Philippines: Cardinal Tagle opens churches to flood survivors

Relief supplies being distributed in Manila

Source: CBCP News

About 1.1 million people have been affected by severe flooding over the weekend in the Philippine capital Manila and surrounding areas.

Catholic churches were opened to accommodate thousands of people driven from their homes overnight by rising waters.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, ordered parishes to open their churches and urged people to help anyone in need. He also called for contributions to these parishes and social action centres.

The Cardinal noted that the floods - as deep as two meters in some places - might serve as a reminder from nature for people to care for what Pope Francis has described as "our common home..."

"Part of our call is for everyone not to add to what could destroy our environment," said the cardinal.

The flood has prompted the Catholic bishops' conference's social action arm to call on the government to fast track the creation of a government department in charge of disaster preparedness, mitigation and response.

Father Edwin Gariguez of the National Secretariat for Social Action said such a department was "very urgently needed." He said that while church organizations "have already carved out a way for a more responsive and integrated disaster response ... there is a need to make these efforts more sustainable and spread out across the country."

The southwest monsoon, boosted by tropical storm Karding, brought heavy rains and floods in different parts of Metro Manila over the weekend, killing three people.

The rains and floods affected a total of 248,080 families or about 1.1 million people from 713 villages in Manila and surrounding regions.

Of the total affected population, 13,724 families or 59,108 individuals were displaced and took shelter in evacuation centers.

A total of 51 houses were destroyed and 3,127 others were damaged in the Ilocos and central Luzon regions.

The Philippine state weather bureau said several areas, including Manila, might continue to experience further flooding in the coming days.

Schools were closed today, 13 August, as authorities expect moderate to intense monsoon rains to hit the northern part of the country.

Meanwhile massive clean-up efforts are under way in Manila, with piles of garbage and debris having washed up on roads and streets as a result of overflowing major dams and rivers that serve the city.

Residents have been trying to salvage what they can from the wreckage of their homes.