Relief Operations For “Ondoy” Victims: Operation Tulong Update

The Inside Story:

September 26, 2009 — the day that Metro Manila, including 23 other provinces was declared under a state of calamity after being battered by the strong typhoon “Ondoy”.

The heavy rains which lasted for six hours brought an intense flood submerging roads, houses and big establishments in Metro Manila and nearby areas.  Even places that have never been flooded before were affected. Motorists and commuters were stranded because of the flooded streets. Many residents were trapped on their rooftops waiting for the flood to subside without food. Others had to wait until the following day for rescue teams to arrive.  Some tried to swim amidst strong currents. The flood caused thousands of people to be homeless, their properties damaged and worse, lives were lost.

The tragic result of the calamity made way for Operation Tulong to serve its purpose in reaching out to our fellow church members who were victims of the typhoon. Jesus Christ to God Be the Glory Church members including extension churches responded and joined together to generate donations in the form of cash, grocery items and clothing.

Bishop Luis R. Santos and Pastora Norma Santos along with the Elders immediately visited our brethrens living in Marikina, Pasig, Quezon City and Cainta – places which were greatly affected by the typhoon.  Cash donations as much as P1,500.00 per family were given.  Meantime, the Achievers, Yuppers and Nugen Teams and district leaders were busy preparing for the relief operations.

The church administration initiated the organization for the deployment of relief goods.  The first relief operation was held on October 2, 2009 targeted to reach out to the victims residing in Bagong Silanganan, Quezon City. This was conducted by the Nugen Team led by Sis. Weily Santos.  “It was a heartbreaking experience seeing what our brethren had gone through. But I think we are still fortunate because despite all these, God was still merciful.  He just wants everyone to know that there’s nothing we can do without Him,” said Sis. Weily. “I thank God for giving me an opportunity to help those who are in need,” she continued.  Sis. Leslie Santos, the coordinator of the “Ondoy” Relief Operations, was overwhelmed with joy as she witnessed how the relief operations helped not only the church members but the non-members as well.  They got their share coming from the goods generated by the church and as a result, they have recognized and appreciated our church as an institution not only dedicated in conveying the Word of God through conducting Bible Studies but also through good works.

The second relief operation was conducted in Marikina which was one of the hardly-hit areas.  This time, it was the Yuppers Team led by Bro. Ludwig Santos who did the leg work on October 5, 2009.  According to Bro. Ludwig, the roads were still covered with mud and this made entering the area difficult.  Because they were determined to distribute the goods, the mud did not stop them from doing so.  They utilized a pedicab to transport the goods from the van to the Bible Cells.  What caught his attention was a church member shoveling mud out of his home where one Bible Study is being held.  “I was deeply moved because I’ve seen their courage and faith in the Lord despite the situation they are facing.  It was a tiring day, but seeing them happy and appreciative of our help made all the efforts worth it,” said Bro. Ludwig.

On October 9, 2009, the third relief operation was conducted in Quezon City. The operation was led by the Achievers Team, represented by Bro. Edsel and Sis. Debbie Rimando, together with Sis. Jo Quiazon. Joining this operation were Bishop Luis, Pastora Norma, Sis. Leslie and the Elders. They have visited more than ten (10) Bible Study Cells and distributed hundreds of relief packages.  According to Sis. Debbie, two weeks had already passed since the typhoon but our brethren were still in need during that time because most of their personal belongings were wiped out by the typhoon. On the other hand, one of our brethren showed her gratefulness to God without hesitation after receiving the goods. “They were all blessed and encouraged because they felt love and deep affection from the church,” said Sis. Debbie “I am blessed to be a part of the relief operation. It became easy under the sun because I felt the loving spirit of God in my heart. The feeling was unexplainable, incomparable & immeasurable,” she added.

The church teams have witnessed the conditions of our fellow church members during the series of relief operations.  To date, many of our brethren are still in the process of recovering from the tragedy. But regardless of the situation, each of us has showed our faith and love to God.  We have proven that we can stand against any hardship and can overcome trials by carrying each other’s burden.

“And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10 (Rev. Std. Ver.)

On-going Relief Operations for “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” victims:

The church continues to extend its hand to our brethrens who are still in need of assistance.  Donations in cash or in kind are still being accepted. For more information, please send email to project-gccote@jctgbtg.com or call our mission house through phone no. 711-3698 and look for Bro. Sherwin Naculangga.  Relief operations are scheduled weekly to cover possibly all affected areas.

Heartfelt Thank You’s:

Through the relief operations, we have been able to generate sufficient cash donations and goods enough to alleviate the hardships of our brethren. We want to thank the people who contributed and gave their donations for this operation. Your generosity had markedly helped many lives of both church members and non-members. We also thank the church volunteers who participated in the leg work to distribute the goods. Our appreciation also goes to our church workers and members for the prayers and endless support. Let us continue to pray and help rebuild the lives of our fellow brethren.

On Record:

Just to give you a glimpse on the success of our Relief Operations, we would like to share the following partial data on record:

I.   Cash Donations – Bible Cells and Extension Churches List of Recipients:

• Quezon City

Sto. Domingo Cell

Parkway Cell

Riverside Cell

Hunters Cell

Road 7 Cell

Tendido Cell                                                                           

Mauban Cell

Katuparan Cell

Araneta A Cell

Odelco Cell

Kapiligan Cell

Talayan Cell

Santolan Cell

Tagumpay Cell with Country Homes

Oburn Cell/SSS Cell/Sitio Ruby Cell

Maria Clara Cell

Sto. Domingo Cell

Florentino Cell

Tatalon Cell

Araneta Cell

Mayon Cell

Manunggal Cell

• Cainta

Marick Cainta Cell

Brookside Cell

DM-5 Cell

Parola Cell

• Marikina

Vergara Cell

Majesty Cell

Balubad A Cell

• PASAY

Leveriza Cell

Malibay Cell

• Manila

Quiricada Cell

Tondo Cell

Sampaloc Cell

• Bulacan

Sta. Maria Bulacan Cell

Pandayan Cell

Bulacan Cell

Balubad B Cell

• Pasig

Santolan Pasig Cell

Pasig Cell

• Others

Arkong Bato Cell, Valenzuela

Muzon/Catmon Cell, Malabon

Caloocan Cell

Caloocan B Cell

Paranaque Cell

Taguig Cell

Tanay Extension Church

Bicol Church

Malabon

Batangas Church

Tuguegarao Church

San Juan Cell

Modesta Cell

Luzon Cell

Malanday Cell

Tagumpay Cell

Baguio Extension Church Cell

Baseco Cell

La Paz Extension Church Cell

Total No. of families: 226 families

Total amount of cash given: P475,650.00

II.   Relief Goods – Dates and Locations of Recipients:

• OCTOBER 2, 2009 – BAGONG SILANGANAN, QUEZON CITY

Various Bible Study Cells and Households of Non-members

• OCTOBER 5, 2009 – MARIKINA

Vergara Cell

Far East Cell

Balubad A and B Cells

Molave Cell

Ulandes Cell

• OCTOBER 9, 2009 – QUEZON CITY

Araneta A & B Cells

Kapiligan  A & B Cells

Villa Espana Cell

Bolanos Cell

Tatalon Cell

Riverside Cell

Talayan Cell

P. Florentino Cell

Ma. Clara Cell

Sto. Domingo Cell

• OCTOBER 13, 2009 –VALENZUELA, MALABON, NAVOTAS

Arkong Bato Cell

Santolan A Cell

Santolan B Cell

Pandayan Cell

Malanday Cell

Dagat-Dagatan A Cell

Dagat-Dagatan B Cell

Longos Cell

Imelda Cell

D. Hari Cell

Salmon Cell

Muzon Cell

Catmon Cell

• OCTOBER 28, 2009 – CAINTA, PASIG, RIZAL

Marick Cell

P. Burgos Cell

Parola Cell

DM-5 Cell

Brookside Cell

Manggahan Cell

Santolan Cell

De La Paz Cell

Buenas Cell

Total No. of families: 776 families