Philippine churches open doors to typhoon evacuees

Churches in the Philippines opened their doors to offer shelter to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who fled their homes to avoid the wrath of Super Typhoon Goni that struck the Bicol region in southern Luzon. Some of the victims were buried alive by mudslides around a volcano.

Fr. Treb Futol of Sorsogon Diocese said his parish had set up a soup kitchen and was feeding evacuees who fled their homes and who would normally have been marking All Saints' Day, reported ucanews.com.

Fr. Ranhilio Aquino of Tuguegarao Diocese said in a social media post: "Many ... are shivering in the cold, no beds, perhaps even no more home. Many are grieving the loss of loved ones while still laboring to salvage the little they have that is left," he said in a social media post.

Typhoon Goni, the most powerful typhoon this year, left at least 20 people dead, but the toll could increase as aid workers reach remote coastal areas. Goni, known in Philippines as Rolly, made landfall with sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and gusts up to 174 mph Nov. 1.

Karen Janes, head of programming in the Philippines for the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, told Catholic News Service: "There are parts of Catanduanes and Albay [provinces] that have been completely destroyed by the typhoon. Three towns have been 50-90% wiped out. Thankfully, people were warned of Typhoon Goni early and were able to get to the evacuation centers."

CRS is part of the international Caritas network, and Janes said Caritas had received government permission to travel to the affected areas, which they expected to reach Nov. 3.

"Families are in desperate need of food, water and emergency shelter. In one town, 180 families lost their homes because of the intense mudflow from the volcano. It carried huge boulders into the nearby towns and buried homes and other infrastructure," Janes said.