International
After complaints from survivors that they have yet to receive the help they need, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Sunday that he will stay in typhoon-battered Leyte province until he sees more progress in the aid effort.
He is expected to set up camp in Tacloban, the capital of Leyte, but it is not clear where he will find suitable accommodations amid the ruins. Virtually every building in the city was damaged or destroyed on Nov. 8 by Typhoon Haiyan, which killed 3,974 people, with about 1,200 still missing, according to the latest official count released Sunday.
Electricity from diesel generators is available only in small pockets of the area. There is no running water. Trucks have begun distributing water, but it is still hard to come by for many.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Tacloban, Aquino said that while there has been some progress in the aid effort, there’s still a long way to go.
A massive effort by the international community, which has donated aid and cash worth more than $248 million, is beginning to show improvements on the ground.
“We really want to ease the burden of everybody as soon as possible,” Aquino said. As long as I don’t see any more improvements, we’ll stay here.”
Meanwhile, Filipinos are trying to regain a semblance of a normal life. Thousands flocked to churches across the region for Sunday Mass. More than 80 percent of the 90 million people in the Philippines are Roman Catholic, a legacy of its history of Spanish colonial rule.
Some went to give thanks for surviving. Others went to pray for the souls of the departed.
"Coming to Mass gives people hope that things will eventually get better," said Marino Caintic.
The Rev. Amadero Alvero held a service at his half-destroyed Santo Nino Church in Tacloban.
"Despite what happened, we still believe in God," he said. "The church may have been destroyed, but our faith is intact, as believers, as a people of God, our faith has not been destroyed."
Sun shone for the first service, but by the second, rain was falling through a gaping hole crisscrossed by wooden beams in the roof. Its windows were blown out, and winds snapped at a silver cross on its steeple, which now hangs upside down.
"We are being tested by God to see how strong our faith is, to see if our faith is true," Alvero said. "He wants to know that we have faith in him in good times as well as in bad."
Santo Nino and other churches have been helping care for survivors.
About 30 families are living in the church, and there are boxes of water and canned goods piled on the church's floor.
Across the globe, the Philippine diaspora has come together to help as well.
Thousands of Filipinos in Hong Kong, most of whom are domestic workers, thronged to churches, downtown parks, sidewalks and malls on their one day off a week in a show of solidarity with devastated communities back home.
They spent Sunday collecting donations but also criticizing Aquino for what they see as a botched recovery effort.
At one Hong Kong vigil with 150 Filipinos, some raised banners such as "Distribute relief goods now" and "BS Aquino — where's the relief??"
"It's an understatement when you say it (the relief effort) is slow," said Eman Villanueva, the head of United Filipinos, one of the largest Filipino groups in Hong Kong.
"When the response ... of the government (to) reach the affected areas is four, five or six days after the typhoon, it's not just slow. It's a crime. It's a crime against the people."
Al Jazeera and wire services
Error
Sorry, your comment was not saved due to a technical problem. Please try again later or using a different browser.