, Maguindanao Province. The ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross distribute food and household essentials to displaced families.
The ICRC has been working permanently in the Philippines since 1982. It focuses on protecting and assisting vulnerable populations affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

The ICRC visits people detained in connection with armed conflicts and other situations of violence in order to monitor their conditions of detention and treatment. In cooperation with the national authorities, the ICRC has launched the "Call to Action" programme to address gaps in the criminal justice system, concerns regarding detainee health, in particular the spread of tuberculosis, and poor living conditions.

The ICRC regularly reminds all parties to armed conflicts of their obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL), in particular of the need to protect civilians. It also acts as a neutral and impartial intermediary to facilitate the handover of people captured and detained in relation with the conflicts to their families.

The organization works to integrate IHL into national legislation, and promote knowledge of and respect for this body of law among local and national authorities, armed and security forces, university students, and civil society.

The ICRC runs its assistance and IHL programmes in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross. The organization also helps the National Society boost its capacity in the areas of disaster preparedness and restoring family links.

The ICRC has a delegation in Manila, a sub-delegation in Davao and offices in the cities of Cotabato, Zamboanga and Tacloban.


Presence (2009): 145 staff, including 32 expatriates


Our world. Your move. in Philippines

The year 2009 has great significance for the ICRC and the entire Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: it marks the 150th anniversary of the battle of Solferino and the 60th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. In observance of these anniversaries, the Movement has launched a campaign, Our world. Your move, to remind everyone of his or her individual responsibility to lessen human suffering.

The Philippines is one of the countries being highlighted as part of the campaign. Fighting between the government and insurgent groups has displaced thousands, mainly in the south.

Key document
Event
Feature
    6-11-2008
    Philippines: the trekking delegate from the Visayas
    Ophélie Deyrolles does a normal ICRC job: she brings protection and assistance to civilians affected by armed conflict. She works in the Visayas, a string of islands tucked away in the heart of the Philippines. What makes Ophélie’s job different is that she has to hike to reach remote communities. The ICRC's Iolanda Jaquemet reports on one of her arduous journeys.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Feature Includes Photo

    5-11-2008
    Philippines: the journey Carina will always remember
    In the far-flung Philippine archipelago, the ICRC is helping the families of security detainees visit their loved ones. The ICRC's Iolanda Jaquemet recently accompanied 9-year-old Carina and her mother on their journey to a penal colony close to Manila. For these members of an indigenous tribe, a half-day trip to the capital is an odyssey.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Feature Includes Photo

    21-10-2008
    Philippines: caring for the sick and wounded
    Since the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front resumed fighting in August, medical personnel in Central Mindanao have been working around the clock. The ICRC’s Iolanda Jaquemet talks about their daunting task.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Feature Includes Photo

    10-9-2008
    Philippines: a wet Ramadan and a tent for shelter
    On the southern island of Mindanao, thousands of civilians fleeing clashes between the Philippine army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front live precariously. The ICRC’s Iolanda Jaquemet talks to some of the civilians and reports on what the organization is doing to support them.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Feature Includes Photo

Field newsletter
    13-10-2009
    ICRC in the Philippines - Delegation newsletter
    In Central Mindanao, where active hostilities ceased in July 2009, over 200,000 civilians remain displaced. ICRC assistance teams have worked continuously, along with the Philippine National Red Cross, to distribute food rations and essential household items to over 150,000 displaced people. An overview of the main ICRC activities in the Philippines from January to August 2009.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Field newsletter Includes PDF

    6-7-2009
    The ICRC in the Philippines: delegation newsletter - June 2009
    The ICRC has been working in the Philippines since 1982. Through its five offices in Manila, Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga and Tacloban, the organisation runs a humanitarian operation comprising of both protection and assistance programmes for thousands of people adversely affected by armed conflicts or other situations of violence.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Field newsletter Includes PDF

    27-6-2008
    The ICRC in the Philippines: protecting people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence
    The ICRC protects and assists civilians displaced or otherwise affected by armed clashes between the government and armed opposition groups. It works to minimize the effects of armed conflicts and violence on the population and acts as a neutral intermediary between opposing forces on humanitarian matters. The ICRC visits detainees and cooperates with the Philippine National Red Cross, to assist displaced people and promote compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL).
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Field newsletter Includes PDF

Interview
    15-7-2009
    Philippines: thinking of his family helped Eugenio overcome almost six months' captivity
    The ICRC's head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, Alain Aeschlimann, comments on the release of ICRC staff member Eugenio Vagni, and on the ongoing work of the ICRC in the Philippines.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Interview

    8-5-2009
    Philippines: ICRC presses on with efforts to secure release of Eugenio Vagni
    The ordeal of abduction continues for Eugenio Vagni, the only ICRC staff member taken hostage on 15 January still in captivity. The ICRC's head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, Alain Aeschlimann, comments on ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Interview

    1-4-2009
    Philippines: abductors' deadline has expired and ICRC hopes worst did not happen
    Wednesday 1 April marks 77 days since ICRC staff members Mary Jean Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter were abducted in the southern Philippines. The ICRC's head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, Alain Aeschlimann, comments on the current situation.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Interview

    12-2-2009
    Philippines: ICRC staff enter fifth week of captivity
    It was four weeks ago today that ICRC staff members Mary Jean Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter were abducted in the Philippines. The ICRC's head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, Alain Aeschlimann, speaks about how the organization is coping.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Interview Includes Photo

    28-8-2008
    Philippines: rescuing civilians threatened by conflict
    Intensifying conflict between the army and an armed group on Mindanao Island is worsening the lot of thousands of displaced civilians. The ICRC's head of delegation in Manila, Felipe Donoso, discusses their plight and the organization's efforts to come to their aid.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Asia and the Pacific\Philippines)
    Interview Includes Photo

Operational update
Photo Collection
    16-7-2009
    Switzerland: freed ICRC staff member Eugenio Vagni arrives in Geneva
    Six months after he was kidnapped in the southern Philippines, ICRC water and sanitation engineer Eugenio Vagni arrived in Geneva late on the evening of 15 July with his wife and young daughter.
    (The ICRC worldwide\Western and Central Europe and the Balkans\Switzerland)
    Photo Collection Includes Photo

    2-7-2009
    Red Cross Red Crescent Movement rallies behind kidnapped Eugenio Vagni
    The ICRC's Eugenio Vagni has been held hostage on the Philippine island of Sulu for over five months. Between 23 and 28 June, hundreds of Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers gathering in Solferino in northern Italy to mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino, which led to the idea of the Red Cross/Red Crescent, showed their support for Eugenio – an Italian – and his family. On 1 July some 230 young Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers from around the world arrived in Geneva from Solferino. They gathered in the courtyard of the ICRC's Ecogia training centre to express their solidarity with Eugenio.
    (Info resources\Photos)
    Photo Collection Includes Photo

    2-10-2008
    Philippines: helping people cope with displacement and torrential rain
    On 10 August 2008, the Philippine armed forces and fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front resumed hostilities on the island of Mindanao. The ICRC immediately launched an emergency operation to help those forced to leave their homes by the fighting. So far, over 120,000 have received food, water and basic household items.
    (Info resources\Photos\Asia and the Pacific)
    Photo Collection Includes Photo

Video Collection
    17-11-2009
    Philippines: protecting the lives and dignity of detainees
    James Nachtwey, a well-respected war photographer, went to the Philippines in 2009 for the the ICRC. He witnessed the hardships of some of the country's most vulnerable people: detainees and people displaced by conflict. For more than 17 years, the ICRC has been visiting people detained in connection with armed conflicts and other situations of violence in the Philippines.
    (Info resources\Video)
    Video Collection Includes Video

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25-11-2009