While the number of casualties from Typhoon Ondoy is climbing, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency(ADRA) and the Adventist Community Services (ACS) of Central Luzon Conference (CLC) join hands with the Southern Asia Pacific Region (SSD) in relieving the basic needs of thousands of families since Tuesday, September 28.
As of October 2, ADRA Philippines working with CLC ACS had already distributed relief goods to thousands of families living in greatly devastated cities in Metro Manila and nearby province of Rizal."I am thankful for ADRA and ACS for the help they extended to our people. To feed them for one day is already worthy of appreciation but you provided 250 families their food for the week," said Concepcion Uno Chairwoman Teresita Daza.
Pastor Jose Zabat, Jr., ADRA/ACS director for Cental Luzon Conference, estimated that more than 5,000 Seventh-day Adventist families were also affected and more than 10 Adventists died.
Joey Fofue, CLC Associate Treasurer, related his experience during the storm, "I was in the water from 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. to save our clinic but we save nothing at all."
Sta. Ana Seventh-day Adventist Church which was not flooded for almost 100 years was not spared by "Ondoy." According to Zenaida Aquino, a deaconess of Sta. Ana, 10 families slept at the pulpit until the flood subsided.
Pastor Resty Bualoy, a Seventh-day Pastor in charge of 7 churches in Rizal, lost everything except his laptop and some documents. "We were in the spiritual retreat when our place was flooded. My brother managed to save my laptop and some important documents."
Pasay English Seventh-day Adventist Church, Manila Adventist Medical Center and North Philippine Union Conference were flooded as well for the first time.
The operation of ADRA/ACS is made possible through the combined budget from SSD, ADRA Philippines and CLC.
Pastor Carmelito Galang, Jr. made an appeal to the international Adventist community to help CLC as it extends Adventist Community Services to the affected areas.
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