Church and civic groups pitched in to help survivors of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi), which flooded Cebu City in central Philippines and other areas in the Eastern Visayas region.
In Maasin City, Southern Leyte, Monsignor Oscar Cadayona, vicar general of the Diocese of Maasin, said churches and rectories that welcomed evacuees served hot meals on the morning of Nov. 4, after the storm’s landfall in the province.
Amid the continued tragedy following a series of earthquakes and three successive storms that hit the central part of the predominantly Catholic nation, Cadayona urged the public to remain loyal to their faith.
“As one disaster comes after another, it may destroy the structures we have built on earth, but no hardships, difficulties and discomforts we have gone through can destroy our faith and trust in God, the creator of this world,” Cadayona told Manila Standard on Nov. 4.
“May we continue to believe that in times like this, what comes out is stronger, resilient and united people taken care of by a loving and merciful God,” he added.
Rhoel Ladera, a humanitarian worker in Tacloban City, the capital of Leyte and the Eastern Visayas region, said they are organizing a “fast response drive” to badly hit areas in Silago, Southern Leyte— about 200 kilometers away from the city—after the town mayor appealed for help on social media.
Through their automobile group, “Angels on Wheels,” Ladera and his associates are announcing a donation drive in Tacloban, which they will deliver to affected areas in the southern part of the region on Nov. 5.
“Our brothers and sisters in Silago, Southern Leyte, urgently need our help. We are launching a quick response donation drive for families affected by Typhoon Tino, in response to the call for help from Silago Mayor Lemuel Honor,” the group said on Nov. 4.
They are accepting donations of water, rice, canned goods, hygiene kits and blankets.
“Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. Let’s come together and show the spirit of bayanihan (communal unity and cooperation),” the group added.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Southern Leyte Chapter Administrator Jonas Maco said they continued to assist victims in the province’s 18 towns and one city, despite having only 40 volunteer staff members.
They are providing hot meals to evacuees, launching rescue operations and joining road clearing activities with government rescue workers and other volunteer groups.
“We remain focused, fast, friendly, flexible and forward-looking, with our PRC core values not only in disaster preparedness and response, but also in our way of life, to be always first, always ready and always there, and we are forever grateful to our volunteers because we are always on the side of humanity,” Maco said.
In Southern Leyte, preparedness and readiness actions are a must, where staff and volunteers follow directives and safety measures not just for compliance, but with commitment, he added, lauding the volunteers who joined him.
At least two people, both elderly, died in Leyte province, while four others died in Cebu, and a one-year-old toddler drowned in nearby Bohol province in the central Philippines, as of Nov. 4.
Over 250,000 individuals remained in various evacuation centers in the six provinces of the Eastern Visayas region alone.
In the nation’s capital, Manila, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed government agencies to sustain and hasten government recovery and relief operations in affected regions.
“We continue to monitor the effects of Typhoon Tino, which affected more than 340,000 people in 1,397 barangays across Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and Negros Island Region,” Marcos said in a nationwide televised statement on Nov. 4.
In Cebu, Archbishop Alberto Uy directed all priests to open churches within the archdiocese as shelters for those seeking refuge during the storm.
“However, this does not include churches damaged by the recent earthquake. Please stay safe and keep everyone in your prayers,” Uy said on Nov. 3.
After Tino, the 20th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, weather agencies alerted the public to an incoming potential super typhoon.
The typhoons are coming as the Philippines, particularly Leyte and the Eastern Visayas region, mark the 12th anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) on Nov. 8. The super typhoon struck in 2013, displacing over 16 million people and claiming over 6,000 lives.
On average, at least 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year due to its location along the Pacific typhoon belt.
