Photo credit: Joe San Jose
STATEMENT OF CBCP PRESIDENT
The evacuees are still in the evacuation camps around Mt. Mayon due to the continuing threat and danger of the volcano making major eruptions. The recent count of the evacuees, according to the news, has reached almost 84,500. They will most likely remain in these evacuation camps for an extended period of time.
Concerned government agencies, local and national, and civic organizations and NGOs are doing their best to assist these evacuees. And in addition, the Catholic Church through the tireless efforts of the Diocese of Legazpi headed by Bishop Joel Z. Baylon has been there for the evacuees since day one. Bishop Baylon together with the priests, religious and lay faithful of the diocese are doing their best, but their resources are getting low.
Bishop Baylon, during our recent CBCP Plenary Assembly in Cebu (January 27-29, 2018), had spoken to us bishops, and described to us the difficult situation of the people at the evacuation centers in and around Mt. Mayon. Bishop Baylon asked us to help them in their work of attending to the needs of the evacuees.
Therefore, we join the many who have expressed their generosity and kindness to the evacuees. I appeal again for your support. I enjoin once again all our Catholic faithful, and all Church-based organizations and movements to continue to help. For those archdioceses/dioceses far from Legazpi, kindly, if possible, send help in the form of cash. The Social Action Center / CARITAS Office of each archdiocese/diocese will certainly organize, and probably has organized already, a fundraising campaign for our needy brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Legazpi.
Bishop Baylon has advised us to kindly send our donations to:
Account Name: SOCIAL ACTION CENTER – SPM
Bank: BPI
Account Number: 0851-0067-37
During these days, we remember what St. Paul said to the Christian communities, Caritas Christi urget nos (2 Cor 5:14) as we hold on together in solidarity to help the evacuees in Legazpi.
From the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, 01 February 2018
+ ROMULO G. VALLES, D.D.
Archbishop of Davao
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
P.N. 002/2018
