Cathedrals in Philippines Turning Into Camps for Typhoon Displaced
June 27, 2008, Manila, The Philippines —
In the Philippine city of Jaro, where nearly 80 percent of villages (or barangays) have been under floodwaters, the local Cathedral is beginning to resemble a refugee camp. With four neighboring municipalities (Pototan, Zarraga, Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas) under six feet of water, members at the Cathedral are concerned about how to meet the needs of the growing number of families who have no place to call home.
"In Mindanao, conditions in the camps are dire, with twelve to fifteen families (up to ninety people) taking shelter in each classroom, and abysmal sanitation, sometimes none at all. While people are making their way home, there are still around 4,500 families whose homes are underwater, and it is not clear when they will be able to go back. It could be a few weeks or months since some major dikes and dams broke, and rivers have changed course," says CRS' Ryan Russell, regional technical advisor for emergencies, from Mindanao.
The sixth tropical cyclone to strike the shores of the Philippines this year, the Category 3 (serious) Typhoon Frank managed to hit almost the entire country, causing severe flooding as it passed through. It first caused massive devastation in Mindanao, across the Visayas, in the capital Manila and northwestern Luzon between June 21 and 22.
"For those going home, most lost the crops they had just planted. Many were already having difficulties feeding their families and were dependent on government-subsized food, all brought on the last few months by a doubling in food prices, such as rice," says Russell.
Dioceses across the country are reporting major devastation at their doorsteps, and the urgent needs of people arriving at them. In the diocese of Antique, 208 villages were submerged by floods, affecting 36,238 people. In the Archdiocese of Capiz, 100,000 people have been affected, and in the Archdiocese of Cotabato, 70,336 people have been affected. The typhoon caused great destruction in some parishes, especially in the low-lying areas, damaging houses, properties, as well as corn and rice fields.
"People are desperately in need of seed and tools if they are going to be able to feed their families down the road. Most took loans to plant what they just lost at an interest rate of 10 percent a month, and will still have to pay back. A lot of the fields are covered in mud and sand, which will take weeks or months to repair before planting can occur," says Russell.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partner, the National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace, are responding with emergency relief for 50,000 people in six provinces across Western Visayas and Mindanao. Emergency humanitarian efforts will include providing food, kitchen utensils, medicines, and shelter aid materials (blankets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats).
How to Help:
Donate via phone: 1-877-HELP-CRS
Donate online: www.crs.org
Write a check: Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090
CRS has been working in the Philippines continuously since 1945 when it launched relief and reconstruction efforts in the wake of the Second World War. While CRS continues to provide relief to victims of natural and man-made emergencies, it has evolved into a premier development agency that supports ongoing programs in Peace and Reconciliation, Health, Enterprise Development, and Agriculture/Natural Resource Management.
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Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency provides assistance to people in more than 100 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed. For more information, please visit www.crs.org.
