Filipino United Methodists respond to triple disasters

ATLANTA – Typhoon Gaemi, named Carina in the Philippines, took a direct path across Taiwan on July 24 and its outer band of winds struck the Philippines along the western coast of Manila. Unfortunately, it arrived just about the time a tropical depression formed, and a southwest monsoon hit the islands too, all of which caused massive flooding and landslides. On July 25, a tanker hauling about 370,000 gallons of oil hit the rough seas in the Bay of Manila and consequently sank. Within five days, two more vessels faltered and went aground or sank.

All around the Bay of Manila fishing villages and even inland towns have been affected by the triple calamity.

The Manila Episcopal Area Disaster Management Office (MEA DMO) supported by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), activated its disaster response protocol and assessed the triple disasters as a category 3 event (out of 5). Local churches gave direct aid by distributing food and water. The Manila Episcopal Area sent out a “call to action” and churches took a special offering, which included food offerings.

A committee was created to streamline UMC relief and recovery operations. At that point, the MEA DMO requested two UMCOR solidarity grants, one for storm and flood relief and the other to provide relief to fishing villages affected by the three oil spills, augmenting what the local churches were already doing.

The committee, headed by the Rev. Joseph Estadilla, district superintendent and dean of the cabinet for the Manila Episcopal Area, worked to maximize and ensure a coordinated response for local churches and annual conferences.

D.S. Estadilla and other team members visited affected areas to assess the damage, gather information about what the local municipalities were providing, and discern which families and communities were most at risk because they were not receiving municipal aid. They concentrated UMC relief in those areas.

D.S. Estadilla, who oversees the Bulacan Annual Conference, is also from Bulacan. “I’m from an island near Manila, Binuangan Obando, and I was able to go home to my barangay (town) and gather some information from the fisher folk there. They shared with me that because of oil contamination, the government banned all fishing, and they were not able to work. This would continue for about a month. They were having trouble with their daily needs, especially food, because most of the people depend on catches from the sea and Manila Bay. We provided some food packs from donations of United Methodist members.”

Other coastal areas such as Cavite along the bay were also affected. Rev. Glofie Baluntong, the executive director of the Philippine Central Conference Board of Church and Society, was involved in a coalition for emergency response and information sharing with communities in Bataan and also across the bay in Cavite.

“People found oil remnants on the fish and crabs they brought in,” she explained. “This is proof of the oil spill, and we could see black oil in the sand on the beaches. The effect of this in barangay Amaya, where the MEA DMO has a relief operation, is oil on the beaches and in the rivers. It has penetrated the water in household wells. Because of this, they observed that the birds do not come; there is no fish they can eat. They even reported some pets had died from eating contaminated fish.”

Apart from the fishing, they lost houses in the coastal villages. They contend that reclamation, or development projects, such as the new Bulacan Airport and adjacent hotels now underway, have caused negative long-term effects. “They layer fillers of stone and sand in the sea to build upon and then they dredge soil, silt, sand and rocks from different areas to fill in the construction,” Rev. Baluntong explained.

D.S. Estadilla described some of the resulting complications of the reclamation projects in Bulacan. “In my area, churches and their communities in port communities were under water. All of these were on the coastal area of Manila Bay. High tide and the typhoon joined together. The flooding was grave, unlike I’ve seen in other years.

“In one barangay, Meysulao, Calumpit, Bulacan, the flooding reached up to the neck of the average person. Small boats had to be used to transport goods and people, and it affected everyone. Even in mid-October, I spoke with a pastor there and he said there is still water on the roads after three months. The slow downstream flow of water to the Manila Bay is being blocked by reclamation projects.”

In a “next step” along its journey, the MEA DMO was officially inducted into the Disaster Risk Reduction Network of the Philippines (DRRNet Phils) in September. This organization is dedicated to disaster risk reduction and building resilient communities across the Philippines. It works on many of the hazards the DMO encounters on a broader scale together with its members.

“Joining the DRRNet Philippines is truly an answered prayer and a dream come true for us in the Disaster Management Office,” said Josephine (“Phine”) Cedillo, coordinator of the MEA DMO. “Now that our program is recognized and connected with the DRRnet, we are better equipped to support those most in need. DRRNet is also a member of the National Disaster Risk and Reduction Council. Joining allows us to enhance our impact on disaster preparedness and community resilience.”

The DRRNet offers the MEA DMO a chance to form collaborative partnerships with like-minded non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, academic institutions and government agencies. The DMO also gains access to training, workshops and seminars to enhance its skills and knowledge.

UMCOR International Disaster Response has supported MEA’s Disaster Management Office operationally since 2017. The DMO has implemented many successful relief projects. Katie Hills, director of UMCOR Disaster Response, says the MEA DMO has responded to countless typhoons, fires in informal settler communities, earthquakes, and COVID economic impacts since 2017. “It’s notable they always keep creation care central to their programming. They were inducted into DRR net thanks to a track record of high quality humanitarian programming.”

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor for Global Ministries and UMCOR.

International Disaster Response

United Methodist Committee on Relief International Disaster Response and Recovery (UMCOR IDR) serves as the primary channel for United Methodist assistance for disasters that strike outside of the United States.

Central Conference Disaster Management Offices in the Philippines and in Africa are supported by and connected with UMCOR through International Disaster Response. Make a gift to help UMCOR provide for the basic needs of people and communities devastated by both natural and humanmade disasters. For the latest news on responses, click here.

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