ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Churches open to displaced persons: parishes and active structures for preventive intervention

Legazpi City (Agenzia Fides) – While controversy erupts nationwide over "ghost projects" intended to prevent climate disasters, funded but never implemented due to corruption, the Catholic Church in the Philippines has filled the gaps in public services by placing its structures at the service of the most vulnerable. In the central-eastern part of the archipelago, threatened by Tropical Storm "Opong" (known internationally as "Bualoi"), torrential rains and strong winds, the churches of the dioceses of Legazpi and Sorsogon (southern Luzon) have opened parishes, chapels, halls, and schools as temporary shelters, even as a preventive measure. At the direction of the bishops, all church structures have been made available, while "parish disaster response committees" have been activated in coordination with the diocesan commissions for social action. Hundreds of families have already moved into these Catholic spaces, while volunteers have placed sandbags in churchyards and schools for protection. Catechists are performing valuable awareness and information work, ensuring that the poorest families are alerted and can leave their vulnerable homes to temporarily move to concrete buildings, where Catholic volunteers care for their material, moral, and spiritual needs.
"Let us pray for one another as we face this typhoon," declared the Bishop of Legazpi, Joel Baylon, as the region prepares for the storm's impact. An "Oratio Imperata" prayer has been launched in all the churches of the diocese to ask for protection from the calamity, recited with intense faith by all communities. The prayer states: "Almighty Father, we lift up our hearts to you in gratitude for the wonders of creation. We acknowledge our sins against you and against creation. We have not been good guardians of nature." It continues: “Now we are reaping the fruits of our abuses and indifference. Global warming is at the door. Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity.” The prayer concludes with a plea: “We turn to you, loving Father, and we implore your forgiveness for our sins. We ask that we, our loved ones, and our possessions be protected from disasters, both natural and man-made. Inspire us to be responsible stewards of your creation and generous neighbors to those in need. Our Mother of salvation, pray for us.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 25/9/2025)

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natural disasters

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solidarity

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displaced persons

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