Aquino, churchmen storm heavens with prayers

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER. President Aquino leads the National Day of Prayer in the grounds of Malacañan Palace. Beside him are, from left, Isaias Samson Jr. of the INC, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Imam Ebra Moxsir and Bishop Jonel Milan of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches. LYN RILLON

As heavy rains pounded Mindanao on Monday, President Aquino led an interfaith prayer gathering, imploring heaven for strength, resilience and guidance in the face of calamities.

With fellow government officials, religious leaders and representatives from various sectors, Aquino prayed for God’s blessing “now and forever,” especially with several areas still recovering from disasters that hit the Philippines last year.

These tragedies—the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu in October and Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), which devastated Eastern Visayas the following month—“measure our strength as a nation,” he said.

Among the nine people, Aquino included, who read prayers during the televised gathering was Idris Lim, a survivor of the siege of Zamboanga City by rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction led by Nur Misuari in September.

Dioscoro Robles represented victims of the Bohol earthquake and Rowena Borines, those who survived the monster typhoon in Leyte.

Citing Tropical Depression Agaton, which killed at least 41 people in Mindanao, the President said it seemed that calamities were “trying to keep us from the peace, prosperity and good future that are already within our reach.”

Filipinos unfazed

“But even if tragedies put us down on our knees, the Filipino is unfazed,” he said, reading from a prepared prayer in Filipino during the event in Malacañang dubbed “One Nation in Prayer.”

“The whole world marveled at the extraordinary strength of our character, the strength of our solidarity and the depth of our faith. We drew strength from Your love. We calmly face whatever challenges that may come, never surrendering and never losing hope, because we know that You are always by our side, guiding us, watching over us, and helping us with our problems.”

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who was seated beside the President on the makeshift stage on the Palace grounds, asked God “to lead us into becoming blessings to our fellowmen.”

Tagle cited the text in Mark 15:34 in which Jesus asks, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Though the verse might have reverberated among many calamity victims, he said it was a “supplication” from people who had “no one to turn to but You.”

The monster typhoon that hit Leyte and Samar provinces and cut a wide swath of devastation across the Visayas on Nov. 8 killed more than 6,000 people and displaced millions of others, leaving the government with massive rehabilitation job that could extend beyond the end of the President’s term in 2016.

The devastation caused by Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to make landfall on record, prompted a massive aid response from the global community.

In his prayer, Aquino asked God to “teach us to love unconditionally, expecting nothing in return.”

“Help us to continue loving even those who have forgotten to follow your great commandments,” he said.

“We don’t know what the future holds,” he said. “Despite this, we will face this with trust and hope because we know that whatever happens, it will be according to Your good plan.”

The interfaith prayer brought together lawmakers led by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Cabinet officials, leading businessmen, students and members of civil society.

Also present was Vice President Jejomar Binay who, on Sunday, asked the country to “pray for those who perished in the calamities that hit our nation last year and for healing for our beloved Philippines.”

“Once again, let our faith in the Almighty guide us toward a better, more secure future for our countrymen whose lives may have been altered yet remain steadfast and unconquered in spirit,” Binay said in a statement.

The Visayas pray

Churches in the Archdiocese of Palo, in Leyte province, a church in Bacolod City and a town in Iloilo province also prayed for the thousands who perished in disasters in 2013.

Fr. Amadeo Alvero, spokesman for the Palo archdiocese, said the Masses at 5:30 a.m. and at 5 p.m. were offered for all the victims of calamities.

“Let us always be one in remembering and praying for all those who died during the past calamities in our country. And let us together pray as one nation to be united in helping those who were really affected,” Alvero said.

“And we pray that those who lost their homes will be given [new homes] where they can live with dignity. Let us pray that the financial help from our generous donors will not be pocketed but be used to really help the victims of the recent calamities,” he said, in a dig on the Aquino administration’s bunkhouse plan for the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda that international observers had found to be substandard and overpriced.

The Archdiocese of Palo covers the dioceses of Calbayog in Samar, Borongan in Eastern Samar, Naval in Biliran and Catarman in Northern Samar.

Praying for recovery

In Carles town in Iloilo province, local government officials and employees prayed for recovery from the devastation wrought by Yolanda.

Carles Mayor Arnold Betita led the prayer for recovery, which followed the flag-raising ceremony at the municipal hall in the morning.

Betita said at least 21 of the 33 village chiefs in the town took part in the prayer.

“We are praying for the quick recovery of our town from the massive devastation,” he said.

Carles, a coastal town on the northeastern tip of Panay Island, 146 kilometers from Iloilo City, was hit hard by Yolanda.

The island villages, 18 of the town’s 33 villages, took the heaviest damage.

Betita said bad weather caused by Tropical Depression Agaton worsened the plight of the survivors on the islands.

“They cannot fish, especially those left with only small boats, because of the rough seas,” Betita said.

He said the municipal government had requested food aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the residents of the islands, who had nothing to eat because they could not go out to sea and fish.

The Diocese of Bacolod prayed for the victims of calamities as part of its celebration of the Feast of Saint Sebastian, its patron saint, Bacolod Bishops Vicente Navarra said.

Leading the prayers, Navarra called on the congregants to bear witness to their faith by showing their love for God, neighbor and country, amid the calamities and the many challenges faced by the nation.

In Mati City, Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon led government employees in the national prayer at the provincial capitol gymnasium in the afternoon.

“We will pray that our people will have the patience to endure everything, and that God will give me wisdom to lead our province during these trying times,” Malanyaon told the Inquirer on the phone.

Several towns in Davao Oriental remain isolated after floodwaters destroyed bridges last week.

In December 2012, the towns of Boston, Cateel and Baganga were hit hard by Typhoon “Pablo,” leaving thousands of residents homeless.

In Zamboanga City, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar called on all government employees and residents to join the National Day of Prayer to empathize with other cities and provinces devastated by man-made and natural calamities.

“Let us build better,” Salazar said during the flag-raising ceremony at the City Hall yesterday morning.

It won’t help

But for Muhmar Dalawis, 38, an evacuee at Don Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, the national day of prayer would not help the situation of the survivors of the MNLF siege.

“What we need is real help,” Dalawis said.

Professor Alih Aiyub of Western Mindanao State University, who is also secretary general of the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines, said the prayers would not help ease the burden of the internally displaced families in different evacuation centers.

“What they need is immediate intervention and it’s been quite a long time already. They have waited so long,” Aiyub said.

Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, Zamboanga City health officer, confirmed that at least 65 people have died in the evacuation centers.

Twenty-three of the victims died from dengue.—With reports from Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Joey Gabieta and Carla Gomez, Inquirer Visayas; Nico Alconaba and Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao

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