Philippine Church appeals for
solidarity for volcano evacuees
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| Residents in Laurel town in the Philippines clean the roofs of their homes covered with volcanic ash (AFP) |
One of the most active volcanoes of the Philippines, Taal
Volcano, in the middle of a lake about 70 km south of the capital, Manila, has
been spewing smoke and ash since Sunday. The government has ordered about half
million people to evacuate from within a 14-km radius of the volcano.
By Robin Gomes
Catholic churches in the Philippines have joined their
fellow citizens in providing much-needed disaster relief to people hit by the
eruption of the Taal Volcano.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)
on Monday called on dioceses to acts of charity and solidarity in the midst of
“this difficult situation”.
Special Mass collection
CBCP president, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao said a
possibility is to do a second collection in Masses “and give this to the most
affected local churches.” “Another form of solidarity is to respond
to other needs, such as medical care and attention to those in evacuation
centres,” he said.
In Batangas, more than 35,000 persons fled their homes and
evacuated to centres from 27 cities and towns in the province following the
eruption. The figure is expected to rise as more residents within
the 14-kilometre danger zone continue to be evacuated. The National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said there are no reported
casualties from the eruption to date.
Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, under whose jurisdiction
comes the affected areas, celebrated Mass on Wednesday with volunteers helping
the Church’s relief efforts. “Faith is service to our fellows. You
receive faith, you share faith,” he said in his homily, urging all to make
“this the moment of faith”.
Masses will also be held in all evacuation centres in
Batangas province on Saturday.
Fake news and scammers
Archbishop Garcera lamented the spread of “fake news” which
gives a false depiction of the situation and causes confusion and panic.
The archbishop also lamented a post using his name asking
for donations to certain bank accounts. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo
of Kidapawan has also warned the public against scammers using his name and
that of other bishops to solicit supposed donations for volcano victims.
Archbishop Garcera had appealed on Monday for aid to support
their ongoing relief operations. Among the most urgent needs, he said, are
food, potable water, hygiene kits, blankets, towels, medicine, and face
masks.
Children
Meanwhile, Save the Children said on Tuesday an estimated
21,000 children living in the danger zone have been evacuated from their
homes. The rights group expressed deep concern for the scared and
confused children who have been forced to leave their homes, are missing out on
school and face hunger and disease in cramped and unsanitary evacuation
centres.
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