Cebu steps up aid drive for Sendong survivors

Don’t stop giving or caring for survivors of tropical storm Sendong, Cebu’s chief shepherd urged the Cebuano faithful over the Christmas holiday last week.

Palma’s appeal came after  Christmas Eve saw private donation drives revved up for survivors of tropical storm Sendong, with more relief aid and equipment on its way today to northern Mindanao from Cebu.

“I exhort people to be more caring and sharing,” said Palma in an interview after the midnight mass.

He said giving assistance would make the Christmas season, which runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 6, “more meaningful.”

Palma celebrated his first Christmas midnight mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, where a wall of lightbulbs illuminated a nativity scene near the altar.

About 10 priests, who walked with him down the aisle as incense filled the hall, concelebrated the mass.

People from all walks of life lined up later to kiss a life-size image of the baby Jesus held out to the crowd by a young clergyman.

In his homily, Palma said in Cebuano, “The baby Jesus is in the manger, but he should not remain there.  He would rather be with you in the midst of your families and in your hearts.” “Enthrone him in your hearts,” he added.

He spoke of the danger of losing the essence of Christmas in celebrations that emphasize what a person expects to receive, instead of give, and a preoccupation with one’s own fun and pleasure.

He asked Sendong survivors in Mindanao and Negros Oriental to hold on to their faith and  hope.

“I encourage our brothers and sisters that in the hardest dark clouds in the sky, people should be hopeful with the presence of God to give ending resolution with the situations and calamities.”

Close to half a million pesos was raised in two benefit concerts in a Cebu City  mall and at the Fuente Osmena park on Dec. 24.

Buoyed by a long list of volunteer performers, with styles ranging from pop ballads to choir pieces and show band music, the concerts arrayed Cebuano talents.

The “Cebu for Mindanao: A Christmas Concert of Hope” at the Ayala Activity  Center  went beyond its allotted two hours and raised P380,000 in cash donations.

“It was really higher than what we expected,” said businessman Wilson Ng, one of the organizers and keyboard player of the Asian Troubadour band, who performed Christmas songs and pop numbers with violinist Jay Gacang on stage.

Cash and credit card swipes were received at donor’s tables. “Some donated P100, some P500.  They were very responsive,” he said.

More than 200 showed up as solo singers, choirs and bands to perform until 5:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Two tons of relief goods were also collected, including 3,000 bottles of water from one company and 20 sacks of rice from another.

At Fuente Osmena,  audience enjoyed at least 38 bands on stage, including a brief appearance of Cebuano celebrity Mateo Guidicelli. The show lasted until midnight.

Many of the 60 bands that signed up were unable to perform due to time constraints.

The P61,542 in cash donations and at least two truckloads of relief goods of bottled water, canned goods and used clothing will be turned over by the JCI-Cebu chapter to ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya Foundation, said Cerwin Eviota.

The goods will be transported to Iligan City today on board a ship of Sulpicio Lines.

Dump trucks and heavy equipment from the Cebu provincial government were shipped to Iligan last week and Sunday night.

These include two bulldozers, two flatbed trucks, a backhoe, a water truck, a payloader, a prime mover and a service vehicle in response to Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz’s request for help in clearing operations.

A second team from the Provincial Engineering Office left for Iligan to assist in the clearing.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will travel to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities today to turn over P5 million for each city as assistance from the Cebu provincial government. Reporter Marian Codilla with reports of correspondents Tweeny Malinao and Carmelo Loise Matus