On November 8, Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan came ashore in the central Philippines in East Samar. Over the next 33 hours, the storm would wreak havoc on the island chain, destroying homes and livelihoods, killing thousands, and leaving tens of thousands more cut off from food and water.

Tetra Tech has worked in the Philippines for more than 20 years and currently has approximately 40 employees in-country  supporting a coastal resource project. Tetra Tech employees raised funds to assist people in hard hit areas where we work.

The remoteness, flooding, and debris in the affected areas meant that simple journeys could take days. The widespread magnitude of the damage limited access by land and air. No lines of communication or electricity were running.

Aid—in the form of fresh water, food, medical assistance, clothing, and more—slowly made its way to the Philippine provinces most affected by the storm.

At the time of the disaster, Tetra Tech employees in the Philippines wrote back to their home offices with updates:

“Reaching the island communities is still the big challenge, but that is where our help is most needed. The basic needs are still water, food, and clothing.”

“We all must remain strong through these challenges, focus on relief and rehab, and tend to those impacted by the storm. We truly appreciate the compassion and generosity of all our colleagues and clients.”

Tetra Tech has provided both coastal resource and infrastructure services in the Philippines. For more than 20 years, we have worked on coastal resource projects, currently supporting fishing communities in low-lying areas to develop sustainable fishing practices . Six of the eight active program sites we support are in areas that sustained storm damage. Since 2009 we have worked to rehabilitate a road linking eastern and western sections of the island of Samar, which was hard hit by the typhoon. Samar was one of the hardest hit areas, with Tacloban and Guiuan suffering some of the most significant impacts.

Tetra Tech set up two fundraising campaigns to benefit people in the typhoon damaged areas.

Red Cross Typhoon Relief Fund for the Philippines

Our employees undertook this effort to raise funds to support the people of Samar and surrounding areas where we worked with the Philippine government and a U.S. government foreign aid agency on a comprehensive road evaluation and rehabilitation program, including environmental and social aspects.

GlobalGiving EcoFISH Relief Effort

Tetra Tech and our small business implementation partner SSG Advisors are leading this fundraising effort. We are working together on coastal resource projects and our local staff provided disaster relief to the hardest-hit, most isolated communities in the mid-section of the Philippines.

Donations of Clothing and Household Goods

Several Tetra Tech offices donated items through LBC, Express, Inc., an international courier based in the Philippines. LBC partnered with the Philippine Red Cross and offered free shipment of relief items to the Philippines.