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Filipino children playing in residual flood waters/landslide.Churches Respond as Typhoons, Floods Pound Philippines

By Linda Bloom

Posted: December 10, 2004 Click to Visit Global News.

Filipino children play near a house destroyed by landslides near the coastline of Kiluluron village in Real town in Quezon province December 6, 2004. Credit: Reuters/Erik de Castro, courtesy www. alertnet.org.

NEW YORK (UMNS) -- Churches and relief organizations are responding as typhoons, floods and landslides have resulted in death and destruction in the Philippines. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), sent grants to two of the denomination's episcopal areas in the Philippines in response to recovery efforts from typhoons earlier this season.

As of Dec. 8, the agency was waiting for information from United Methodists there regarding response to the latest storm, which occurred Nov. 29, according to David Sadoo, UMCOR field staff for emergency services. "These latest ones are probably the worst," he said. "We're continuing to respond to requests made by the conferences."

More than 1,750 people are dead or missing as a result of the storms, according to a Dec. 9 report from Reuters news agency. The U.S. government dispatched Marine and Navy personal on Dec. 7 from nearby Okinawa to the Philippines to assist residents in the flood-ravaged areas.

Sadoo noted that Action by Churches Together (ACT), a coalition of interfaith relief organizations, including UMCOR, has issued an alert on the Philippines in preparation for formulating a bigger plan of response. "As soon as ACT issues an appeal we will send some funds to them," he added.

According to ACT, the four typhoons spawned over a period of three weeks have caused damage in at least five regions of the Philippines. In addition to the fatalities, thousands are homeless. Extensive damage has been reported to property and agriculture, as well as to major roads and communication and power lines.

On Dec. 3, ACT sent $40,000 to the council as an initial response so it could provide food, potable water, sleeping mats, plastic sheets and light blankets to at least 6,500 families in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol and the National Capital Region.

Linda Beher, UMCOR's executive secretary for communications, reported that funds are needed specifically to respond to relief efforts in the Philippines. Gifts should be earmarked for UMCOR Advance #240235, Philippines Emergency. Checks can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Dr., Suite 330, New York, NY 10115. To make a credit card donation, call 1-800-554-8583.

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Source: United Methodist News Service.

Linda Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.