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On September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy (international code name Ketsana)
dumped torrential rainfalls that
 inundated Metro Manila and nearby
provinces, resulting in the loss of many lives and the displacement of
hundreds of thousands of people. Eight days later, October 2, 2009,
Typhoon Pepeng (international code name Parma)
pummeled northern Luzon, triggering
massive flooding and landslides.
 The damage to homes, schools, agricultural lands, roads and bridges,
among others, as vividly depicted by pictures downloaded from the internet were
depressingly extensive.
Thanks to the timely and massive aid response
from the international community, including the Filipino Diaspora as
well as
the vigilance and volunteer works of civic minded individuals in the
Philippines, damage to property and loss of lives did not
deteriorate to unmanageable proportions as feared by many.
The members of
the congregation of St. John's Episcopal Church and their friends should
be proud of themselves for their donations, albeit relatively small
amounts, to the search, rescue, shelter and rehabilitation efforts for
the casualties of typhoon Pepeng in the Philippine Cordilleras.
Last October 11,
2009, during the coffee hour following the memorial services of members
or relatives of St. John's congregation who recently passed away, eight
hundred fifty US dollars [US$850.00] worth of donations was generated.
This amount was subsequently sent to Fr. Charles Carino and
the vestry of Holy Guardian Episcopal Church in Pico, La Trinidad, for
allocation to displaced families of Little Kibungan in Puguis, La
Trinidad, Benguet under their care. See:
Donation
Transmittal Letter to Holy Guardian Angel and
Acknowledgement
Letter from the Treasurer of that Church.
Last October 18,
2009, a special collection for typhoon victims in Kayan, Mt. Province
was initiated which generated four hundred seventy five dollars [$475.00]
towards typhoon-related rehabilitation efforts of the Roman Catholic
Church in said town. See:
Donation
Transmittal Letter to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Mission.
The Terri Perkins-Lewis family,
also members of the St. John's Episcopal Church Congregation in
Flushing, Queens, matched the collection for the Kayan Catholic
Mission with four hundred fifty dollars [$450.00] which was
allocated to typhoon-related rehabilitation efforts of the
Kayan Philippine Episcopal Church. See:
Donation
transmittal letter to Kayan Episcopal Church
Currently, St.
John's Episcopal Church, Flushing, Queens, New York and St. Luke
and All Saints Church, Union, New Jersey are
jointly promoting two concerts to help fund follow-up rehabilitation efforts in the
Episcopal Church Dioceses of Northern Philippines and North Central
Philippines. Dubbed as "Sounds of
Hope: A Cantata for Recovery", these concerts have been
scheduled to wit:
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6:30 PM,
Saturday, December 5, 2009
St. Luke and All Saints Episcopal Church
398 Chestnut St., Union, NJ 07083 and
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6:30 PM,
Saturday, December 12, 2009
St. John's Episcopal Church
149-49 Sanford Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355
Umali Kayo, umay kayo, please come
and share your time, talent or treasure to this humanitarian
fund-raising effort. LBS |
St.
John's Episcopal Church
