AN APPEAL FOR THE EMERGENCY RELIEF OF TYPHOON VICTIMS

Dear Friends,

On Saturday, September 26, 2009, typhoon Ondoy hit Southern Luzon causing severe flooding which resulted in the loss of many lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The typhoon’s rampage has affected 2.5 million people who are mostly poor, forcing more than 700,000 people to evacuation centers in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces of Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal.

A week after, while most were still trying to recover in the aftermath of typhoon Ondoy, typhoon Pepeng hit Northern Luzon causing widespread flooding and landslides, massive dislocation of families, death, and destruction of properties and produce almost to be harvested. The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported that 32,055 families in 492 villages were affected. Out of these, 11,055 families are staying in evacuation centers.

The situation in communities badly affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng is getting more difficult as death toll rises and more and more survivors need medical attention and basic provisions. An increasing number of families affected by the two recent typhoons are appealing for assistance. The limited supply of food, safe drinking water, and sanitation remain the major and urgent problem.

The Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) created the IFI-Task Force on Emergency Relief (IFI-TFER) to provide assistance to the victims of the two recent typhoons. IFI-TFER is appealing for funds to support its relief efforts.

We wish to invite you to accompany us in this humanitarian mission. Donations to IFI-TFER will be used to distribute bags of relief goods and to provide medical assistance to victims of this tragic event. Relief assistance will be delivered through the help of our priests and lay volunteers using church facilities as distribution centers.

The circumstances which the least of our brethren find themselves into, faces an enormous challenge for all of us. Let us, hand in hand, turn this tragedy into an opportunity to “feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, and clothe the naked” (Matthew 25. 35-36) in the spirit of true Christian generosity.

Thank you so much for your solidarity and support.

Sincerely,

Rev. Fr. Wilfredo L. Ruazol
Head Coordinator
IFI-Task Force on Emergency Relief (IFI-TFER)