We Greatly Need Your Help!

 

The following is a communication received by Fr. General Heinz Kulueke from our confreres in PHS, headed by the Provincial Superior Eduardo Rocha.

Fr. General endorses this great appeal for help for the victims of typhoon Haian.

 

For thousands of people in southern Philippines, life has become so unbearably painful. There seems to be no let up to calamities that claimed so many

lives and destroyed incalculable properties. Just six days ago, we were again visited by a very strong typhoon, named “Yolanda” (Hainya) that many claimed,

could be the strongest typhoon that ever formed on earth. It had a wind speed of 350 kilometers per hour near the center – making “Pablo” (Bhopa) in Mindanao, less

 than a year ago, looks like a mere wind in comparison.

 

“Yolanda” is already the sixth calamity that we have experienced in the south in less than two years. In December of 2011, there was typhoon Sendong that claimed thousands

of lives in Cagayan de Oro alone. That was immediately followed by an earthquake in Negros Oriental that buried scores of people alive. Next was the cyclone in Camiguin Island

which was soon succeeded by supertyphoon “Pablo”, the typhoon that brought trauma to our farmers no end. We have not yet overcome the effects of Pablo when another

furious earthquake struck in Bohol – the phenomenon that had only started to sink in to everyone’s psyche.  And now, just a month after, “Yolanda” came.

 

The destruction “Yolanda” (Hainya) brought to the people is beyond description. The fury of the wind that whipped on everything that stands on land and the howling storm

surge (rising sea water) were natural terrors never before experienced by any human being. Latest estimate is that eleven thousand individuals might have already perished.

Dead bodies continue to litter on the streets unclaimed. Buildings, houses and trees were all felled down to the ground. Most roads and bridges are hard to traverse due to

fallen structures and trees. Airports and seaports remain non-functional. Electricity is non-existent and may take two months to restore. Water is not available either. Communication

facilities are slowly restored but remain static and choppy. Five days after the storm, the people are getting more desperate. Many even have already crossed the line of insanity.

Looting on stores, gas stations and rice storages has been reported in many parts of the victim areas. Just yesterday it was reported that 8 individuals had died when a rice warehouse

collapsed raided by hungry villagers.

 

The SVDs have a number of confreres assigned to our school Liceo Del Verbo Divino in Tacloban City, the city that embraced the most devastation. All our confreres are all accounted

for but the school buildings were reported to have no more roofing and many parts destroyed. We are not sure whether our confreres still have food to eat or fresh clothes to wear.

 

In response, the Society of Divine Word, Southern Province, pooling all its resources together, for the nth time, is organizing yet another relief operation for the victims of the

typhoon “Yolanda”. The organizational meeting held yesterday was aimed at delivering rapid distributions of emergency goods, providing psycho-social debriefings and building materials

and organizing medical missions and livelihood programs. We greatly need your help to realize this aim. You can give donations in cash and in kind. For cash donations, bank accounts are listed

down below. For material donations you can send them to the address provided.

 

Less than two years; six big time calamities: is simply too difficult to bear. Nevertheless, relief operations remain generous and dedicated. “There is no rest to the wicked”, as the saying goes.

Wherever and whenever there are suffering people, we refresh and sustain our resolve to serve. We, the Divine Word Missionaries, in times of pain and difficulties, reaffirm our calling to

be at the forefront whenever our services are called for. For this is the only way we make gospel values alive, real and dynamic to the people we vowed to serve.

 

Latest update: Liceo del Verbo Divino has been converted as the center for relief operations. The school also opened its doors to house numerous victims who have lost their houses.

 

Bank accounts:

 

Euro Account:
	Account Name	:	SVD Southern Province, Inc.
	Account Number	:	1024-0253-88
	Bank Name	:	Bank of the Philippine Islands
	Bank Branch	:	Cebu Mango Branch
	Swift Code	:	BOPIPHMM
	Account Name	:	Society of the Divine Word - Southern Province, Inc.
	Account Number	:	1390310079
	Bank Name	:	Citibank
	Bank Branch	:	Cebu
	Swift Code	:	CITIPHMX
Dollar Account
	Account Name	:	SVD Southern Province, Inc.
	Account Number	:	1024-0002-53
	Bank Name	:	Bank of the Philippine Islands
	Bank Branch	:	Cebu Mango Branch
	Swift Code	:	BOPIPHMM
Peso Account
	Account Name	:	SVD Southern Province, Inc.
	Account Number	:	1025-6401-32
	Bank Name	:	Bank of the Philippine Islands
	Bank Branch	:	Cebu Mango Branch

 

 

For donations in kind:

 

Consignee:

Fr. Eduardo Rocha, SVD

SVD Provincial Superior

University of San Carlos

P. del Rosario St., Cebu City

Tel. 032 – 253 5105.

 

Hotline: (direct link)

Fr. Eugene Docoy, SVD

e-mail: eugenesvd@hotmail.com

0063 - 939 905 6750.

 

With deep gratitude,

 

Fr. Eugene Docoy, SVD

JPIC-PHS

 

 

Noted:

Fr. Eduardo Rocha, SVD

Provincial Superior

SVD - PHS