CEBU:
13
November
2013
--
As different individuals write in about the aftermath of
Haiyan/Yolanda
in the central part of the Philippines, it is possible to
offer the
following update:
It would seem that all SDB
and FMA communities have been spared loss of life - many
communities
were in central Cebu which was less affected. Those
communities SDB and
FMA in the destructive path of Haiyan did suffer physical
damage to
buildings and structures, and there is concern for relatives
of
Salesians, Sisters, aspirants, school and oratory families who
were
closest to the badly affected areas. Relief activities at
province
levels have swung into action - and in some instances (the
Sisters for
example) were already underway in response to the earlier
Bohol
earthquake - that made it possible to direct immediate help to
those
most in need.
From Lawaan we
hear that one confrere and two aspirants have family in the
immediate
area of Tacloban City or on Bantayan island where most homes
were badly
damaged; they have gone up there to discover news of their
families,
since the lack of communications has made it impossible to
know
otherwise.
Bishop Cantillas SDB,
whose diocese is in southern Leyte, one of the worst affected
islands,
writes that "By God's mercy and loving care my diocese had
been spared
from great destruction. A parish church has been damage at its
part of
the roof. We have mobilized our faithful for help for our
neighboring
dioceses. We have no electricity till now and for the coming
weeks.
Fuel is of limited supply. Food is still available."
The southern Philippines
Province (FIS) has a relief campaign in
action, with all houses contributing to a store of 30,000 food
packages
that they hope to have distributed by this coming weekend. The
Sisters,
with a community along the central coast road, well-placed as
a relief
centre and able to take in 800 people; they had already been
preparing
food packages for relief in earthquake-stricken Bohol. They
have been
able to redirect some of this. The Salesian community in
Borongan, very
close to the badly affected area, is itself a relief centre.
Aspirants
from Lawaan are volunteering their help with a government
agency in
preparing relief packages.
The Sisters have
provided a detailed account of damage to various schools
and communities on their central website.
A number of Salesian NGOs
have been in contact, especially with the Cebu-based Province,
to offer assistance. Don Bosco Network (DBN) is amongst these.
