Pray, help storm survivors, CBCP appeals to flock

Residents of Borongan town in Eastern Samar wade through a flooded street as Tropical Storm “Urduja” dumps heavy rains in the Visayas. —AFP

With Christmas only a few days away, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines urged the faithful to pray and offer their help to the survivors of Tropical Storm “Urduja.”

CBCP president and Davao Archbishop  Romulo Valles made the appeal in a statement dated December 21, titled “On the Suffering that Typhoon Urduja Brought to our People.”

The prelate lamented that “Urduja” struck as the country was preparing for the Christmas holidays.

“We enjoin our Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill to offer sincere prayers to the Lord to let these people, in His mysterious ways, feel His care and love, His mercy and compassion,” he said.

“Urduja” slammed into the Visayas last week with six landfalls, killing 46 people and destroying over P1 billion in agricultural crops and infrastructure.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that more than one million people, or 281,902 families were affected by the tropical storm.

Of this figure, 55,029 families or 224,908 people were staying in evacuation centers or with relatives.

Valles lamented that with severe Tropical Storm “Vinta” battering Mindanao, “this is another very sad situation for many of our people who will be for sure in difficult circumstances as we usher in and celebrate the birth of our Savior.”

“At the same time, we can be with the Lord by extending all we can – our help and assistance to these people,” the prelate urged the faithful.

The CBCP president appealed to dioceses all over the country, their social action centers and Caritas offices, religious organizations and Catholic schools “to continue what we have been doing in the past when such tragedies struck.”

“We organize and offer our help and assistance to the people of these areas through the bishops of these places… This is the least that we can do, and perhaps we can do more through our own creative actions in each local church,” Valles said.

Earlier, the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action, also known as Caritas Philippines, sent P 100,000 in cash assistance to Catarman and P 200,000 to Biliran to augment the relief operations there.

The Archdiocese of Palo’s Caritas office also sent relief goods enough for 500 families, as well as burial assistance for families affected by the landslides in Naval, Biliran.#