News Roundup 19 December 2021
Dec 19, 2021 • 4 min Read
‘Faith is solid’: Catholic devotees pray in typhoon-hit Surigao City | PHILSTAR.COM – Standing at the pulpit of his typhoon-ravaged church in the southern Philippines, Catholic priest Dennis Llogon delivers a sermon by candlelight to the faithful seeking solace after a deadly storm devastated their city. Hundreds of devotees flocked to the San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral for the pre-dawn service on Saturday as part of the traditional Christmas season celebrations — but there was little rejoicing. Typhoon Odette (Internaitonal name: Rai) was packing wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour when it slammed into the coastal city of Surigao on the northern tip of Mindanao island on Thursday, ripping roofs off buildings, toppling concrete power poles and shattering glass windows. Some people sought shelter inside the sturdy church but had to flee to the second floor of a building next door when it flooded. Part of the cathedral’s ceiling was peeled off by the ferocious wind, leaving a gaping hole, and the building lost power. Despite the devastation brought by the typhoon — the strongest to hit the archipelago this year — Father Llogon used candles to light the cavernous church as he welcomed back believers. “We’re in this journey together, we help each other, also inspired by the faith in God,” Llogon told AFP. “There are a lot of questions around why this happened, why this Christmas season. What is important is our faith — I can see their faith is solid,” he added. The majority of Filipinos identify as Catholic and December is one of the most important months on the religious calendar, with many attending pre-dawn masses in the nine days leading up to Christmas.
Robredo-Pangilinan camp sends relief items to Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island | INQUIRER.NET –The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan provided on Sunday relief items to residents of Surigao del Norte and Siargao Island who were affected by Typhoon Odette. “Help is on the way! Kanina, naikarga na po natin sa tulong ng Philippine Coast Guard ang mga relief goods na inihanda ng mga Leni-Kiko volunteers para sa mga komunidad na naapektuhan ng Bagyong Odette,” Robredo, who is seeking the presidency in the 2022 elections, said in a Facebook post (Help is on the way! Through the Philippine Coast Guard, we have sent the relief goods prepared by Leni-Kiko volunteers for the communities affected by Typhoon Odette.) “Sakay ng BRP Gabriela Silang, ang mga relief packs na naglalaman ng food items tulad ng bigas, canned goods, noodles, gatas, kape, biskwit, at mga sanitary items ay target maipamahagi sa mga nasalanta sa Surigao del Norte at Siargao Island,” she added. (The relief packs carrying food items like rice, canned goods, noodles, milk, coffee, biscuits, and sanitary items are being transported by BRP Gabriela Silang and will be distributed to people affected in Surigao del Norte and Siargao Island.) Robredo noted that since Friday, their volunteers have been busy accepting relief assistance for people affected by the typhoon. The Vice President also earlier visited affected areas, including Bohol and Cebu, where she met with local officials to help with the coordination of relief efforts.
Ateneo president: Always choose to serve others, bring change | Manila Bulletin – Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) President Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Yap SJ reminded Filipinos this Christmas season to “always choose to serve others” and “to bring change to our world.” In Yap’s message to the Ateneo community on Saturday, Dec. 18, he recalled the “darkness” that descended upon the country in the past two years “as crisis upon crisis battered our world. “But it was during those dark times that we saw people from all walks of life step up and respond to the world’s greatest needs. And in that darkest of times, I am truly happy to see that Ateneo’s light shone — our students, staff, alumni, and our extended community braved an unseen enemy and responded to the needs of our community, especially of the neediest, the abandoned, and most at risk,” Yap said. He also lauded the volunteerism, creativity, and innovation of Filipinos who responded to the needs of their fellow Filipinos.
DOH lists 203 new COVID-19 cases | Manila Bulletin – The Department of Health (DOH) reported 203 additional cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Sunday, Dec. 19. In its COVID-19 bulletin, the DOH also reported 395 new recoveries and 64 more deaths. The recovery tally increased to 2,777,109 while the death toll was at 50,739, the DOH said. The recoveries and deaths left the country with 9,729 active cases which accounts for 0.3 percent of the Philippines’ total number of confirmed cases since last year—which stood at 2,837,577. Of the active cases, 3,695 patients were listed as mild, 485 were asymptomatic, 380 were critical, 1,800 have severe symptoms, and 3,379 were in moderate condition.
