A Catholic bishop in the Bicol region, south of the Philippine capital, told people affected by recent typhoons not to give up.
In a message on November 14, Bishop Joel Baylon of Legazpi urged survivors to face the devastation “with new hope and a firm resolve to rise from the ruins and build again.”
The prelate said it is hard to explain why disasters happen, but said people are called to cling on to faith.
“Here we are again, survivors of yet another disaster, called to do what we have always done in the past: filled with faith and trust in a God who does not abandon us, to rise, rebuild and move on,” said Bishop Baylon.
The prelate said that as they have done in the past, people will have “to reach out to each other” and work “hand in hand” toward recovery.
“Let our cities, towns, barangays, parishes, neighborhoods, and especially our families, once again be communities of caring and sharing, of mutual trust and living faith,” he said.
