October 5, 2009 (Manila)
Relief operations for flood victims are on-going at Don Bosco School, Sta. Mesa, Manila since last September 26, 2009. Last October 1, the Salesian Sisters conducted a formative activity named “Women’s Day”. A total of 700 mothers, grandmothers, and young women gathered at the school hall for a short program consisting of prayer service, sharing of experiences, games, and gift-giving.
The following day’s schedule is called “Men’s Day” for a total of 400 fathers, grandfathers, and young men with the same program conducted for the “Women’s Day” and Saturday (October 3, 2009) was “Children’s Day” for 500 kids. The homogenous groupings facilitate the nature of the formative activity and the types of relief goods to be distributed to them.
Last October 2, three groups of Salesian Sisters, formands, volunteers from parents, teachers, and students distributed relief goods in Araneta Avenue (5 kilometers from the FMA Provincial House), San Mateo, Rizal (24 kilometers from Manila), Cainta, Rizal (15 kilometers from Manila). In Araneta, 100 bags were given while San Mateo and Cainta, got 400 and 500 bags, respectively.
October 4, Sunday, 160 bags of relief were distributed in Montalban and 200 bags in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig. Part of Montalban has no electricity and water yet and still cleaning up the thick mud that covered up to the roof of houses. Aside from no water and electricity, a big portion of Pinagbuhatan, Pasig is still under water up to 4 feet deep.
Donations in cash and in kind are pouring in both locally and abroad daily benefitting 750 families from the neighborhood and some places reached out as needed. Volunteers mainly from the students, teachers, and parents of Don Bosco School come everday on an average of 100 persons to assist the 22 Salesian Sisters who are directly involved in the operation.
