HRW Calls Out Philippines for Botched Typhoon Odette Relocations on Siargao Island
Human Rights Watch is sounding the alarm on how the Philippine government has been handling the relocation of communities displaced by Typhoon Odette back in 2021. According to a new report released Wednesday, authorities on Siargao island have been moving residents — including people with disabilities — to sites that are inaccessible and lack basic services, all without meaningful consultation.
Typhoon Odette, known internationally as Rai, devastated the Philippines in December 2021, flattening homes, killing hundreds, and displacing thousands across Siargao and nearby areas. After the storm, the government imposed a No-Build Zone in coastal and riverbed areas, preventing residents from returning to their homes “for their own safety.” But HRW says what followed was far from adequate.
Between May and September 2025, HRW interviewed 48 people across four Siargao municipalities — Del Carmen, Pilar, San Isidro, and Santa Monica. Among them were 25 people with disabilities and their families who described harrowing experiences during and after the typhoon. One resident, 65-year-old Jocelyn Iytac Eguna, recalled how her husband had to carry her on his back through floodwaters to escape.
The rights group says the government failed to meaningfully consult displaced communities about their needs, didn’t provide adequate alternative housing, and gave insufficient information about long-term plans. People with disabilities faced the worst of it, encountering significant barriers in evacuation and access to services even years after the storm.
With storms displacing at least 43.8 million Filipinos in the past decade — and climate change making events like Odette more than twice as likely — HRW is urging the Philippine government to develop rights-respecting relocation plans that include full community consultation, especially for vulnerable populations. The stakes, they warn, are only getting higher.
Source: Human Rights Watch
