Philippine Episcopal Church Mobilizes to Aid Earthquake Victims
Episcopal News Service. August 7, 1990 [90191]
Episcopalians in the Philippines are struggling from beneath the rubble of a killer earthquake and racing against nature and disease to clean up after massive destruction and to put their shaken lives back in order.
A devastating earthquake that registered nearly 8.O on the Richter scale shook the North Central Philippines on July 16, leaving a large number of casualties and severe property damage in its wake.
Bishop Artemio Zabala of the Episcopal Diocese of North Central Philippines (EDNCP) has described the earthquake as "of the worst magnitude ever experienced in the history of the region." He reported that the situation "is becoming grim and uncertain each day -- not only for the missing, but also for those alive and homeless."
Zabala said that the cities of Baguio and Cabanatuan and the province of Nueva Viscaya -- areas with many members of the Philippine Episcopal Church -- sustained heavy damage. "Many thousands of people have been rendered homeless," he said.
"Most of them sleep in improvised tents and makeshift shelters, in parks, public places, sidewalks, or church school compounds," Zabala continued. "As a result, all of them are exposed to hunger, disease, and epidemics aggravated by heavy rains and typhoons during these monsoon months."
The United Nations has estimated that more than 1,600 died in the quake, and nearly one million people are homeless. Zabala estimated that more than 60 percent of the deaths in his region of the country were of members of the Philippine Episcopal Church.
Zabala reported that property damage is also severe: "The ruins speak for themselves -- collapsed high-rise buildings, five-star hotels, university buildings, commercial establishments, residences, bridges, damaged water systems and electrical facilities." He estimated that rebuilding the economy and the infrastructure in the area may take "at least two decades."
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, fear and isolation accompanied the physical destruction. "Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines and the seat of the EDNCP, was in shambles and was virtually isolated during the first four days after the quake," Zabala reported. "Continuing tremors shake the city each day, causing further damage to infrastructures and more panic on an already traumatized and distraught populace.
"All five major roads linking the city to the outside and to the adjoining provinces were damaged and rendered impassable by landslides, collapsed bridges, and washed-out roads," Zabala continued. "For the first four days, only helicopters could reach the city from the outside. Even small planes could not land on the cracked runway of the only airport in Loakan."
Many of the 50 Episcopal parishes and mission stations in the EDNCP have suffered damage to their buildings, some completely destroyed. The diocesan center and the bishop's house were condemned -- Bishop Zabala and his family are now housed in a garage. In spite of the loss, the diocese has joined a massive effort to provide relief for victims of the earthquake.
Together with the Philippine armed forces, the U.S. Air Force, civilian volunteer brigades, and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), several denominations are mobilizing for the relief effort.
The Philippine Episcopal Church has formed "Operation Epicenter" to address the urgent needs of Baguio. "We now have regular direct communication with Baguio through a set of cellular phones...," said the Rev. Rex Reyes of Operation Epicenter. "Baguio is slowly reaching out to distant areas still isolated through a pair of motorcycles and handsets," he continued.
Already the relief effort of Operation Epicenter has delivered about 15,000 kilos of relief supplies -- including canned goods, bottled mineral water, biscuits, milk, dried fish, rice, sugar, flour, assorted medicines, tents, clothing, and blankets -- by way of special airlifts and six-wheeled vans.
In addition, the NCCP and Operation Epicenter is coordinating the dispatch of medical teams to Baguio. "In some other areas they have given up hope of recovering any more bodies...injured persons (are being) discovered every day," Zabala said
Episcopalians in the United States responded immediately to the crisis. "We were involved from the beginning -- as soon as we could make contact," said Bill Caradine of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. "The fund immediately transferred $25,000 for the [Episcopal] relief effort and released $5,000 through Church World Service in their ecumenical efforts," he continued.
"We have been in touch with the folks in Operation Epicenter every four or five days," Caradine said. "They expect that they will be involved in another three weeks of disaster relief work -- burying bodies and distributing food and medical supplies."
Caradine reported that the P.B.'s Fund sent an additional $25,000 on July 25 and is still receiving donations from across the country to aid victims of the earthquake.
"Be assured that your assistance has helped tremendously in saving lives, bringing in medical doctors, and sustaining communications," Reyes wrote in a letter to the Presiding Bishop's Fund. "More importantly, it has injected renewed hope to our brothers and sisters in the Baguio and Bangued area," he said.
"The resolve of our people to go on with the task of rehabilitation and reconstruction is growing daily as we receive commitments of prayers and assistance from our friends," said the Rt. Rev. Richard Abellon, prime bishopof the Philippine Episcopal Church, who was attending the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Wales.
"There is urgent need to sustain that spirited and organized response to the crisis in the new province and to harness the same for the work we must do in the days ahead," Abellon continued. "Lively partnership among the Anglican family, as well as others, will inject the needed spiritual vitamins needed to build up authentic Anglican presence and services. Hence we welcome your friendship and partnership with us," he said.