PASTORS & CHRISTIAN LEADERS GET HANDS-ON TRAINING ON DISASTER RESPONSE OPERATIONS

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Kriz Cruzado (center) facilitates the role-playing session of the Peace and Reconciliation – Disaster Response Network (PAR-DRN) Leadership Training in Haiyan-affected areas. This project is a partnership between PeaceBuilders Community, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Church Canada, and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.

“Flood rescue operations is now a crucial ministry of our church to our neighborhood and even to our municipality,” said Pastor Paul Villamor, a survivor of super-typhoon Haiyan and one of the organizers of a local disaster response network being facilitated by PeaceBuilders Community Inc. (PBCI). “Because of the disasters we’ve been experiencing, we are now becoming more sensitive to what the Creator says about the Divine Creation… In fact, caring for God’s creation is now becoming a part of our discipleship ministry and biblical teaching,” adds Pastor Paul.

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Pastor Paul Villamor (left) practices knot-tying used in flood rescue operation with his buddy.

Pastor Paul is a graduate of the Peace and Reconciliation—Disaster Response Network (PAR-DRN) Leadership Training which PBCI is facilitating in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee and the Mennonite Church Canada.

Our goal is to train 50 pastors and Christian leaders like Paul Villamor who would train four (4) more volunteers each. Each PAR-DRN graduate would form a PAR-DRN Team in their respective communities to work hand-in-hand with other community-based organization leaders and local government leaders.

Here are our major activities as we seek to reach our goal:

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The past three years have been tragic among communities in the Philippines that were hit by deadly typhoons and flooding. In December 2011, tropical storm Washi unleashed floods that killed 1,080 people in Northern Mindanao. Twelve months later, in December 2012, there were 1,900 people who were left dead or missing by typhoon Bopha in Southeastern Mindanao.

drn-training-01Then in November 2013, super-typhoon Haiyan hit the Visayas Islands leaving at least 6,340 confirmed dead and 1,061 missing according to a running government tally. Most of these deaths were caused by drowning. Human remains are still being recovered from under the rubble even after six months.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms kill hundreds of people across the Philippines every year.

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Photo Credit: Sherel Quider, PBCI Administrative Assistant, Haiyan Project

 

Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2014/06/pastors-christian-leaders-get-hands-on-training-on-disaster-response-operations/

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