| 8 September 2010 |
| CCA appeals for help to people affected by typhoon Ondoy |
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (APEN) – The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has expressed shock and grief over the loss of lives and destruction to properties of over thousands of people in the Philippines as a result of typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) which hit the country on 26 September.
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According to a Caritas International statement, a month of rain fell in just 12 hours, submerging 80 percent of the capital Manila and affecting 27 provinces. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes and over a hundred people have been killed.
Towns east of Manila were submerged and there were reports of landslides in other parts of Luzon. Electricity in large parts of Manila either went down or was cut off for safety reasons. The government declared a state of calamity for Manila and 25 other provinces in Luzon.
According to the Caritas statement, the Metro Manila has been the worst-hit in terms of flooding and damage, while Rizal had the highest number of casualties due to landslides and flashfloods. In the Province of Pampanga, over 200 villages have been submerged. A landslide occurred in Arayat, affecting 174 families, which are now temporarily housed in five evacuation centers mostly schools and chapels.
The CCA appealed to the member churches and councils “to share their solidarity in this hour of pain and despair by contributing in cash, even in a small way, to the relief and rehabilitation work of the Philippine Churches through the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).”
“We are aware that it is a moment of challenge and a pastoral responsibility to all of us who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Saviour to minister to the victims and mourn with the bereaved, and accompany those who are still searching for missing friends and relatives,”
the appeal signed by Dr Prawate Khid-arn, general secretary and the Reverend Rienzie Perera, associate general secretary of the CCA said.
“These are times which test our faith and also empower us by God’s grace to be with the Filipino people and witness to our faith either by word, action or by being a silent presence,” the CCA appeal noted.
“We believe this is also a time for us to pool our human and material resources and to work as far as possible ecumenically, and even with people of our sister faiths. It is at times like this that we can demonstrate to the world that our faith which is nurtured by the mind of Christ can transcend all divisions based on religion, class, caste, ethnicity, colour, gender and politics, to ease the pain and suffering of the people and become a beacon of strength and hope to those who have lost almost everything in life.”
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines, through member churches, councils and people’s organizations the affected areas has been monitoring “the emergency situation.”
“Families packed in evacuation centers are in a very difficult situation. They are exposed to malnutrition, hunger and disease. They need our help,” an NCCP disaster alert has said.
The CCA has urged the churches and councils and those willing to send their donations to:
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines
879 EDSA, West Triangle, Quezon City 1200
Philippines.
Tel.: + 63-2-9293745; Fax: + 63-2-9267076
Email: "Rex R.B. Reyes Jr." padirex@gmail.com
Account name: National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)
Account No.: 3054-0162-89 (Dollar Savings)
Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands
QC West Triangle Branch
1587 Quezon Avenue
Quezon City 1104 Philippines
SWIFT CODE: BOPIPHMM
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