Typhoon aid reaches village

Tauranga's Neco Wieringa while he was in the Philippines. Photo / Supplied

Neco Wieringa had no idea what to expect when he agreed to go to the Philippines for a month to help a typhoon-ravaged village.

The Tauranga 19-year-old went to the village of Carles to help get the village back on its feet, when he had to be evacuated because of typhoon Hagupit.

Mr Wieringa had just finished his first year studying engineering at Auckland University when he took off for the Philippines with his girlfriend Genevieve Corich and humanitarian Linda Cruse.

The team of volunteers on the trip worked together to gain support for this village, as the volunteers are helping the local villagers to become 'self-sustaining' by giving them a "hand-up, not a hand-out".

Mr Wieringa's main role during the four-week trip was to take photographs for Ms Cruse's charity.

"She wanted me to photograph the trip so other people could see what it was like there," he said.

"I had no idea what it would be like ... I didn't know how bad it would be."

Mr Wieringa said he was shocked at the amount of poverty.

"The main road is dirt, the houses are made out of bamboo or wood ... Their whole house is smaller than my bathroom.

"We were in Carles helping out and then we had to evacuate because of typhoon Hagupit.

"After it passed we went back and helped hand out emergency food."

Despite the poor living conditions and extreme poverty Mr Wieringa said the people in the Philippines were extremely generous.

"The people were so lovely ... Their houses were basically falling apart," he said.

"They have nothing but they will give you everything."

He said he would be thinking of the people he met over the festive season.

Genevieve Corich shakes hands with a man who was partially blinded during typhoon Haiyan then partially deafened by the medication he was taking to fix his blindness. Neco and Genevieve helped to build him a new house. PHOTO/NECO WIERINGA

"We did have a small Christmas party before we left. Everyone came together and it was great because it is not something they could normally afford to do."

Mr Wieringa said he learnt a lot from the trip.