More than a week after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol island, dwindling resources such as food, water, medicines, among others, are affecting more than 380,000 people that have remained in makeshift tents in various evacuation centers set up by local government and non-government relief agencies. If the situation remained unaddressed, the severe impact of the disaster will prolong the misery of disaster survivors and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.

“As we continue to call for more relief, we are coordinating with different agencies and pool together our resources to avoid overlapping of service areas and to ensure that relief goods really reach those that are needy”, said Rev. Juvy Astudillo, coordinator for UCCP relief efforts in Bohol. “We feel disconsolate whenever we cannot provide enough for these people, including our affected church members.”
UCCP relief operations so far have distributed food items and water to more than a thousand families. More service areas for the church were identified including 23 villages with a total 920 affected families, Rev. Astudillo said. In a meeting with different partner denominations in the local ecumenical movement, it is estimated that relief would last at least three months depending on our efficiency and the available resources, she added.

“Not only that we have to deal with the basic needs of disaster survivors, such as food and shelter, we also have to implement alongside efforts that deal with the medical and psychosocial needs of our people”, said UCCP General Secretary Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza. “These are essential aspects of our Church’s healing ministry. We have to invest on the physical well-being and the morale of our people so that recovery from disaster will be achieved as soon as possible”. As of this writing, medical teams and psychosocial care providers from Mindanao, Cebu and Leyte will be catering services to 1,500 people in 8 identified areas.

To avert the humanitarian emergency, the United Nations has called for international aid for Bohol to help with the Philippine government’s disaster response . The earthquake damaged major government infrastructures like schools, roads, bridges, clinics and other vital services. Earlier estimates placed the damage cost in Bohol at around P2.5 billion. The island, a premier tourist destination in the Philippines known for its pristine beaches and the Chocolate Hills, was reduced to rubbles.

For inquiries, you may contact: Ric Jontarciego
Coordinator, UCCP Community Ministries Program
Phone: ( 63)9228642595 Email: ricjontarciego@gmail.com

For cash donations, please deposit to the ff UCCP accounts:
* BPI US$ Savings Acct. #3064019707, Acct. Name: UCCP
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM, Bank Address: Taft Avenue. Malate, Manila
* BPI PhP Acct. #3061086128, Acct. Name: UCCP, Taft Avenue Branch, Malate, Manila