TACLOBAN CITY - The Papal Nuncio, Msgr. Antonio Franco, expressed his gratitude for the swift and spontaneous response of the different countries as well as individuals, in helping the victims of the massive landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte.
The Papal Nuncio, who was in the city yesterday to attend the 76th birthday of Msgr. Pedro Dean, archbishop of the Palo Diocese, also expressed his optimism that the rescue groups in the area could still find survivors.
“What happened there was something that really touched the heart of everybody. You know, the Holy Father was one of the very first to send a message of solidarity. We hope and we pray that there can still be survivors who can be rescued,” the Pope’s representative in the country told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
The incident in Guinsaugon last Friday morning, which authorities fear could result to deaths of over 1,000 residents, resulted in an immediate assistance from different groups and nations.
Leyte Rep. Carmen Cari told Express that members of Congress have also made their own share in helping the victims of the landslide. “There was a hat, so to speak, passed around in Congress as our way of helping the victims of the tragedy,” she said.
Cari also said that just hours after the incident, she immediately sent some relief goods to the victims. “We really have to do our own share in helping the victims. It is so tragic,” the lady solon, representing the province’ fifth district, said.
The mayor of the town, Maria Lim, had repeatedly expressed her gratitude to all the groups and nations for all the assistance that they have received. The assistance intended for the victims continue to pour in coming.
“We could not really expressed how much we owe our gratitude to those who help us during this time of tragedy which is really unprecedented in the history of our town. We have experienced before similar incident but not of massive proportions,” Lim told Express.
The Papal Nuncio also asked the victims to never blame God on what he described as a “national catastrophe” that happened to them.
“It is not proper to blame God. You know, God lives towards our responsibility, towards our freedom and towards our commitment to preserve the environment and balance of nature. We know that there is a terrible alteration in our environment,” Franco said.
Meantime, two of the survivors, Analiza Bacoba, 32, and Roland Bolasco, 32, were airlifted yesterday morning from a district hospital in Anahawan town, Southern Leyte to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), based here, for medical treatment.
The two survivors sustained fractures and injuries on the different parts of their bodies which need immediate medical attention.
“And if there is still a need to bring them to a Manila-based hospital, we will do that,” Michael Tizon of the Philippine Red Cross-Leyte chapter, told Express.
