You may also view the same in our website: www.nccphilippines.org

Thank you for your prayers and support.

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Newsbrief

Protestant churches in the Philippines have been active in providing help to
Typhoon Ondoy victims, both in their individual capacity and as a group through the
National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

Through initial donations of concerned groups and individuals, the NCCP was able to
distribute relief goods to three areas in Metro Manila - Tatalon, Payatas and North
Triangle. All areas are urban poor communities and all three communities have low
lying areas. NCCP is set to distribute relief goods tomorrow in the Rizal area in
cooperation with Harris Memorial College, a related institution of the United
Methodist Church.

Youth volunteers from the different member-churches continue to flock to the NCCP
National Secretariat's office to help in re-packing relief goods for distribution.

The NCCP still calls for donation. Since the storm let up, the NCCP has received
numerous calls from its regional partners updating the NCCP of the situation in
their areas coupled with a request for relief. Please continue to donate to NCCP
as many has still not been reached and served.

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The story about Noah and his ark in the Bible is a common one. Anyone who went to
Sunday School would know the story.

On Saturday, September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy unleashed its full power. The
skies are dark and gray and heavy rains fell. The downpour was so strong that
falling rain seem to form layers of misty sheets that made visibility low. The strong
rains began in the morning and continued until afternoon without let-up.
Meanwhile, floodwaters rose and it rose fast. Within a span of a few minutes,
water levels rose between 2-3 feet.

Such scenario is reminiscent of the story of Noah and the ark.

People had to scramble to higher ground. Others have to wade through rushing
waters just to get to areas where it's not flooded. A pregnant woman with his
3-year old son in tow fought chest-deep water to get to safety. Families with
small children had to go on to roofs of houses to keep from being swept away. They
kept on moving from one rooftop to the next higher rooftop because the water kept
rising. While on the roofs, they were wet, hungry and cold. Some could only cry
because of fear and helplessness.

From their roofs, they can see things being washed away - cars, appliances, and
furniture. One house near the river was literally swept away as the river walls,
weakened by floodwaters collapsed. On the river, was a group of people riding on a
tangled debris of tree branches rushing past and desperately calling out for help.
They were rushing towards the underside of a bridge. No one had the time to react
and they went under. On the other side, only 2 people were left riding the debris.
One could only surmise that they got caught in more debris under the bridge and
drowned. Indeed, the following day when the water subsided, 2 bodies of children
were found.

Typhoon Ondoy left the country's area of responsibility and left many areas mired
in mud and debris. It has left thousands of families homeless and hungry. Food
and water are scarce. Evacuation centers are cramped and people are beginning to
get sick. In one evacuation center, both the living and the dead are side by side
separated only by floral wreaths. On one side, the coffins are lined, while on the
other mats for sleeping are lined. Despite the depressing situation, there is a
silver lining.

Though countless people have suffered the brunt of Ondoy, countless more have
poured out to help in any way they can. They donated food, clothing, water,
sleeping mats, medicines and all other basic goods necessary for immediate
survival. People gave their time to re-pack relief goods and to distribute them.
It is heartwarming to see that when disasters strike in a seemingly non-caring
world, you will find that people still care for their neighbor; that the urge to
help is greater than doubt and fear for one's safety; and, that kindness and
charity overcomes apathy.

It is also heartwarming to see the resiliency of the people; of their ability to
cope in dire situations. People have started to clean-up their homes and the
streets. Some have started to re-build their make-shift homes. Perhaps, the most
resilient of all are the poor because they cope with difficult situations everyday
of their lives that difficult situations become the norm for them.

This calamity should remind us of our responsibility for the environment. This is
not a full-blown "Noah's Ark Story"; at least, not yet. We should not wait for
another "Noah's Ark Story" because by then, it will be too late. It should also
remind us of putting systems into place so as to prevent or lessen devastating
effects of typhoons. This means people being vigilant of their government and the
government having the political will to really serve the interest of its
constituents and not just a few.