Typhoon in the Philippines – Report to the Superior General

The Superior General wrote to the Visitor of the Philippines when he heard of Typhoon Reming, which hit the Bicol Region of Central Philippines.
The following is the response that he received from the Visitor. As you can see, there is a need for capital in order to buy materials for rebuilding houses, to purchase food and to pay for medicines, hospital supplies, etc. If anyone would like to make a donation, we can filter it through the office of the General Treasurer here at the Curia.

The death toll from the typhoon “Reming” that hit the Bicol Region (200-300 kms southeast of Manila) is expected to exceed 1,000. Most of them are in villages surrounding Mayon Volcano in the province of Albay. The Philippine National Red Cross reported that as many as 31 villages of 14,871 residents were hit by the mud flows. The rivers of mud and rocks that thundered down from Mayon Volcano at the height of the typhoon were part of the massive deposits of volcanic debris – estimated at 140 million cubic meters – deposited on the volcano’s slopes by its series of eruptions.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said more than 832,000 residents of 1,019 villages in the Bicol region, Marinduque, and parts of Mindoro were affected by typhoon Reming. Of the figure, nearly 17,000 individuals are in evacuation centers. More than 28,000 houses in the affected areas were totally destroyed and roughly 91,000 partially damaged.
Our confreres (Frs. Rufo Diño and Tim Cirujales) are in the Vincentian Mission Center in Cadlan, Pili, about 80 kms northwest of Mayon Volcano. The roof of the house was almost blown away but most of the people who live around the area saw their houses destroyed by the typhoon.

In the vicinity, the Daughters of Charity have a hospital, retirement house for the old Sisters and a university. In the Bicol region the Daughters have several schools and colleges. I have just been on the phone with the DC Visitatrix who is visiting the area. She says that none of their structures in the region has been spared. Most have roofs of buildings blown away, walls destroyed, and materials inside spoiled. About 90% of their teachers and collaborators report damages to their houses.

Also in the region is the province of Catanduanes, an island facing Albay, where summer missions have been given for the last five years.
The immediate needs of the people are food, medicine and shelter. I have also been on the phone with Fr. Rufo. He says many people come and ask for help in terms of food and materials to rebuild their houses. We are mobilizing help for the people. At the moment, help may be in the form of cash to buy materials for rebuilding houses and to pay for medicines in the hospitals.