November 19, 2013
Philippines
Since the typhoon Haiyan struck on the 8th November, Caritas Philippines has been helping the inhabitants of the affected areas. Caritas is supported by the international humanitarian team including Caritas Czech Republic, which has its representative in the area.
Last week, the international Caritas team moved to the area most severely affected by the typhoon. In some areas of the city of Tacloban up to 90% of the buildings were destroyed. The people took shelter in shops, schools and other public buildings. The team, led by the director of Caritas Philippines, Father Edwin Gariguez, visited the local seminar, which has been transformed to an evacuation centre. The local Caritas and volunteers of the parish help more than 500 survivors.
One of the survivors is Mulvarosa Pibilra Perote (57 years old), a mother of five adult children and a grandmother of three grandchildren. When the storm struck, they hid at home. “We were all very scared,” says Mrs. Perote. “We thought we would die. The children were crying. We stuck to anything that was at hand. Many people died in our neighbourhood, including seven members of one family.”
The number of victims in Tacloban has risen to 2,000 but this includes only those whose bodies were found and their deaths confirmed by the public authorities.
Thanks to the local network, the Caritas brought food and water to the area of Tacloban and provided blankets. During the weekend, 18,000 food packages arrived to the city of Ormoc and 18,720 packages arrived to Tacloban. The Mulvarosa family got rice, noodles and canned food. “Our house is virtually destroyed. There is no roof,” says Mr. Mulvarosa. “I am grateful for the imported food and provided shelter.”
For the time being, the Caritas has donated 150,000 EUR (i.e. approx. 3.75 million CZK) to eleven dioceses in order for them to provide food and water to the people. Caritas Manila has sent more than 20,000 sacks of food and diverse material aid on cargo trucks and ships to thirteen affected dioceses.
The international aid is significant: Caritas Netherlands (Cordaid) has sent a plane with 5,000 special tarpaulins and 3,300 medical first aid kits to the Philippines. Another member of Caritas Internationalis, the American organisation Catholic Relief Services, provided 32,000 tarpaulins, from which 5,000 have already arrived to the city of Cebu. The Caritas Germany ordered 10,000 shelters, hygienic kits and packages for households, which will be supplied within several days to the most badly affected areas of the island of Leyte.
The efforts of the international Caritas team are coordinated with the local national Caritas and the Catholic diocese in the Philippines. After visiting the island of Leyte, Father Edwin Gariguez, the director of Caritas Philippines (NASSA) said: “We have never faced the effects of such an extensive disaster. We very much appreciate the support and solidarity of national Caritas all over the world. Thanks to cooperation and mutual coordination we can contribute to rescuing lives and the whole community.”
Last week, the Caritas Czech Republic sent its worker to the Philippines. Alongside the other members of Caritas Internationalis, he participates in the coordination of aid coming from all over the world. Another coordination meeting of the international team takes place tomorrow (18th November).
The member organisations of Caritas Internationalis (including Caritas Czech Republic) have committed to provide the amount of 1.5 million EUR (approx. 38 million CZK). “Our aid lies mainly in financial support of Caritas Philippines. We sent the first resources to their account last week,” stated Lukas Curylo, the director of Caritas Czech Republic.
The collection for the Philippines continues
Last weekend, the Caritas Czech Republic opened a collection Caritas for the Philippines through which you can provide financial support – the bank account number is 55660022/0800 maintained by Česká spořitelna, variable symbol 133.
The current state of the collection account for the Philippines is 3,189,978 CZK (as of 15/11 2 pm).
For more information please visit www.charita.cz, the website about the collection Caritas for the Philippines and photographs on our Facebook website.
