Typhoon Haiyan: Philippines emergency

Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Philippines with a wind velocity of 305 kph in early November 2013.  From the Pacific Ocean, it made its first landfall at Guian (Samar) and continued on to hit Tacloban, capital of the province of Leyte, a major City in the Central Visayas.  

The Provinces of Leyte and Samar are considered the poorest areas in the Philippines because they are dependent on agriculture, mostly coconuts and rice, with no factories. People are also dependent on small scale fishing.  They are also often visited by typhoons.

The people of Leyte are used to typhoons but they did not expect Yolanda to wreak as much havoc as it did.  Because of the strong wind, it created pressure on the waters of the Gulf of Leyte causing strong storm surge.  Three big waves as high as a two-storey building struck the shores of Tacloban City.  The poor people living along the shore were greatly affected. The estimated number of deaths is close to 10,000. More are missing. Some are not yet buried because no relatives are claiming the corpses.

Houses, business establishments, schools, churches, government buildings, power lines, were all destroyed.  Almost two months after the incident, a lot of debris remains uncollected.

International aid came from the United Nations, Unicef,  European Countries, Oceania, Japan, South Korea, USA, etc. They offered medical services, relief goods, clearing up operations, psychological de-briefing, etc.  

The Typhoon caused a lot of destruction not only in Tacloban City but all over the Provinces of Samar and Leyte.  There are places that have not been reached by aid because they are far from the center of the City.

Jaro is around an hour from Tacloban. The Oblates of Notre Dame, a congregation of Sisters founded by Bishop George Dion OMI, have owned and administered Notre Dame of Jaro for the last 50 years. There are more than 400 students enrolled in the school.  It has produced religious sisters and priests through the years.  The OND Sisters have their formation houses in Tamontaka, Cotabato City, along with the Marist Brothers and Oblate Fathers. Some Sisters work in the three Marist schools in Dadiangas, Marbel and Kidapawan. 

Bro. Manuel de Leon, on behalf of the Marist Brothers, visited the affected area, and was in touch with the OND Sisters. The school in Jaro, as shown in the pictures, has been destroyed.  It needs to be rebuilt.  They also need some livelihood program for the families and parents to support the children for going to school. The OND Sisters have another school, Notre Dame of Abuyog. It has more than 600 students, mostly children of farmers and fishermen.  It has been damaged but not as badly as Notre Dame of Jaro.

FMSI (International Foundation of the Marist Brothers) is going to help the Oblates of Notre Dame Sisters to rebuild their schools. In collaboration with SAGIP KA 2000 FOUNDATION (NGO of the Marist Brothers in the Philippines which already has some members in Tacloban) they are going to start some activities there, such as a livelihood program that is sustainable for the poor people in adopted communities who will go hungry after the relief goods are finished.  They plan to buy vegetable seeds for them to grow so as to support their nutritional needs.

Any help we can extend to the poor will go a long way.  Food, medicines, shelter, education, and psychological counseling are the basic needs that have to be addressed. 

FMSI, via PayPal, will collect every donation, however small, for this PHILIPPINES EMERGENCY.