At the end of October, severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name Nalgae) came with heavy rains and strong winds. During its onslaught, it caused flooding and landslides in several cities and provinces, affecting Filipinos across the country. 

The typhoon resulted in 121 lives lost, most of them from the Visayas and Mindanao regions. There were about 3 million families affected and a loss of PHP 4.7 Billion in damage to agriculture and infrastructure to date according to news sources. A state of calamity was declared in the following regions: BARMM, Bicol, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas.

Church members and volunteers from our Victory locations across the nation—from Batangas (Rosario), Cavite (Imus and Tanza), Iloilo, Isabela (Ilagan), Laguna (Calamba, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Pedro), Rizal (Cainta), Manila (Las Piñas), Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga—came together to help those in need during the onslaught of the typhoon. 

Together, we’ve extended help to 1,013 families across the nation; 208 of these families are part of our church community. We have served in 10 barangays in Laguna, 7 barangays in Zamboanga, and several towns and cities in Aklan, Batangas, Cavite, Isabela, Rizal, and Tuguegarao.

Here are the ways we helped and will continue to help those who have been affected by the typhoon: 

• Ready-to-eat food packs were given to provide immediate relief during the storm.
• We were able to feed 1,100 individuals in Tuguegarao with some bread and hot soup. 
• Grocery packages and hygiene kits were distributed to hundreds of families.
• We volunteered to help in the cleaning and rehabilitation of houses. 
• Our volunteers and church members prayed for and offered encouragement to different families and individuals. 
• We have more ongoing relief efforts, and we plan to serve and help over 800 more families this week. 

Above all, God’s message of hope was proclaimed in this time of great need.

As we call on Jesus, may we look to God’s promise of restoration and peace despite any storm. Pray for God’s comfort to envelop those who have lost loved ones. Pray also for all relief efforts, led by both private and government sectors to be a channel of God’s love in a difficult time.