Young boys housed at an evacuation center in San Roque, Philippines, were among the hundreds of residents who received food, water, and other aid from Operation Blessing as Mount Mayon threatened to erupt.

OBI distributes emergency relief bags to residents affected by the Guimaras oil spill.

PHILIPPINES - In the wake of several natural disasters plaguing the Philippines in recent months, Operation Blessing relief teams are working hard to bring emergency aid, medicine, and clean water to those in need.

Following the threat of a volcanic eruption in early August, the Filipino government, ordered the evacuation of 35,000 people living near the Mount Mayon volcano in southern Luzon, located 200 miles southeast of the capital city of Manila.

OBI disaster relief teams responded immediately by distributing meals and drinking water to over 1,000 displaced families.

Earlier this year, the collapse of Mount Kanabag in Southern Leyte triggered a mudslide that buried an entire village, including an elementary school, within minutes. OBI teams identified over 600 families living in evacuation centers and quickly distributed food, blankets, and medicine.

In mid-August, teams were once again bringing relief – this time to families living on the southern coast – when a large oil tanker carrying two million liters of bunker fuel sank and began leaking over 200,000 liters of oil.

An estimated 4,000 families were affected, many of whom were local fishermen. OBI provided families with rice, coffee, sugar, noodles, and canned goods.

In addition to their disaster relief response, this year Operation Blessing Philippines has opened community pharmacies in Western Samar in order to ensure the provision of medicine to villagers during times of emergency; provided free medical treatment to thousands through ongoing medical missions; and drilled water wells for residents living in remote areas with limited access to clean water.

For 51-year-old Filemon Tores, a new water well is proving to be a significant blessing for his family and community.

"I have three children," Tores said. "We used to get drinking water everyday from Barangay [village] Bongog, which is three kilometers away from here. Water for bathing and washing, we could only get from the river. Now there is a deep well in our Barangay. Thank you, Operation Blessing, for helping our community."

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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