A military truck ferries affected commuters stranded due to floods in Cagayan de Oro City on Jan. 17. (Photo by Froilan Gallardo)
Church leaders in the Philippines have urged all parishes to pool their resources to help victims of severe flooding caused by torrential monsoon rains in the southern part of the country.
Authorities reported that at least 11 people, including eight children, died while thousands of families fled their homes as heavy rains hit several parts of the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, appealed for clothes, blankets, medicine, and shelter materials for victims of the disaster.
Speaking before delegates at the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Manila, Cardinal Quevedo blamed the degradation of the environment for calamities, including floods that hit the country.
The prelate said a lack of "communion in love" caused people's failure to care for the environment.
He urged delegates to be aware of the little things that they can do to fight global warming and climate change.
"Because of love, we build back together the whole body. When one suffers, everyone in the body of Christ suffers," said Cardinal Quevedo.
He said Philippine Church leaders have been vocal in protesting irresponsible mining and illegal logging in the country.
In Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese, Father Nick Lalog said residents have sought temporary shelter in church compounds in the past few days as flooded streets were strewn with vehicles caught in flood waters.
The Philippine government assured that it is doing everything "to ensure that things get back to normal."
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said a state of calamity has already been declared in Cagayan de Oro, the worst hit city in Mindanao, and nearby provinces.
"The response is manageable at the local government and agency level and does not require the [national government] to step in," said Abella.
The Philippine military announced that it has helped transport families to 53 evacuation centers in the province of Misamis Oriental alone.
In the Visayas region, at least 61 villages in Capiz, Bohol, and Leyte provinces were submerged in floodwater.
The Philippines, which lies astride the typhoon belt in Southeast Asia, is prone to floods, landslides, and tsunamis.
Man-made environmental degradation aggravated by a rising population, loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, and improper disposal of solid waste are blamed for disasters.