DAVAO DEL SUR, PHILIPPINES—The brethren all over the Philippines gathered and extended their help to Mindanao earthquake survivors last November 12 and 13, 2019, in Barangay Barayong and some areas of Magsaysay, Davao Del Sur, and Sitio Bandera, Barangay Balabag, Digos City.
These areas were severely affected by the series of earthquakes, the last of which occurred on Oct. 31, 2019, and more than 30 people died, 777 were injured, and another three were missing.
A total of 1,500 families or 4,800 individuals in communities affected by the quake benefited from the SDARM's relief operations led by Philippine Union Conference (PUC) Welfare Department, Brother Remelito Uy, in coordination with Community Health And Relief Foundation of the Philippines (CHARF) and the Southern Mindanao Field President, Brother Jeremias Cano.
The brethren in the Davao Region prepared all the relief goods by packing kits of rice, noodles, toiletries, and hygiene kits, with water, soap, and water containers sponsored by Brother Remelito Uy.
Before deciding what aid to give to the survivors, Brother Uy sent a team headed by Brother Jeremias Cano to assess the situation in the affected communities.
The distribution of relief kits was successful through the efforts of the Barangay Officials and the representatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Many survivors stayed in temporary shelters using tarpaulin as their roof over a wide area, fearing that their houses may collapse due to the series of earthquakes in their areas.
Since October 16, 2019, a series of earthquakes and aftershocks have jolted these communities. The first and second tremors, with a magnitude of 6.3 and 6.6, occurred southeast of Tulunan. The third, a magnitude 6.5 quake, struck northeast of Tulunan on October 31, 2019.
Brother Nelson Cadena
Philippine Union Conference
Media Department
