Pinatubo survivors also help

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991—the world’s second biggest volcanic event in the 20th century—taught Pampanga the real meaning of a disaster.

The Kapampangan people understood, too, that a disaster could only be overcome by solidarity and faith.

Survivors of the eruptions are offering that lesson, and a helping hand, to victims of super typhoon “Yolanda” that ravaged central Visayas.

“The desire among Kapampangan to help is spurred by our own Pinatubo experience,” said Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David after the launch of the “Pampanga for Visayas/Palawan” here on Saturday.

The movement is a multisectoral partnership to help the Visayas and Palawan. It encourages the Catholic faithful to give donations in cash or in kind, with all the 94 parishes of the Archdiocese of San Fernando as drop-off points. So far, the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City has raised more than P1 million.

The Pinatubo disaster was large in scale. By November 1992, at least 364 villages in Central Luzon were partially or completely destroyed. At least 173 of these were in Pampanga.

Of the 329,141 affected families, 238,131 resided in Pampanga, according to data from the National Economic and Development Authority.

The response to Pinatubo disaster proved to be the biggest since World World II, with government spending P31.802 billion.

David said the Kapampangan community was “extra generous because of our awareness that we have to look back and to give back.”

Cash and checks can be deposited in the account names of the Holy Rosary Parish Social Action Center, Allied Bank Current Account No. 3283-0054-62; Curia Sancti Rosarii  Inc., Allied Bank Current Account No. 3281-0113-42; Social Action Center of Pampanga (Sacop) accounts in Metrobank No. 676-3-67603946-6; Banco de Oro No. 001980098369; Sacop dollar account through Eastwest Bank No. 32-70-00029-1; Swift Code: EWBCPHMM. (Donations coursed to Sacop are tax-deductible).