Ryan Leyva, 25, ponders the future with his children at an evacuation centre in the Philippines(Photo: © Jason Gutierrrez/IRIN)Flood disaster hit the Filipino capital on the weekend, just after CMS mission partner Tim Lee returned from a visit to the Jigsaw Kids Ministries project he founded. Here he relays reports from his Jigsaw colleagues in Manila.
To outline the situation briefly, Manila was hit by a huge tropical cyclone on Friday night/Saturday.
A combination of events subjected almost all of Manila to extreme flooding: up to 3 to 10 feet of mud and water in many, many areas.
Apparently huge seas from the west of the city combined with the complete failing of the emergency city pumping systems, huge rainfall and then the bursting of one of Manila’s big dams in the hills surrounding Manila to produce extreme flooding.
Deforestation worsened the problem as many were hit by mud slides bringing major destruction to those on the edge of Manila.
On Monday morning I was able to Skype with the manager of Jigsaw Philippines and it is the most serious of situations.
Here are reports from the areas we work in:
Area 4 - "They have nothing now"
This squatter area where Jigsaw works and has a family centre is
located close to a river (as often squatter areas are) and on Friday night was flooded by torrential flood water.
Much of the area is now
completely destroyed and covered in thick mud; our social worker has just described to me the horrific events there. The water rose so fast she said and people were terrified that they would be trapped. They were rescued on floating wood pallets and anything else they could find; casualties are still being assessed, she said.
Right now the water is receding but the whole place is knee deep in mud; the only place fully standing is the Jigsaw centre where a number of families who have completely lost everything are sleeping.
“They have nothing now,” she said, “everything was either swept away or flood damaged.” The kids’ workers’ houses are all damaged but not destroyed as they had been built with concrete, but the majority of houses built of wood and
garbage are all gone. People are disoriented, homeless and hungry.
Visayas
is horrifically hit with children just crying in our centre.
Jigsaw’s manager and his family had to move to the Jigsaw centre when
the flooding hit their house, “The water was up to my chest!”
They were
joined by most of our staff and many street kids – who are now taking
refuge there.
Three of our sponsored children’s families have lost
everything and are sleeping in a gas station forecourt, they are all
devastated.
These two areas are now so highly tense, people have
nowhere to live, nothing to eat, there is no drinking water and little
chance of getting medical help.
Batasan
is least hit as it is on the top of a hill and the place furthest
from a river, but there is storm damage. The Jigsaw centre is okay and
this is the only place we will continue a full kids' club schedule this
week.
Angeles
Our Angeles is centre is located more than an hour from
Manila and although there was heavy rain and winds it did not
experience the same flooding as Manila.
So what is Jigsaw doing?
On Monday morning I had a Skype meeting with all the staff and it was decided that:
- Although the conditions are very harsh and kids clubs can’t continue in some places the staff want to try as much as possible to provide some kids clubs if they can in both Area 4 and Visayas, stating that, “the kids are so distraught we would like if we can to provide even a small place for some play, snacks and sleep and chance for the children to share their experiences.”
- Mostly what is needed is food, clothes and shelter so as an emergency intervention Jigsaw has scheduled feeding for 500 children in Visayas and Area 4 (1,000 children) every day for the next two weeks.
- Jigsaw are offering their centres as places for families and children who have lost everything to stay. A major problem is that there are too many for us to cope with, so we are trying to allocate space related to the most needy. This of course will bring problems.
- Jigsaw are offering their two vans to be part of a local government and NGO response to help deliver food and clothing to Area 4 and other badly affected areas.
For me, I am devastated. I saw two wonderful children who I know so well
in our centre on Skype. Just four days before that, I was talking
with them and laughing and playing, but today I saw them wailing in
tears as everything their families had is now gone – their homes,
possessions, school uniforms, cookers clothes, everything. Please pray.
Prayer requests from Tim and Jigsaw
- That God especially in such desperate times may be the comforter and refuge for ALL his children.
- That the two tropical depressions off the Philippines will not hit Manila and bring even more rain.
- That the emergency two-week feeding programme planned to be implemented by Jigsaw will bring relief to those most vulnerable.
- That the staff of Jigsaw will be protected and given wisdom in their efforts to implement an emergency action plan using the Jigsaw centres as feeding and refuge centres.
- That Jigsaw’s plan to offer its two vehicles to be part of the local emergency effort (to help move resources, ie medical aid, clothes, water and food etc into Area 4 and Visayas) may not be hampered.
- That God may protect the children so vulnerable from the disease and sickness which UNICEF are worried will now follow.
- That we may seek and find other ways that Jigsaw and jigsaw centres may be used at this horrific time.
- Jigsaw is planning to send an extra £2,000 fund for the emergency feeding programme and extra diesel for transport, please pray for God’s provision for this.
- Please also pray for the staff in Jigsaw for their safety and strength at this time, lastly please pray for me, even from afar this is a very difficult thing to be involved with.
- UPDATE Wed 30 Sept 3pm: Missing Jigsaw worker found. A female Jigsaw worker who was missing in one of the worst hit areas has been found safe and well.
If you would like to help Jigsaw in their flood response, please follow the link below: