Episcopal Relief & Development is providing emergency assistance through the Episcopal CARE Foundation (E-CARE), the relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church in the  Philippines, to communities impacted by several recent natural disasters in the Southern Tagalog provinces of the Philippines.

Since October 2019, the Philippines has been struck by a succession of natural disasters. The Province of Cotabato was hit with multiple magnitude 6 and higher earthquakes which affected more than 300,000 people, causing many to evacuate to temporary shelters. The municipalities of Tulunan and Makilala were particularly hard hit by the quakes and aftershocks. The earthquakes were followed by Typhoon Phanfone on Christmas Day which passed through the central islands of the Philippines with 125 mph winds and damaging rainfall.  Most recently, the eruption of the Taal volcano caused the evacuation of more than 53,000 people, according to the United Nations.

E-CARE has responded to these emergencies through their local networks and contacts, focusing on taking advantage of existing assets in the communities. The agency is also working to purchase land to help relocate individuals and families that are unable to return to their homes as the areas have been declared uninhabitable by the local government. With the support of Episcopal Relief & Development, E-CARE is also providing disaster risk reduction training and assistance in rebuilding farms, crops and other sustainable sources of income.

“E-CARE typically responds to emergencies within the country by mobilizing local assets and resources,” said Nagulan Nessiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Risk Reduction for Episcopal Relief & Development. “In this case, the successive disasters have overwhelmed local resources. Episcopal Relief & Development is accompanying E-CARE as they continue to respond to the needs of impacted communities.”

Please pray for all those affected by this crisis. Donations to the Disaster Response Fund will help Episcopal Relief & Development continue to provide emergency assistance to individuals and families affected by the earthquakes, typhoon and volcano eruption, as well as the earthquakes in Puerto Rico and the fires in Australia.

For over 75 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.