Typhoon Kalmaegi

In the early hours of Tuesday 4 November, Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through central Philippines, leaving at least 114 people dead, and hundreds of thousands displaced. On Thursday, Philippine president Marcos Jr. declared a state of calamity.

We have heard from the programmes in Cebu, which were directly in the path of the typhoon, and thankfully no one was injured and there is minimal additional damage to buildings. The typhoon follows closely on the heels of the series of earthquakes that struck Cebu in October. There is still significant damage to classrooms from the earthquakes, and the typhoon, which brought heavy rains and flooding, brings more threat of damage. Local communities, still trying to recover from earthquakes that destroyed their homes, have had their homes washed away.

During the typhoon, the Sisters of Mary opened up the school gymnasium to shelter their neighbours who live in precarious homes vulnerable to flooding.

The communities in Cebu were already displaced and trying to recover form the earthquake that hit in September. Many of the children who come to our schools live in the communities most affected by natural disasters.

Poor building materials, informal construction of homes, and lack of money to build study homes is a big risk factor. Many families have lost everything and will struggle to rebuild homes that can withstand any further heavy rain or typhoons.

At our schools, work is underway to clear debris from flooding and assess and repair any damage to school buildings. We are so grateful for our supporters who rallied quickly to help us meet the cost of the repairs, thank you!