Tropical Cyclone Opong (Bualoi) struck the Philippines in late September 2025, devastating Masbate Island and leaving over 657,000 people affected, including 142,000 women of reproductive age and more than 11,000 pregnant women. The storm damaged health facilities, roads, and power infrastructure, cutting off access to sexual and reproductive health care and heightening risks of gender-based violence (GBV). Hospitals faced fuel shortages, six birthing centres operated without generators, and unlit evacuation centres left women and girls exposed to violence. Impassable roads and collapsed utility posts further disrupted emergency transport for women in labour and delayed assistance for GBV survivors.
UNFPA responded rapidly in coordination with government authorities, deploying pre-positioned sexual and reproductive health (SRH) supplies and dignity kits through its Emergency Fund and the Australia-supported Regional Prepositioning Initiative. More than 1,500 dignity kits, 662 maternity packs, and 4,400 solar radios with built-in alarms and lights were distributed to affected women and girls across 21 towns. These interventions restored access to hygiene, safety, and care amid prolonged power outages. UNFPA also conducted GBV risk-mitigation orientations and reached women with disabilities through house-to-house delivery, ensuring inclusivity and safety in relief operations.
The total funding requirement for UNFPA’s response in Masbate is US$1.12 million, of which approximately US$189,000 in supplies had been deployed as of mid-October 2025. Additional resources are urgently needed to restore health services, expand GBV protection, and maintain life-saving reproductive health care for women and girls as recovery efforts continue.
